Bidspirit auction | The Thirty-Nine Steps - John

The Thirty-Nine Steps - John Buchan 1st Edition - Cloth. Condition: Very Good. None (illustrator). First edition. A first edition copy of John Buchan's celebrated espionage novel. A thriller, which follows the 'man on the run' Richard Hannay just before the outbreak of the First World War. Originally serialised in Blackwood's Magazine, 'The Thirty Nine Steps' is the first of five novels featuring Buchan's all-action hero Richard Hannay. A fantastic novel, which has been subject to many adaptations for screen and stage. This is one of the earliest examples of 'man on the run' thriller archetypes subsequently used for films as a plot device Interestingly John Buchan was Head of Intelligence at the Ministry of Information during WWI and became Governor General of Canada in 1935, holding the post until his death in 1940. Buchan promoted Canadian unity and helped strengthen the sovereignty of Canada constitutionally and culturally. He received a state funeral in Canada before his ashes were returned to the United Kingdom.