Sherlock Holmes is clear proof of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's talent for creating memorable characters and there are many more to be found in the rest of his body of work. The hero of The Exploits of Brigadier Gerard is one of his most ingenious inventions, brought to life, here, with wicked humour by Rupert Degas. Preposterously vain and yet endearing, Brigadier Gerard makes for a tremendously fun companion as...
Arctic explorer, survival expert and naturalist Freddy Spencer Chapman was trapped behind enemy lines when the Japanese overran Malaya in 1942. His response was to begin a commando campaign of such lethal effectiveness that the Japanese deployed an entire regiment against him, hunting for him as they did for no other. He was wounded, and racked by tropical disease. His companions were killed, or captured...