The White Company

The White Company by Arthur Conan Doyle (1891)

A young Saxon monk leaves his abbey and joins Sir Nigel Loring's "White Company" of English longbowmen during the Hundred Years' War. Doyle's personal favorite among all his books — the novel he wished to be remembered for instead of Sherlock Holmes.

Historical Significance:
Arthur Conan Doyle considered The White Company his best work and was perpetually frustrated that the public preferred Sherlock Holmes. Published in 1891, the novel is a meticulously researched historical romance set in 1366, during Edward III's wars in France and Spain. Doyle's depiction of medieval warfare, archery, and chivalry drew on extensive primary source research. The novel was hugely popular in its time and remains one of the finest historical adventure novels in English. Doyle wrote a prequel, Sir Nigel (1906), which he also valued above Holmes.

This public domain classic was originally published in 1891. Free to read and share.