
In January 1904, three men were elected to a small and secretive London-based criminological society referred to by its members as "Our Society." Members of this society would meet at each other's homes to discuss real-life crimes and ideas for stories. The three men were close friends and each, in his own way, became a successful crime writer. The first was Max Pemberton, a popular late Victorian and Edwardian novelist, who had several bestsellers, such as 'The Iron Pirate' to his name; the second was Bertram Fletcher Robinson, a man of many talents, who sadly died young, and before the full extent of these talents could be realised; and the third, Arthur Conan Doyle. These three friends formed a creative partnership that remains practically unique within the annals of popular fiction. Robinson's collaboration with Doyle over 'The Hound of the Baskervilles', belongs to literary folk lore, but Robinson's dealings with Pemberton were likewise fruitful. During January 1907, Robinson contracted typhoid and became terminally ill. Shortly before he died, Robinson drafted some notes for an adventure story and asked Pemberton to write it for him. The result was 'Wheels of Anarchy' . It appears that Robinson and Pemberton had discussed this tale with Doyle, but in any event, the final narrative technique and literary devices, strongly resemble those used by Dr. John H. Watson to chronicle the adventures of Sherlock Holmes. Robinson, however, the Cambridge 'Varsity sportsman', and Edwardian gentleman, lives on through both Bruce Driscoll, the narrator and hero of 'Wheels of Anarchy', and Edward E. Malone, the narrator and hero of Doyle's novel, 'The Lost World'. 'Wheels of Anarchy' is not only a rip-roaring adventure story, that makes James Bond look like a stay at home, but also a testament to the friendship between Pemberton, Robinson and Doyle. It should engage Sherlock Holmes fans and aficionados of the adventure and mystery genres alike.
Author
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information. Max^^Pemberton Sir Max Pemberton (19 June 1863 – 22 February 1950) was a popular British novelist, working mainly in the adventure and mystery genres. He was educated at St Albans School, Merchant Taylors' School, and Caius College, Cambridge. A clubman, journalist and dandy (Lord Northcliffe admired his 'fancy vests'), he frequented both Fleet Street and The Savage Club. Pemberton was the editor of boys' magazine Chums during its heyday. Between 1896 and 1906 he also edited Cassell's Magazine, in which capacity he published the early works of R. Austin Freeman and William Le Queux. His most famous work The Iron Pirate was a bestseller during the early 1890s and it launched his prolific writing career (see below). It was the story of a great gas-driven ironclad, which could outpace the navies of the world and terrorized the Atlantic Ocean. Other notable works included Captain Black (1911). During January 1908, Pemberton had a story entitled Wheels of Anarchy published by Cassell & Company (London). This story was based upon notes that were written by Bertram Fletcher Robinson shortly before he died in January 1907. It is an adventure tale about anarchists and assassins that is set across Europe. The novel’s hero and narrator, Bruce Driscoll, a recent Cambridge graduate, appears to be modelled upon Fletcher Robinson. Wheels of Anarchy by Max Pemberton was republished in December 2010. In 1920, Pemberton founded the London School of Journalism, wrote a biography about Alfred Harmsworth, 1st Viscount Northcliffe and was knighted. He was married to Alice Tussaud, granddaughter of Madame Marie Tussaud and daughter of Joseph Tussaud. Pemberton also wrote a biography of Sir Henry Royce published in 1934 shortly after Royce's death.