Showing results by author "John Buchan" in All Categories

The 39 Steps is an adventure novel by the Scottish author John Buchan. It first appeared as a serial in Blackwood's Magazine in August and September 1915 before being published in book form in October that year by William Blackwood and Sons, Edinburgh. It is the first of five novels featuring Richard Hannay, an all-action hero with a stiff upper lip and a miraculous knack for getting himself out of sticky situations.

When Richard Hannay returns to London after an action-packed life in Rhodesia, he finds life unbearably dull. He is on the point of leaving the city in search of adventures, when mystery and intrigue turns up at his door in the shape of Franklin Scudder, Hannay’s neighbour, who turns out to be a spy trying to escape the clutches of a shady international organisation, bent on sparking a European war. When Scudder is mysteriously murdered and all the evidence seems to point to Hannay himself, he escapes to Scotland, bearing Scudder’s cryptic coded notebook, which he struggles to decipher.

Richard Hannay is bored—until his neighbor shows up with a wild story of espionage, an impending war, and a mysterious organization called the 39 Steps. Hours later, the man is dead, and Hannay is the prime suspect. Framed for murder and hunted by both the police and a deadly network of spies, Hannay races across the Scottish countryside, decoding clues, dodging capture, and trying to stop a conspiracy that threatens the fate of Britain itself. Fast-paced, sharp, and endlessly gripping, The 39 Steps is the original man-on-the-run thriller—a template for everything from Hitchcock to Bond.

Embark on a thrilling adventure with John Buchan's "The Thirty-Nine Steps." Follow Richard Hannay as he uncovers a conspiracy and races against time to prevent a global disaster. Perfect for fans of espionage, mystery, and action-packed narratives.

Short stories have always been a sort of instant access into an author’s brain, their soul and heart. Whether they hail from the Lowlands or the Highlands, to be a Scottish author is to part of a quite an extraordinary band of authors and its literary traditions. These beguiling stories example the full range and majesty of their talents and the subjects they explore.

Greenmantle is an espionage thriller set during World War I, following Richard Hannay as he infiltrates enemy territory to thwart a German-led Muslim uprising. Packed with action, disguises, and deadly missions, this novel is a thrilling sequel to The Thirty-Nine Steps.

Huntingtower is a thrilling adventure novel about a retired grocer who stumbles upon a Russian princess being held captive in a Scottish mansion. Teaming up with an unlikely band of allies, he must outwit villains, navigate political intrigue, and stage a daring rescue.

In the third Richard Hannay novel, the Brigadier-General finds himself pulled from the warfront to hunt down a German agent whilst undercover as a conscientious objector.

John MacNab is a clever and thrilling novel about three bored gentlemen who challenge Scottish landowners to catch them in the act of poaching on their estates. A mix of adventure, humor, and sporting spirit, this novel showcases Buchan’s wit and love of the Highlands.

The Power-House is a gripping political thriller where barrister Edward Leithen stumbles upon a global conspiracy that threatens the very fabric of civilization. As he races against time to stop an underground anarchist organization, he faces espionage, deception, and the terrifying realization that the world is more fragile than it seems.

Prester John is a thrilling colonial adventure set in South Africa. Young Scotsman David Crawfurd finds himself caught in a revolutionary plot led by the enigmatic John Laputa, who claims to be the heir of the legendary Christian king, Prester John. With daring escapes, hidden treasures, and high-stakes action, this novel is a classic tale of imperial adventure.

The Three Hostages is a thrilling blend of espionage and mystery, featuring the resourceful Richard Hannay. When three children from prominent families are kidnapped, Hannay is called upon to unravel a complex web of deception, crime, and danger. Racing against time and facing formidable enemies, he must uncover the truth before it’s too late. Packed with intrigue and action, this novel is a gripping installment in John Buchan’s iconic spy series.

Diplomacy by other means may, at times, sound heroic. A fight for principles and ideals carried out by young men armed to the teeth and directed by older men in pursuit of their own version of glory for themselves and their Nations. Right will triumph over wrong. But war can be an illusion, stirred up by schemers and opportunists to take something from other nations that may or may not be right. As blood and limb are sacrificed the true cost is seen but often set to one side as the dispute becomes embedded in emotions and reason falls away.

The world since earliest times has always had spies. Information is a valuable commodity and even more so in times of war or tension. Many authors and poets have had real life incarnations as spies from Christopher Marlowe and Aphra Behn to Daniel Defoe. But it’s a dangerous game. Working in a murky, secretive world where any trust given could be at the expense of your life.

For an atheist it’s a great deal, though it does suggest atheism may have a weak point. For those of faith it’s a matter of jam now and purgatory tomorrow. A bargain many artists feel is something they can live with. For agnostics it’s usually a question of can the afterlife really be that bad, would workplace regulations reach all parts of heaven and hell. However, in this volume the terms are agreed and the Devil pays his fees and the character his dues, each happy to wait a few decades for the eternal payback.

The Thirty-Nine Steps is a spy adventure novel by John Buchan, written in 1914. Narrated from a first-person perspective, it follows the journey of an "ordinary man," Richard Hannay, who becomes entangled in a conspiracy involving the theft of vital military intelligence by German anarchists. summary by Lina

Richard Hannay’s boredom is soon relieved when the resourceful engineer is caught up in a web of secret codes, spies, and murder on the eve of WWI. This exciting action-adventure story was the inspiration for Alfred Hitchcock’s 1939 classic film of the same name. John Buchan (1875-1940) was Governor General of Canada and a popular novelist. Although condemned by some for anti-Semitic dialog in The Thirty-Nine Steps, his character’s sentiments do not represent the view of the author who was identified in Hitler’s Sonderfahndungsliste (special search list) as a "Jewish sympathiser." (...

The Three Hostages is the fourth of five Richard Hannay novels. The Richard Hannay novels are action/mystery/spy novels with a James bond feel. This book starts out with Richard Hannay married to Mary Lamington living in Fosse Manor. He is asked to work undercover and figure out who kidnapped three children of prominent people, while Scotland Yard investigate the abductions officially. Different friends help him solve the mystery. It's suspenseful and a fun action packed mystery! - Summary by Kimberly Shoemaker