Superintendent Battle is a

fictional character In fiction, a character (or speaker, in poetry) is a person or other being in a narrative (such as a novel, play, radio or television series, music, film, or video game). The character may be entirely fictional or based on a real-life person, ...

created by

Agatha Christie Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie, Lady Mallowan, (; 15 September 1890 – 12 January 1976) was an English writer known for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections, particularly those revolving around fictiona ...

who appeared in five of her novels.

Novels featuring Superintendent Battle

He appears as a detective in the following novels: * ''

The Secret of Chimneys ''The Secret of Chimneys'' is a work of detective fiction by British writer Agatha Christie, first published in the UK by The Bodley Head in June 1925 and in the US by Dodd, Mead and Company later in the same year. It introduces the character ...

'' (1925) * ''

The Seven Dials Mystery ''The Seven Dials Mystery'' is a work of detective fiction by Agatha Christie, first published in the UK by William Collins & Sons on 24 January 1929 and in the US by Dodd, Mead and Company later in the same year. In this novel, Christie bri ...

'' (1929 - including some of the same characters, notably Lady Eileen "Bundle" Brent) * ''

Cards on the Table ''Cards on the Table'' is a detective fiction novel by the English author Agatha Christie, first published in the UK by the Collins Crime Club on 2 November 1936 and in the US by Dodd, Mead and Company the following year. The UK edition retail ...

'' (1936, with

Hercule Poirot Hercule Poirot (, ) is a fictional Belgian detective created by British writer Agatha Christie. Poirot is one of Christie's most famous and long-running characters, appearing in 33 novels, two plays ('' Black Coffee'' and ''Alibi''), and more ...

Ariadne Oliver Ariadne Oliver is a fictional character in the novels of Agatha Christie. She is a mystery novelist and a friend of Hercule Poirot. Profile Mrs Oliver often assists Poirot in his cases through her knowledge of the criminal mind. She often clai ...

and

Colonel Race This page details the other fictional characters created by Agatha Christie in her stories about the Belgian detective, Hercule Poirot. Captain Arthur Hastings Hastings first meets Poirot during his years as a private detective in Europe. Alm ...

) * '' Murder is Easy'' (1939)- Titled as ''Easy To Kill'' in the US. * ''

Towards Zero ''Towards Zero'' is a work of detective fiction by Agatha Christie first published in the US by Dodd, Mead and Company in June 1944, and in the UK by the Collins Crime Club in July of the same year. The first US edition of the novel retailed ...

'' (1944)

Police detective

Battle is notable for his stolid good sense and careful management of information as a case proceeds. He relies in part on the public notion that police detectives are stupid or unimaginative, when he has a good idea of just what is happening. His

moustache A moustache (; en-US, mustache, ) is a strip of facial hair grown above the upper lip. Moustaches have been worn in various styles throughout history. Etymology The word "moustache" is French, and is derived from the Italian ''mustaccio'' ...

is impressive, even to

. Until ''Towards Zero'' the reader knows nothing of his domestic arrangements (with exception to a comment in ''

Chimneys A chimney is an architectural ventilation structure made of masonry, clay or metal that isolates hot toxic exhaust gases or smoke produced by a boiler, stove, furnace, incinerator, or fireplace from human living areas. Chimneys are typic ...

'', when he mentions that he is "very attached of Mrs Battle"), but in this novel we learn that he has a wife and five children, the youngest of whom (Sylvia) unwittingly provides a key clue to the mystery. In the Hercule Poirot novel ''

The Clocks ''The Clocks'' is a work of detective fiction by British writer Agatha Christie, first published in the UK by the Collins Crime Club on 7 November 1963 and in the US by Dodd, Mead and Company the following year. It features the Belgian detect ...

'', the pseudonymous secret agent Colin Lamb is heavily implied to be the son of the now-retired Battle. Battle also has a secret professional life that is revealed in the

denouement Dramatic structure (also known as dramaturgical structure) is the structure of a dramatic work such as a book, play, or film. There are different kinds of dramatic structures worldwide which have been hypothesized by critics, writers and schola ...

to ''The Seven Dials Mystery'', but this is never referred to again. In this novel he states, that "half the people who spent their lives avoiding being run over buses had much better be run over and put safely out of the way. They're no good." Similar statements are given by Major Despard in ''Cards on the Table'' and Michael Rodgers in '' Endless Night'' and might be approved by Mrs Christie as well. Battle is in many respects typical of Christie's police officers, being (like

Inspector Japp Inspector James Japp (later Chief Inspector Japp) is a fictional character who appears in several of Agatha Christie's novels featuring Hercule Poirot. Creation Inspector Japp was inspired by the fictional police detective Inspector Lestrade fr ...

), more careful and intelligent than the police officers of early

detective fiction Detective fiction is a subgenre of crime fiction and mystery fiction in which an investigator or a detective—whether professional, amateur or retired—investigates a crime, often murder. The detective genre began around the same time as s ...

, who had served only as foils for the brilliance of the amateur sleuth.

References

Bibliography

* Barnard, Robert (1980): ''A Talent to Deceive'', Fontana/Collins

External links

Superintendent Battle at Hercule Poirot Central
{{DEFAULTSORT:Battle, Superintendent Literary characters introduced in 1925 Fictional British police detectives Agatha Christie characters Fictional contract bridge players