Showing results by author "John Buchan" in All Categories

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.

Richard Hannay finds a corpse in his flat, and becomes involved in a plot by spies to precipitate war and subvert British naval power. The resourceful victim of a manhunt, he is pursued by both the police and the ruthless conspirators. The Thirty-Nine Steps is a seminal chase thriller, rapid and vivid. It has been widely influential and frequently dramatised: the film directed by Alfred Hitchcock became a screen classic.

In Last Secrets, author John Buchan reveals how the foundational aspects of our planets geography were largely charted in the early twentieth century, leaving only the task of deepening our understanding of these monumental discoveries. This captivating exploration takes you through nine pivotal revelations that uncovered the earths last enigmas—from the mysterious cloud city of Lhasa to the daunting ascent of Mount Everest, which still awaited its conquerors. Join us on these extraordinary journeys that brought the world’s final great mysteries into sharp focus. - Summary by Steven Seitel

This is the classic adventure of Richard Hannay, who upon being buttonholed at his door by a mysterious stranger called Franklin P. Scudder, finds himself drawn into adventure and international intrigue with Europe on the brink of war, and the fate of England at stake.

Many hybrid forms of the mystery-crime-thriller genre exists. All of them are narratives that keep one in suspense about what is about to happen. The thriller also shares a literary lineage with ancient epic and myth populated by monsters, terror and danger. Alexandre Dumas, Alfred Hitchcock, and Robert Ludlum are some of the masters of the genre.

Following the conclusion of the Great War, Hannay has retired from British intelligence. He is coaxed from retirement to aid in the rescue of three prominent hostages held by an international criminal organization bent on controlling the disturbed minds of those affected by the Great War. Hannay pretends to succumb to hypnotic mind control and secretly travels to a remote farm in Norway to continue the hostage search.

Richard Hannay, returned colonial mining engineer, is thoroughly bored with life in London, and only a day away from taking the next boat back to the Cape. But then he encounters mysterious American spy Franklin P. Scudder, on the run from foreign agents seeking to prevent him from revealing an assassination plot designed to throw Britain into war with Germany. And when Scudder is murdered in Hannay's flat, Hannay finds himself on the run from both the police and Scudder's enemies - and bound in honour to pursue the dead man's work and save his country from disaster....

A fabulous anthology of some of the finest stories ever written.

Colonel John Buchan, 1st Baron Tweedsmuir (1875 - 1940) was a Scottish novelist, historian and politician. He is best known for his mystery and ghost stories.The Wind in the Portico is a strange tale of a visit by a classical scholar, Nightingale, to an odd castle set in a park in Shropshire where a rare manuscript is housed.

It would be easy to call it a case of naivete on the part of Richard Hannay, but there was much more to the story. He had just returned to London after living in Rhodesia, so he wasn’t fully versed in the intrigue going on in England. That wasn’t much of a reason for Hannay allowing a man he met to live in his flat. However, that’s what he did, even though Franklin Scudder claimed to be a spy with involvement in an anarchist plot to assassinate the Greek Premier. Hannay got into a major problem when Scudder was found murdered in the apartment.

John Buchan (1875-1940) was a Scottish writer, barrister, and member of Parliament and later become Baron Tweedsmuir and governor-general of Canada. While he was most famous for adventure stories, such as "The Thirty-Nine Steps", he was also popular for his supernatural horror stories, of which "The Watcher by the Threshold" and "The Wind in the Portico" are prime examples.

This anthology brings together five very different examples of Buchan's best work.

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.

Immerse yourself in the enchanting world of celebrated Scottish author John Buchan, the mastermind behind the iconic Richard Hannay thrillers like The Thirty-Nine Steps and Greenmantle. In this captivating collection of short stories and poetry, Buchan showcases his remarkable talent for weaving tales that blend satire with the surreal. The Athenaeum praised this work upon its release for its marked leaning towards the mysterious and bizarre, bursting with considerable imagination. Join us on a delightful journey into the fantastical and otherworldly realms of John Buchans short fiction! (...

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.

In this compelling third installment of a four-volume history of the First World War, we delve into the tumultuous events along the Ypres Salient from February 1916 to mid-November 1917. Buchan masterfully navigates the intricacies of this global conflict, providing listeners with a clear and engaging narrative that enhances our understanding without overwhelming us. - Summary by Lynette Caulkins

In this captivating fourth volume of a comprehensive four-part series on the First World War, we delve into the pivotal year of 1917, a time when Germany is undergoing a crucial reorganization and Russia teeters on the brink of collapse. Buchan masterfully navigates the intricate web of events, providing listeners with a clear and engaging understanding of the complexities of war, all without overwhelming detail. - Summary by Lynette Caulkins

In the second installment of this comprehensive four-volume series on the First World War, we delve into the tumultuous period from the commencement of the Dardanelles Campaign in September 1914 to the early stages of the Battle of Verdun, concluding in mid-April 1916. As noted by David Reader in volume one, the author adopts a formal approach, offering a sweeping overview filled with factual insights, all while viewing the events through the lens of patriotic British sentiment. - Summary by Lynette Caulkins

John Buchan was born on August 26th 1875. After a brief career in the legal profession he began a twin career as writer and politician. He was a prodigious writer not just of fiction but of such acclaimed works as a 24 volume history of World War I. It was during the war, where, as a sideline writing propaganda, he wrote his most famous work, ‘The Thirty Nine Steps’. Its hero, Richard Hannay, continues his story in other Buchan novels, most notably Greenmantle (1916) and Mr Standfast (1919).

De 39 stegen är en roman som kom att bli stilbildande för en helt ny genre - äventyrsromanen fylld av spänning och gott humör. Huvudpersonen, Richard Hannay, dras motvilligt in i en kedja av händelser där han hetsas fram över det skottska höglandet jagad av skurkar och poliser. Boken har filmats otaliga gånger, men bäst är nog fortfarande Alfred Hichcocks version från 1935.

Twelve years on from the events of The Three Hostages, Sir Richard Hannay begins to fear that his idyllic existence with his family in their Cotswolds home is a little too comfortable, merely the placid acceptance of encroaching old age. But then echoes of a past adventure during his days in Africa, and an old oath to protect the son of the man whom he saved then, draw him—along with son Peter John and old friend Sandy Clanroyden—into new danger, and a showdown on the remote Island of Sheep....