Thirty-nine Steps

John Buchan penned "The Thirty-Nine Steps" while gravely ill at the onset of World War I, featuring his iconic protagonist, Richard Hannay. Despite describing himself as an 'ordinary fellow', Hannay finds himself embroiled in an exhilarating race to thwart a plot aimed at crippling the British war effort. Pursued across the rugged Scottish moors by both police and a spy ring, he must outsmart his cunning and relentless adversary, maneuvering through the halls of Whitehall and ultimately reaching the enigmatic location of the thirty-nine steps. This novel, the most renowned among Buchan's thrillers, has remained in continuous publication since its debut and has been adapted into films on three occasions. In its only critical edition, Christopher Harvie offers an introduction that intricately links the creation of this gripping narrative with its historical context.