The Thirty-Nine Steps : Classy Publishing : 9789355220127 : 935522012X : 27 Feb 2022 : The Thirty Nine Steps, John Buchan's groundbreaking espionage thriller featuring spy Richard Hannay, has been called the first great espionage novel. It has been embraced by each new generation and shows no sign of losing popularity. Richard Hannay arrives in London on the eve of World War I, where he meets an American agent seeking help in stopping a political assassination. Before long, Hannay finds himself in possession of a little black book that holds the key to the conspiracy - and on the run from both the police and members of a mysterious organization that will stop at nothing to keep their secrets hidden. Considered by many to be one of the greatest adventure novels of all time, "The Thirty-Nine Steps" is Scottish author John Buchan's most successful work. Published in 1915 and set during the early days of the First World War, it is the first of Buchan's stories of Richard Hannay, a brave an