The Thirty-Nine Steps

Richard Hannay 1

"The Thirty Nine 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.

The novel formed the basis for a number of film adaptations, notably: Alfred Hitchcock's 1935 version; a 1959 colour remake; a 1978 version which is perhaps most faithful to the novel; and a 2008 version for British television.©2017 SAGA Egmont (P)2017 SAGA Egmont

great book a little slow

I enjoyed the story but I believe I sped the reading up to 1.35 so that it was a bit more fluid

really not worth even the short read

I'm not sure how I selected this. NYT blurb, maybe. Maybe as an example of how bad novels from that spy era could be. The book was short and slow and unnecessary.