A thrilling blend of adventure and spy novel, The Thirty-Nine Steps has been continuously in print since first publication in 1915 and has been adapted for stage and screen multiple times, including Alfred Hitchcock's famous film adaptation.

‘Ordinary fellow’ Richard Hannay returns home one night and is horrified to find a dead body. He recognizes the murdered man as his American neighbour who, just a few days earlier, had warned him about a secretive organization planning an assassination which threatens to plunge the country into war. Fearful of becoming a suspect, but resolved to scupper the plot, Hannay escapes in disguise and goes on the run. Hunted from England to Scotland by police and villains alike, he is determined to outwit his enemies and secure his country’s safety.

Part of the Macmillan Collector’s Library, a series of stunning, cloth-bound, pocket-sized classics with gold foiled edges and ribbon markers. These beautiful books make perfect gifts or a treat for any book lover.

Buchan was a major influence on my work * Alfred Hitchcock *
Between Kipling and Fleming stands John Buchan, the father of the modern spy thriller * Christopher Hitchens *

John Buchan was a prolific author who wrote poetry and biographies as well as novels, but he is best remembered for The Thirty-Nine Steps, the most famous of his five Hannay novels. Buchan was born in Perth, Scotland in 1875, the son of a minister. His early career was as a lawyer working in South Africa then in 1906 he became a partner in a publishing firm. He married Susan Grosvenor, the Duke of Westminster’s cousin, in 1907 and they had four children. Elected to Parliament in 1911, Buchan served in various capacities during the First World War, including the role of Director of Information. In 1935 he was appointed Governor General of Canada and became Lord Tweedsmuir. He died in 1940.