4 h 40 minAudiobook8 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at costPaperback · 6 × 9 in · 115 pagesHardcover · 6 × 9 in · 115 pagesAbout this book
A dead man in his London flat leaves Richard Hannay with a secret notebook—and nowhere safe to turn.
Richard Hannay, a mining engineer back from southern Africa, finds London dull. Then his American neighbour, Franklin P. Scudder, claims to know of a plot to murder a foreign statesman. When Scudder is killed in Hannay’s flat, boredom gives way to danger: the police suspect Hannay, and the killers want the dead man’s secrets.
Hannay heads north into the Scottish hills, with police and foreign agents on his trail. He changes his appearance, sleeps in barns and cottages, and relies on quick thinking to keep moving. In John Buchan’s short spy novel, a cryptic puzzle—the thirty-nine steps—may hold the key to stopping a national disaster.
What you’ll discover
- A reluctant man of action Watch a restless engineer discover what his wits and outdoor skills can do under pressure.
- Escape across the moors Follow Hannay through open country where pursuit comes by land and air.
- A dead man’s notebook Trace the clues Scudder leaves behind as Hannay searches for the plot beneath them.
- Danger behind every disguise A milkman’s coat offers one escape, but staying ahead demands fresh invention.
- A calm, dry voice Hannay tells his own story with understated humour that makes each wild scrape feel believable.
Is it for you?
This book suits anyone who likes a quick, clean adventure with a hero who thinks on his feet, and readers curious about where the modern thriller began. If you want deep character study or complex plotting, you may find it light.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- A bored man meets a frightened neighbour
- Scudder is silenced, and Hannay is suspected
- A milkman's coat and a train north
- Hunted on the moors by land and air
- What the story is really about
- How Buchan tells it
Who’s who
- Richard HannayA Scottish-born mining engineer back from southern Africa, bored in London, who must use his wits and outdoor skills to escape pursuers and stop a plot.
- Franklin P. ScudderAn American neighbour who claims to have uncovered a scheme to murder a foreign statesman and who trusts Hannay with his secret.
- The policeThe authorities who come to believe Hannay is a murderer and chase him across Britain.
- The secret enemyA band of clever, patient foreign agents who want the notebook and will stop at nothing to get it.
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- Hardcover
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- Large print paperback
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print hardcover
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
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The Thirty-Nine Steps
by John Buchan· 1915
A man flees a murder accusation while uncovering a spy plot.
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From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1 of 6
A bored man meets a frightened neighbour
The story opens in London in May 1914. Richard Hannay has returned from Rhodesia, where he made his money, and he is deeply disappointed with life at home. He has no friends to speak of, the city bores him, and he even thinks of going back to Africa. He tells the story himself, in a plain, modest voice that sets the tone for the whole book.
One evening, as he reaches the door of his flat, a neighbour stops him. The man is thin, sharp-eyed and clearly afraid. His name is Scudder, and he is an American who lives in the same building. He asks to talk to Hannay in private, and Hannay, curious and with nothing else to do, agrees.
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The author
John Buchan
1875–1940 · Scottish novelist and politician
John Buchan (1875–1940) was a Scottish author and politician, born in Perth. He wrote novels, histories and biographies. His novels include The Thirty-Nine Steps (1915), Mr. Standfast (1919) and Huntingtower (1922). He lived in Britain and served as Governor General of Canada from 1935 until his death in Montreal.
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What is The Thirty-Nine Steps about?
It follows Richard Hannay, who is blamed for a murder in London and runs to Scotland with a coded notebook, chased by police and by spies who want to start a war.
When was The Thirty-Nine Steps written?
John Buchan wrote it in 1915, early in the First World War. The story itself is set just before the war begins, in the spring and summer of 1914.
Is The Thirty-Nine Steps a true story?
No, it is fiction. Buchan drew on real fears of German spies and on his love of the Scottish hills, but Hannay, Scudder and the plot are invented.
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