Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was born on May 22, 1859 in Scotland. He was a British writer who created the celebrated character Sherlock Holmes. Originally a physician, in 1887 he published A Study in Scarlet, the first of four novels and more than fifty short stories about Holmes and Dr. Watson. Doyle was a prolific writer. His other works include fantasy and science fiction stories about Professor Challenger and humorous stories about the Napoleonic soldier Brigadier Gerrard. From 1888 to 1906, Doyle wrote seven historical novels, which he and many critics regarded as his best work. The Challenger stories include what is robably his best-known work after the Holmes stories, The Lost World. He was a prolific author of short stories, including two collections set in Napoleonic times featuring the French character Brigadier Gerard.