Arthur Conan Doyle Non-Fiction books in order

Arthur Conan Doyle's non-fiction includes war reporting on the Boer War and World War I, campaigning journalism about the Congo, books defending spiritualism, and his autobiography Memories and Adventures.

Reading order

# Title Published Author Buy on Amazon
1 The Great Boer War 1900 Arthur Conan Doyle Buy
2 The War in South Africa, Its Cause & Conduct; 1902 Arthur Conan Doyle Buy
3 Through the Magic Door 1907 Arthur Conan Doyle Buy
4 The Crime of the Congo 1909 Arthur Conan Doyle Buy
5 The Case Of Oscar Slater 1912 Arthur Conan Doyle Buy
6 The New Revelation 1917 Arthur Conan Doyle Buy
7 The Vital Message 1919 Arthur Conan Doyle Buy
8 The British Campaign in France and Flanders 1915 1920 Arthur Conan Doyle Buy
9 The Wanderings of a Spiritualist 1921 Arthur Conan Doyle Buy
10 The Coming of the Fairies 1921 Arthur Conan Doyle Buy
11 Memories and Adventures and Western Wanderings 1924 Arthur Conan Doyle Buy
12 The History of Spiritualism 1926 Arthur Conan Doyle Buy
13 The Edge of the Unknown 1930 Arthur Conan Doyle Buy
14 Dangerous Work 2012 Arthur Conan Doyle Buy

Doyle’s non-fiction career began with The Great Boer War (1900), a detailed account of the conflict in South Africa that drew on his time as a volunteer doctor in a field hospital. The book, along with a shorter pamphlet defending British conduct, helped earn him his knighthood in 1902. He followed it with The Crime of the Congo (1909), an expose of Belgian atrocities in the Congo Free State, and later wrote a multi-volume history of the British campaign in France during World War I.

His later non-fiction was dominated by spiritualism. The New Revelation (1917) announced his conversion, and he spent the rest of his life writing and lecturing on the subject. The Coming of the Fairies (1921) defended the Cottingley Fairies photographs, which were later revealed to be fakes. The History of Spiritualism (1926) was his attempt at a comprehensive account of the movement. Through the Magic Door, a more personal work, discusses his favorite books and reading habits. Dangerous Work (2012) collects his diary from an 1880 Arctic whaling voyage, published more than a century after it was written.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many books are in the Arthur Conan Doyle Non-Fiction series?

There are fourteen books in the Arthur Conan Doyle Non-Fiction series, published between 1900 and 2012.

What is the first book in the Arthur Conan Doyle Non-Fiction series?

The first book in the Arthur Conan Doyle Non-Fiction series is The Great Boer War, published in 1900.

Why did Arthur Conan Doyle write so much about spiritualism?

Doyle became interested in spiritualism in the 1880s but fully committed to the movement after the deaths of his son Kingsley and brother Innes following World War I. He spent much of his later life and personal fortune promoting spiritualism, writing The New Revelation, The Vital Message, The History of Spiritualism, and The Coming of the Fairies. He believed communication with the dead was scientifically provable.

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