A Desert Drama being The Tragedy of the Korosko [Paperback]

Arthur Conan Doyle (Author), S. Paget (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2005

1898. Doyle, the English novelist best known for his Sherlock Holmes detective books, also wrote historical novels. A Desert Drama first appeared in serial form. The book begins: The public may possibly wonder why it is that they have never heard in the papers of the fate of the passengers of the Korosko. In these days of universal press agencies, responsive to the slightest stimulus, it may well seem incredible that an international incident of such importance should remain so long chronicle. Suffice it that there were very valid reasons, both of a personal and political nature, for holding it back. See other titles by this author available from Kessinger Publishing.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

The life of Arthur Conan Doyle illustrates the excitement and diversity of the Victorian age unlike that of any other single figure of the period. At different points in his life he was a surgeon on a whaling ship; a GP; an apprentice eye-surgeon; an unsuccessful parliamentary candidate (twice); a multi-talented sportsman; one of the inventors of cross-country skiing in Switzerland; a formidable public speaker; a campaigner against miscarriages of justice; a military strategist; a writer in a range of forms; and the head of an extraordinary family. 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, and invention, indeed all things modern and technological; yet at the same time he was also very traditional, voicing support for values such as chivalry, duty, constancy, and honour. By the time of his death in July 1930 he was a celebrity, achieving worldwide fame and notoriety for his creation of the rationalist, scientific super-detective Sherlock Holmes; yet at the same time his later decades were taken up with his advocacy of the new religion of Spiritualism, in which he was a devoted believer. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 340 pages
• Publisher: Kessinger Publishing, LLC (April 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1417903384
• ISBN-13: 978-1417903382
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,328,373 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The More Things Change..., March 29, 2011

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M. Harris "Army Officer" (FT Hood, TX) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: A Desert Drama Being The Tragedy Of The "Korosko" (Kindle Edition)

Arthur Conan Doyle's story of the passengers on a riverboat who run afoul of Sudanese Dervishes is an exciting tale in its own right, but is especially timely in view of the current situation in the Middle East. The plot is simple: A group of passengers on a cruise up the Nile take a side trip which puts them within range of a group of raiders, who take them for ransom or, in the case of the captured women, other purposes, which Conan Doyle alludes to, but does not explicitly state. What makes this especially timely are the characterizations of the passengers and their individual responses to the hazards of their ordeal, from the retired English officer whose experiences in similar situations puts him in a leadership role, to the Frenchman who initially denies even the existence of the risk of the raiders, then attempts to ingratiate himself to them, but ultimately comes around to solidarity with the group, each member of the group of prisoners is both an individual and an archetype, providing every side of the discussion of the situation in Egypt and the Sudan. The Islamic preaching of the Imam is especially accurate and provides an insight into the mindset of the jihadis who prey upon non-believers (and believers, for that matter) in the desert. This is an exciting and timely book that reminds us that we have fought jihadis before, and that courage in the face of evil is the correct response.