John Buchan
John Buchan was a Scottish novelist, historian, and Unionist politician who served as Governor General of Canada. He is best known for his adventure novels, particularly 'The Thirty-Nine Steps'.
Books
This list of books are ONLY the books that have been ranked on the lists that are aggregated on this site. This is not a comprehensive list of all books by this author.
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1. The Thirty-Nine Steps
An Adventure Story
Set on the eve of World War I, the novel follows an ordinary man who becomes entangled in a dangerous plot after a mysterious stranger shows up at his apartment, claiming to be a spy. When the stranger is murdered, the protagonist is falsely accused and becomes a fugitive, fleeing to the Scottish highlands. He must unravel a conspiracy of international espionage and prevent a political assassination to clear his name.
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2. Greenmantle
In this thrilling adventure novel, a British secret agent is sent to Istanbul during World War I to investigate a German plot to incite jihad in the Muslim world against the Allies. As he uncovers the plot, he must also find and neutralize the mysterious and influential figure known as "Greenmantle." The narrative combines espionage, political intrigue, and high-stakes action as the protagonist races against time to prevent a potential disaster.
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3. Witch Wood
Set in 17th-century Scotland, the story follows a young minister named David Sempill who arrives in the village of Woodilee, only to discover that his parishioners are secretly practicing ancient pagan rituals in the nearby forest. As he grapples with his faith and the community's resistance, David becomes embroiled in a struggle between good and evil, facing both supernatural forces and human treachery. The novel explores themes of religious zeal, moral integrity, and the clash between tradition and progress, all set against the backdrop of a vividly depicted Scottish landscape.
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4. Mr Standfast
"Mr Standfast" is a thrilling espionage novel set during World War I. The protagonist is a British intelligence officer who is tasked with tracking down a German spy. The mission takes him on a dangerous journey across war-torn Europe, where he encounters a variety of characters and faces numerous challenges. Along the way, he uncovers a plot that could change the course of the war. The novel is a blend of suspense, action, and romance, with a strong emphasis on patriotism and duty.
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5. A History Of The Great War
From the Fall of the Bastille to the Treaty of Versailles
The book provides a comprehensive account of World War I, detailing the political, military, and social aspects of the conflict. It explores the causes and events leading up to the war, the major battles and strategies employed by the Allied and Central Powers, and the significant figures involved. The narrative also delves into the impact of the war on various nations and the eventual path to peace, offering insights into the profound changes the war brought to the global landscape. Through meticulous research and vivid storytelling, the book captures the complexity and scale of one of history's most devastating wars.
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6. Mountain Meadow
Published in the United States as Mountain Meadow, the book was released posthumously in 1941. Buchan drew on his 1937 voyage down the Mackenzie River as Governor-General of Canada to describe the rugged Northwest Territories. Sir Edward Leithen, a lawyer and politician given a year to live after a diagnosis of advanced tuberculosis, agrees to help an American colleague, John S. Blenkiron, search for the colleague's niece's husband who has left a successful financial career for the Canadian north.
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7. The Dancing Floor
The Dancing Floor is a 1926 novel by the Scottish author John Buchan featuring Edward Leithen. It is the third of Buchan's five Leithen novels.
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8. The Free Fishers
The Free Fishers is a 1934 novel by the Scottish author John Buchan, his last work of historical fiction. The novel is set during the period of the Napoleonic Wars and follows the adventures of Anthony Lammas, a young professor at St Andrews, who is drawn into a plot to kill the prime minister Spencer Perceval. He is aided by The Free Fishers, a secret mutual aid organisation.
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9. Sick Heart River
A distinguished, ailing public figure, told he has little time to live, withdraws from his comfortable world and travels into the remote Canadian north to seek a missing young man; amid the harsh beauty and danger of the wilderness he confronts mortality, performs quiet acts of service and self-sacrifice for a beleaguered community, and in the process finds moral renewal, peace and a reconciled sense of purpose before the end.
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11. The Adventures Of Dickson Mc Cunn
A genial, recently retired Glasgow grocer sets off for a Highland holiday and is soon swept up in a lively tale of local intrigue and danger, joining forces with younger companions to confront a criminal plot; through steady courage, practical wit and unexpected friendships he rekindles his zest for life while helping to unravel schemes that threaten the peaceful Scottish countryside.
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12. The Massacre Of Glencoe
A dramatic historical account of the 1692 slaughter in the Highlands, reconstructing the events and political intrigues that led government troops to turn on the MacDonalds who had given them shelter. It traces the clash between clan loyalties and state policy after the Glorious Revolution, describes the delayed oath of allegiance and the orders from Scottish officials, and portrays the betrayal by soldiers billeted among their hosts. Through vivid scenes and attention to motive and consequence, the narrative examines culpability, the failure of honour, and the human tragedy of a community devastated by cold, hunger and calculated political expedience.
