The Thirty-Nine Steps (1915) (edit title/settings)

Ridiculously Simplified Synopsis edit see section history

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Characters/People edit see section history

• Mr Richard Hannay: Main character
• Franklin P. Scudder: murdered by Black Stone at Hannay’s flat in London
• Paddock: Hannay's servant/valet
• Constantine Karolides: the Greek Premier
• The Black Stone: German espionage group; DER SCHWARZE STEIN
• Sir Harry Bullivant: Liberal Candidate for the House of Commons
• Annie Laurie: Name of a song whistled by Hannay to identify himself to Sir Walter
• Tommy Twisdon: Hannay alias when staying with Sir Harry
• Sir Walter Bullivant: Permanent Secretary at the Foreign Office; Sir Harry’s godfather
• Alexander Turnbull: A roadman
• Marmaduke “Marmie” Jopley: swindler; con-man; grafter
• Ned Ainslie: Hannay alias when caught by heavy-lidded bald man
• Hislop: cattle drover friend of Turnbull
• Royer: French Intelligence agent
• Mr MacGillivray: Inspector at Scotland Yard
• Scaife: Inspector at Scotland Yard
• Percival Appleton: owner of Trafalgar Lodge; old, heavy-lidded bald man; Black Stone agent
• Peter Pienaar: scout known to Hannay from his days in Africa
• Percy: plump one; Black Stone Agent
• Bob: young, dark one; Black Stone agent; real name Franz, nephew of Percy Appleton
• Whittaker: An official from the Admiralty
• Lord Alloa: First Sea Lord. Impersonated by a Black Stone agent at a meeting at Sir Walter's home
• First Sea Lord: Add a description of this character.
• Mr Marmaduke Jopley
• Winstanley

Setting & Locations edit see section history

• Portland Place: Location of Richard Hannay’s flat in London
• Galloway, Scotland: Where Hannay escaped to while being chased by the police and Black Stone
• Africa
• Asia
• Antarctica
• London
• North America
• South America
• Pacific Ocean
• Lord Alloa
• Scotland Yard
• England
• Portland Place
• Rhodesia
• Europe
• Vienna
• Germany
• Britain
• Berlin
• France
• Paris
• Scotland

Organizations edit see section history

• The Black Stone: German espionage group; DER SCHWARZE STEIN

First Sentence edit see section history

Table of Contents edit see section history

Series & Lists edit see section history

Followed by Greenmantle.

Authors & Contributors edit see section history

1. John Buchan (Author)

First Edition edit see section history

Awards edit see section history

• BBC's Big Read (April 2003, #138)

Classification edit see section history

• Library of Congress: Add the Library of Congress Classification.
• Dewey: 813

Notes for Parents edit see section history

Complicated plot line

Subjects edit see section history

• Books › Literature & Fiction › Genre Fiction › War
• Books › Mystery & Thrillers › Thrillers › Spy Stories & Tales of Intrigue
• Books › Literature & Fiction › Contemporary
• Books › Literature & Fiction › Literary
• Books › Literature & Fiction › Classics

Movie Connections edit see section history

• The 39 Steps (1935) (IMDb): A man in London tries to help a counter-espionage agent. But when the agent is killed and he stands accused, he must go on the run to both save himself and also stop a spy ring trying to steal top secret information.
• The 39 Steps (1959) (IMDb): Richard Hannay witnesses a hit-and-run involving a woman pushing a pram. Looking in the pram he sees a gun instead of a baby. He tracks the woman down and she reveals that she is a secret agent trying to stop foreign spies leaving the country with important military secrets. Later that night she is murdered in Hannay's flat. Hannay takes it on himself to thwart the enemy agents. This involves travelling to Scotland and keeping one step ahead of the police who are looking for him in connection with the murder of the woman.
• The Thirty Nine Steps (1978) (IMDb): The year is 1914 and Richard Hannay, Mining Engineer who is visiting Britain for a short time before returning to South Africa, is shocked when one of his neighbours, Colonel Scudder, bursts into his rooms one night and tells him a story that Prussian 'sleeper' agents are planning to pre-start World War I by murdering a visiting foreign minister. However, Scudder is murdered and Hannay is framed for the death by the 'sleepers'. Fleeing to Scotland Hannay attempts to clear his name and to stop the agents with the aid of Alex Mackenzie but not only is he is chased by Chief Supt Lomas for Scudder's death but by the agents who is headed by Appleton who has managed to hide himself in a high-placed position in the British Government.
• The 39 Steps (2008) (IMDb): Richard Hannay, a mining engineer on holiday from the African colonies, finds London socialite life terribly dull. Yet it's more then he bargained for when secret agent, Scudder, bursts into his room and entrusts him a coded notebook with map, concerning the impending start of World War I. In no time both German agents and the British law are chasing him, ruthlessly coveting the Roman numerals code, which Hannay believes he must crack himself. Masquerading as a liberal party pundit, Richard also gets stuck with parliamentary candidate Sir George Sinclair's sister Victoria. They must survive with the secrets and decide who they can trust and how to keep it from others.

More Books Like This edit see section history