Picture of John Buchan

Timeline

Lifetime: 1875 - 1940 Passed: ≈ 84 years ago

Title

Novelist, Historian, and Unionist Politician

Country/Nationality

United Kingdom
Wikipedia

John Buchan

Buchan's 100 works include nearly 30 novels, seven collections of short stories, and biographies of Sir Walter Scott, Caesar Augustus, and Oliver Cromwell. He was awarded the 1928 James Tait Black Memorial Prize for his biography of the Marquess of Montrose,but the most famous of his books were the spy thrillers, and it is for these that he is now best remembered. The "last Buchan" (as Graham Greene entitled his appreciative review) was the 1941 novel Sick Heart River (American title: Mountain Meadow), in which a dying protagonist confronts the questions of the meaning of life in the Canadian wilderness.

John Buchan, 1st Baron Tweedsmuir  (/ˈbʌxən/; 26 August 1875 – 11 February 1940) was a Scottish novelist, historian, and Unionist politician who served as Governor General of Canada, the 15th since Canadian Confederation.

John Buchan dies in Montreal. The novelist and peer died on February 11th, 1940.

Books by John Buchan

The Thirty Nine Steps Cover image

The Thirty Nine Steps

Fiction Novel
Mystery Spy Escape

Richard Hannay’s boredom with London society is soon relieved when the resourceful engineer from South Africa is caught up in a web of secret codes, spies, and murder on the eve of WWI. When a neighbor is killed in his flat, Richard, suspected, decod...

Greenmantle Cover image

Greenmantle

Fiction Novel
War Thriller

Greenmantle is the second of five novels by John Buchan featuring the character of Richard Hannay, first published in 1916 by Hodder & Stoughton, London. It is one of two Hannay novels set during the First World War, the other being Mr Standfast (191...

Prester John  Cover image

Prester John

Adventure Action Fiction
Young Death Thriller Legend Leader

It tells the story of a young Scotsman named David Crawfurd and his adventures in South Africa, where a Zulu uprising under the charismatic black minister John Laputa is tied to the medieval legend of Prester John.

The Last Secrets Cover image

The Last Secrets

Fiction History
Twentieth Century Mystery Exploration Determination Discovery Modern Earth

The author, John Buchan, maintains that "the main lines of the earth's architecture have been determined" during the first two decades of the twentieth century, and all that remains is but "amplifying our knowledge of the groyning and buttresses and...

Mr. Standfast Cover image

Mr. Standfast

Adventure Action Fiction War
Military Action Adventure Espionage British Empire Scotland World war i Alps Pacifism Secret agent Conscientious Objector Gaelic

In 'Mr. Standfast', Richard Hannay, a seasoned spy, is called back from the Western Front to tackle a new espionage mission. Forced to adopt the guise of a pacifist South African named Cornelius Brand, he navigates a complex web of intrigue and dange...

Huntingtower Cover image

Huntingtower

Adventure Fiction Fairy Tale Mystery
Mystery Adventure Kidnapping England mansion Secret Scotland Plot Poet Hills Russian Princess Grocer

Dickson McCunn, a retired grocer, embarks on a walking holiday in the Scottish highlands. His peaceful journey takes an unexpected turn when he encounters a young English poet and becomes entangled in a web of intrigue surrounding the disappearance o...

Power-House Cover image

Power-House

Adventure Fiction Mystery
Power Revolution Thriller Civilization Anarchism Terrorism political Conspiracy London Destruction Secret society Barbarism

In John Buchan's *The Power-House*, Edward Leithen, a barrister and Tory MP, finds himself embroiled in a dangerous conspiracy when he discovers an international anarchist group plotting to destroy Western civilization. The group, led by the wealthy...

Three Hostages Cover image

Three Hostages

Adventure Action Fiction Novel Mystery
Mystery Spy Action Adventure Crime Kidnapping Suspense Espionage International Intrigue Richard Hannay Three Hostages John Buchan

In the heart-pounding novel "Three Hostages," readers are thrust into a world of intrigue and danger alongside the legendary Richard Hannay. This captivating tale unfolds as three children of prominent figures mysteriously vanish, leaving Scotland Ya...

History of the Great War, Volume One Cover image

History of the Great War, Volume One

History Non-Fiction War
Warfare Politics Diplomacy Espionage Strategy Patriotism World war i Military History International relations Battles Assassination

This book provides a comprehensive overview of the first part of World War I, covering the period from the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand to the Battle of Neuve Chapelle. The author, John Buchan, a renowned British author, politician, and...

History of the Great War, Volume Two Cover image

History of the Great War, Volume Two

History Non-Fiction War
Nationalism Politics Diplomacy Patriotism World war i Military History British Perspective Dardanelles Campaign Battle of Verdun Grand Strategy

This book is the second volume of a four-volume history of the First World War. It covers the period from the opening of the Dardanelles Campaign in September 1914 through the first stage of the Battle of Verdun, stopping in mid-April 1916. The autho...

Moon Endureth: Tales and Fancies Cover image

Moon Endureth: Tales and Fancies

Satire Fantasy
Imaginative Supernatural Occult Mysterious Otherworldly Eerie Uncanny Mystical Enigmatic Dreamlike Weird Spectral

In "Moon Endureth," join Scottish author John Buchan in a collection of short stories and poems that explore the fantastical and mysterious. With a "marked leaning towards the mysterious and bizarre," this collection showcases Buchan's skill in both...

History of the Great War, Volume Three Cover image

History of the Great War, Volume Three

History Non-Fiction War Reference work
World war i Trench Warfare Military History Western Front British Army 1916 German Army Allied Powers Battle of the Somme Battle of Verdun 1917 Central Powers

This volume focuses on the continuation of World War I, specifically from the opening stages of the Battle of Verdun in February 1916 to mid-November 1917. Buchan meticulously recounts the major battles and campaigns of this period, including the Bat...

History of the Great War, Volume Four: Book 3, The Great Sallies (cont.) and Book 4, The Surrender Cover image

History of the Great War, Volume Four: Book 3, The Great Sallies (cont.) and Book 4, The Surrender

History War
Germany Russia World war i Military History Surrender 1917

The fourth volume of John Buchan's comprehensive history of the First World War, covering the year 1917, when Germany is reorganizing and Russia is on the brink of collapse. Buchan provides a detailed and balanced account of the war, offering insight...

John McNab Cover image

John McNab

Adventure Fiction Novel Mystery
Mystery Adventure Friendship Conspiracy Scotland Intrigue Secret society Gentlemen Hidden Treasure Poaching Country Estate

In 'John McNab' by John Buchan, Sir Edward Leithen and his companions, seeking a thrilling break from their mundane lives, embark on a self-proclaimed 'gentlemanly' poaching expedition in the Scottish Highlands. Their pursuit of adventure, however, s...