In this week’s Dispatches from the Secret Library column, Dr Oliver Tearle considers E. W. Hornung’s forgotten ‘crime doctor’, John Dollar. Dr John Dollar is a fictional detective with a difference. He is, as one of the characters in The Crime Doctor puts it, ‘a medical expert in criminology’. He […]
Surprising firsts from the world of books We recently wrote a book, The Secret Library: A Book Lovers’ Journey Through Curiosities of History, which aims to uncover the best hidden facts and stories about classic and not-so-classic works of literature. One of the most fascinating things we discovered was how […]
Obscure books and their role in literary history Our founder and chief librarian, Oliver Tearle, has written the following article on forgotten but noteworthy books, to mark the UK publication of his book, The Secret Library: A Book-Lovers’ Journey Through Curiosities of History. The book is a whistle-stop tour of […]