Book description
Recently returned from South Africa, adventurer Richard Hannay is
bored with life, but after a chance encounter with an American who
informs him of an assassination plot and is then promptly murdered in
Hannay's London flat, he becomes the obvious suspect and is forced to
go on the run. He heads north to his native Scotland, fleeing the
police and his enemies. Hannay must keep his wits about him if he is
to warn the government before all is too late. John Buchan was a
Scottish diplomat, barrister, journalist, historian, poet and
novelist. He published nearly 30 novels and seven collections of short
stories. He was born in Perth, an eldest son, and studied at Glasgow
and Oxford. In 1901 he became a barrister of the Middle Temple and a
private secretary to the High Commissioner for South Africa. In 1907
he married Susan Charlotte Grosvenor and they subsequently had four
children. After spells as a war correspondent, Lloyd George's Director
of Information and Conservative MP, Buchan moved to Canada in 1935. He
served as Governor General there until his death in 1940.
One of Alfred Hitchcock's favourite writers, John Buchan was a
Scottish diplomat, barrister, journalist, historian, poet and novelist.
He published nearly 30 novels and seven collections of short stories. He
was born in Perth, an eldest son, and studied at Glasgow and Oxford. In
1901 he became a barrister of the Middle Temple and a private secretary
to the High Commissioner for South Africa. In 1907 he married Susan
Charlotte Grosvenor and they subsequently had four children. After
spells as a war correspondent, Lloyd George's Director of Information
and Conservative MP, Buchan moved to Canada in 1935. He served as
Governor General there until his death in 1940. The Thirty-Nine Steps is
introduced by Stuart Kelly, Literary Editor of Scotland on Sunday.
Stuart is also a critic and author of The Book of Lost Books and
Scottland: The Man Who Invented a Nation. He is also the introducer of
Midwinter by John Buchan.