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13. Oliver Cromwell
This biography traces the life and career of the 17th-century English military and political leader who rose from provincial gentry to commander of the Parliamentary forces, chronicling his role in the Civil War, the execution of the king, and his decade as head of state. The narrative combines careful historical research with vivid storytelling to explore his religious convictions, strategic talents, and controversial actions—including the harsh Irish campaign—while assessing his moral complexity and enduring impact on constitutional and military history. It presents a nuanced portrait that weighs both his achievements and his faults, showing how a driven, uncompromising figure reshaped Britain’s political landscape.
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14. Sir Walter Scott
A vivid, compact portrait of the great Scottish novelist and poet who shaped the historical novel and popularized his nation’s ballad and antiquarian traditions. It follows his upbringing and legal career, his rise to fame with sweeping historical romances that combined scholarship and storytelling, his central role in forming Romantic ideas about Scotland, the financial collapse of his publishers and the prodigious writing he undertook to repay debts, and his final years—blending literary criticism and personal sympathy to explain both his achievements and faults.
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16. The Half Hearted
A Romance
A study of a young Scottish landowner labeled “half-hearted” after a youthful failure in love and a reputation for indecision; the novel follows his quiet, inner life as private duty and public events present him with opportunities to act. Pressed by political and military crises far from home, he finds himself compelled into decisive leadership and a selfless final deed that challenges the judgment of friends and countrymen, revealing the depth of character beneath his earlier timidity.
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18. Memory Hold The Door
A reflective autobiographical essay that traces the author’s upbringing in Scotland, formative years at university, emergence as a writer, and subsequent public and wartime service, culminating in a high vice‑regal appointment; throughout it offers vivid anecdotes of friends and figures met along the way and meditations on duty, character and the passage of time, written in a lucid, elegiac tone.
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19. The Gap In The Curtain
A group of acquaintances take part in an experiment that allows them to glimpse brief newspaper headlines from the future, and their attempts to interpret and act on those prophetic fragments lead to unexpected ironies, personal crises and moral dilemmas; the story follows how each character grapples with the burden of foreknowledge and how chance, misreading and human weakness shape outcomes, raising questions about fate, responsibility and the consequences of peering beyond the veil of time.
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20. John Macnab
Three prosperous but restless friends, bored with comfortable lives, concoct a bold sporting wager to restore their zest: under a single anonymous name they notify several Highland landowners that they will attempt to take specified prized quarry from their estates. The ensuing cat-and-mouse game — carried out with the help of a resourceful local and complicated by a burgeoning romance and questions of honor, legality and courage — tests their skill, nerve and character, leading to risky exploits, moral reckonings and renewed camaraderie.
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21. The Island Of Sheep
An aging hero enjoying a quiet retirement is drawn back into danger to shield the son of an old friend from a remorseless band of pursuers; the story follows a tense chase across Europe and into a remote island stronghold where secrets of the past, shifting loyalties and hidden identities are exposed, and the protagonist, aided by steadfast allies, must outwit old enemies to secure safety and settle ancient debts.
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22. The Three Hostages
Now a settled family man, former soldier Richard Hannay is drawn back into danger when three prominent people are abducted by a secret criminal network. Tasked with tracking a shadowy mastermind who uses psychological manipulation and modern criminal techniques, he pursues a trail of clues across Britain, confronting deceit, betrayal and hidden identities. Combining tense detective work, daring rescues and an exploration of the uneasy peace after war, the story follows Hannay as he dismantles the conspiracy and struggles to protect those he loves.
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23. Prester John
A Romance
A brisk Edwardian adventure that blends antiquarian mystery, political intrigue and frontier warfare: a young narrator becomes drawn into a dangerous campaign in South Africa when a charismatic and fanatical leader known as Prester John threatens established order. Told through letters, journals and first‑hand episodes, the story follows clandestine journeys, tense confrontations and daring escapes as loyalties are tested and characters face moral choices amid the clash between imperial interests and local unrest.
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24. The Four Adventures Of Richard Hannay
A resourceful former soldier repeatedly finds himself pulled into high-stakes spy adventures across Britain and Europe during and after World War I, using cunning, disguise and courage to unmask conspiracies, rescue captives and thwart enemy plots; the stories combine fast-paced action, espionage and detective work to showcase the archetypal thrills of early 20th-century adventure fiction.
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25. The Power House
The Power-House is a 1916 novel by John Buchan, published by W. Blackwood & Sons after an initial 1913 serialisation in Blackwood's Magazine. A thriller set in London, the novel is the first of five featuring the barrister and Tory MP Edward Leithen.
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