Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle (22 May 1859 - 7 July 1930) was a Scottish writer and physician, most noted for his fictional stories about the detective Sherlock Holmes, which are generally considered milestones in the field of crime fiction. This is a collection of short stories, lesser known stories. The swashbuckling, eponymous hero, Etienne Gerard, is one of Napoleon's gallant French Hussars, who considers himself the finest of them all. Conan Doyle pokes gentle fun at both the French and the English. This is the second volume containing eight adventures. (Excerpt from Wikipedia)