The Thirty-Nine Steps

by John Buchan

Recommendations from our site

“This book is about an old-fashioned Second World War hero and it was popular at the time but somehow it still resonates because it’s a damn good story.” Read more...

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Jeffrey Archer, Novelist

“Hitchcock said of The Thirty-Nine Steps that it was a wonderful book to film because you didn’t need to do a storyboard, it was all there already.” Read more...

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Michael Farr, Literary Scholar

“It is extraordinarily fast paced. A huge part of any good thriller is the chase, and this is very good on that.” Read more...

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Sam Bourne, Journalist

“It’s quite a good book, but it’s got one great idea, and Hitchcock ran with it. When adapting a book it’s much better to take the thing that’s brilliant about it and polish it.” Read more...

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Frank Cottrell Boyce, Novelist