The Lost World

<p>Written in 1912 Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's <em>The Lost World</em> is the origin of all the many modern-day dinosaur books and films.  As an adventure story it has everything - dangerous crises abound in several exotic locations with ape-men and a host of strange and terrifying beasts hair-raising escapes secret tunnels and the occasional damsel in distress thrown in for good measure.  But behind all the peril and derring-do Conan Doyle is gently satirising the idea of Science as a pure discipline unsullied by thoughts of personal gain; and ridiculing those close-minded hide-bound intellectuals who possess the qualifications but not the courage to search diligently for the truth.</p>