John Buchan Books In Order

Publication Order of Richard Hannay Books

Publication Order of Leithen Stories Books

Publication Order of Dickson McCunn Books

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Publication Order of Short Stories/Novellas

Publication Order of Short Story Collections

Publication Order of Non-Fiction Books

Publication Order of Poetry Collections

Publication Order of Anthologies

John Buchan (1875-1940) was a Scottish author of mystery and thrillers, biographies & memoirs and literature and fiction books. Born in Perth, Scotland Buchan was the first born child of John Buchan and Helen Buchan. He spent his childhood in Kirkcaldy, Fife and spent most of his holidays with maternal grandparents in the Scottish Borders. There Buchan developed the love of walking and also for scenery of flora and fauna which mostly featured in his books. The name of the lead character in many of Buchan’s novels- Sir Edward Leithen- is from Leithen Water, River Tweed tributary. Buchan’s childhood which he shared with his sister Anna was documented in Anna’s memoir, Unforgettable, Unforgotten written under the pen name O. Douglas.

After graduating from Hutcheson’s Grammar School, Buchan won a scholarship to the University of Glasgow where he majored in Classics, wrote poetry and also became a published author. Later Buchan served as the 15th Governor General of Canada. His famous work of fiction was The Thirty- Nine Steps. The book was adapted into 1935 British thriller film featuring Madeleine Carroll and Robert Donat and was directed by Alfred Hitchcock. The author starred The Thirty-Nine Steps main character in other four books as a significant character and in two others as a supporting character. Following his demise in 1940, Buchan received a state funeral in Canada before his ashes were sent to the United Kingdom.

Buchan became a published author in 1895 when Sir Quixote of the Moor was published. His last original work was a non-fiction book titled, The History of the First World War; it was never released until 1991. His last novel The Long Traverse was published in 1941.

The 39 Step

First published in 1915, The 39 Steps is the first book in Richard Hannay series by John Buchan. It is an adventure story which first appeared in Blackwood’s Magazine in August & September 1915 before being published in book form the same year by William Blackwood and Sons. It is the first of the five books featuring Richard Hannay, an all-action hero with a stiff upper lip and a knack for getting himself out of sticky situations. This first novel forms the basis of several film adaptations.

The story kicks off with bored Richard who is determined to give London one more day to hold his interest before leaving for an exciting alternative abroad. However, he gets away with more than he bargained for when a new American client is killed in his apartment a few days after the pair meet. Realizing that he is now likely the primary target of the people who murdered his friend, and also the primary suspect in the case, Richards takes off on the run around Scotland.

The 39 Steps is an exciting tale with lots of twists and turns narrated in a beautiful style that shakes off the flowery Victorianism that at the time was ending its dominance of the arts. While evading capture by the police and those hunting him Richard has also to puzzle out the meaning of the conspiracy uncovered by his murdered friend. He has to figure out the meaning of 39 steps that keep getting mentioned in Scudder’s notebooks.

Greenmantle

John Buchan’s four books featuring the main character, Richard Hannay form remarkable examples of the early spy thriller novels. Richard is recovering in London after a major battle in Flanders. A year earlier, he managed to save Britain’s greatest secrets from falling into the hands of German spies. Now the spymaster he encountered in the first books Sir Walter Bullivant sends for Richards and asks for his help.

The adversary is once again the German spies, but this time around, they are more devilish in the planning, and the stakes are even higher. The Germans have deadlocked into a Muslim holy man known as –The Emerald or Greenmantle and they are making him a puppet in their games throughout the Arab world, using him to slash Muslim fundamentalists and to declare jihad against the British.

With the help of a few friends, Richard’s mission is to infiltrate the enemy disguised as a Boer who hates the British and dig out the secret of The Emerald and put an end to the cunning German plan before they succeed in the destroying the Middle East. His friends include Sandy Arbuthnot, an expert Arabist, linguist, and master of disguise. Then there is Pieter Pienaar, a man also disguised as a Boer just like Richard and John S. Blenkiron American businessman who can travel innocently as a neutral man.

Each of these characters has his adventures and brushes shoulders with danger which form the core of the story. These threats include the deadly and mysterious German master spy Hilda von Einem and her bulldog sidekick Colonel Ulrich Von Stumm.

Richard Hannay is one of the first prototypes of James Bond- a secret agent only loyal to his country. The dangers that Richard and his country face are as much of psychological warfare as they are physical dangers. The author’s prose is succinct just like his hero- there are no wasted words. Additionally, he manages to infuse poetry even in the most mundane description.

Mr. Standfast

Published in 1919, Mr. Standfast is the third book in Richard Hannay series by John Buchan. The success of the first two books in the series took Buchan by surprise. The author himself was a fascinating character who wrote some of the best fiction as well as works of serious history.

In Mr. Standfast, we find Richard commanding an infantry brigade on the Western Front when he finds himself, somewhat against his wishes assigned to counter-espionage missions. This time he must go a mission disguised as a pacifist. The anti-war activists and the pacifist in Britain are being manipulated by the Germans to undermine the Allied war efforts, and Richard must track down the mastermind behind this plot.

However, Richard discovers that pacifists are not precisely what he expected. Some he respects while other he instinctively dislikes. He is also faced with another surprise as he finds himself falling in love with a Mary Lamington, a 19-year old formidable secret agent. Richard’s hunt for the German spy takes him to Scotland, Switzerland and it proves to be one of the most frustrating quests ever. His task gets more complicated by his focus to ensure that no harm comes to his new love- Mary, even though she is capable of looking after herself. The third book is full of smart plot twists, exciting near-death escapes and a great deal of entertainment.