As a result the story is fast paced and full of action. The book was initially serialised in a magazine and many chapters end on the proverbial cliff hanger. At the time the UK was at war with Germany and there were no doubt German spies in the country. When it was first published, this novel must have been fascinating reading. Over a hundred years later, The Thirty-Nine Steps remains resonant, and the various film, television and theatre adaptations of this classic – most notably Alfred Hitchcock’s 1935 version – are a testament to its capacity to thrill. Hannay becomes both hunter and hunted as he struggles to unravel the tangled threads of this plot while staying one step ahead of his pursuers, who will stop at nothing to keep their nefarious secrets.įirst published in 1915, John Buchan’s definitive spy novel was the first in a long line of espionage thrillers to delve into the underbelly of the British establishment. Scudder had previously revealed that he was investigating a ring of German spies, who were conspiring to sabotage Britain’s war capability. Scudder in his London flat, he goes on the run, fearing that his life is in danger. When Richard Hannay finds the corpse of freelance spy Franklin P. The Thirty-Nine Steps by John Buchan – Book Review
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