Podcast
The Rest Is History
The hosts repeatedly highlighted the title as the novel that ignited Tom Holland's lifelong passion for history and praised it as a beautifully written, memorable work that captures the chivalric spirit of the Hundred Years' War. They regarded its prose as a landmark in Western literature and noted its vivid opening about the Black Death, expressing overall fondness and admiration for the book.
Episode: 321: Hundred Years' War: A Storm of Swords (Part 4...
The hosts noted that Sir Nigel was the book that sparked Tom Holland's lifelong love of history and was praised as a work that would outlive Sherlock Holmes.
And that, Tom Holland, is the climactic scene of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's masterwork, one of the books that he believed would be remembered long after Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson were forgotten. Sir Nigel, the book that fired your love of history all those decades ago.
Episode: 320: Hundred Years' War: The Black Prince (Part 3)
The hosts praised the novel as beautifully written and remarked that it vividly captured the chivalric spirit of the Hundred Years' War, even opening with a striking account of the Black Death.
So Tom Holland, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's novel. Beautifully written as usual. Sir Nigel, both beautifully written and I think it's fair to say remarkably read.
Arthur Conan Doyle always thought they were better than the Sherlock Holmes books, and he was gutted, wasn't he, that people paid so much attention to Holmes and not enough to Nigel.
Well, actually Sir Nigel, Conan Doyle's novel, opens with a brilliant account of the Black Death coming.
Episode: 319: Hundred Years' War: Triumph of the Longbow (P...
Tom Holland recalled a reading from Sir Nigel, noting the book from his childhood and expressing fondness for it.
So that's Tom Holland. It was a reading from Sir Nigel by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
Tom, you talked last time about how much you loved that book, Sir Nigel, when you were growing up.
Episode: 318: Hundred Years' War: A Game of Thrones (Part 1...
The hosts highlighted the novel as a memorable passage of prose and called it a great landmark in Western literature.
So Tom Holland, that beautiful passage of prose, the introduction of the Red Ferret in the book Sir Nigel, which you recommended to me, you regard that as one of the great landmarks in Western literature, don't you? I'd completely forgotten the Red Ferret, and I don't know how I could have done... it's by Arthur Conan Doyle.
Episode: 124. World Cup of Kings and Queens part 2
They also cited ConanDoyle's Sir Nigel (referred to as Sun Nigel) as another classic adventure novel set in the same period.
The White Company. White Company, Sun Nigel.