In his autobiography, he wrote: I have had a life which, for variety and romance, could, I think, hardly be exceeded. He was not wrong. But Conan Doyle was also a Victorian with a twist, a man of tensions and contradictions. He was fascinated by travel, exploration, invention, and indeed all things modern and technological; yet at the same time very traditional, voicing support for values such as chivalry, duty, constancy, and honour. By the time of his death he was a celebrity, achieving worldwide fame for his creation of the rationalist, scientific super-detective Sherlock Holmes; but his later decades were taken up with advocacy of the new religion of Spiritualism, in which he became a devoted believer.

    Is Eeyore digging holes in the ground? Wrong. Is he leaping from branch to branch of an oak tree? Wrong. Is he waiting for somebody to help him out of the river? Right. Perfect for early readers, Pooh Invents a New Game will not fail to please! Adapted by Stephen Krensky. Illustrated by Ernest H. Shepard.