Mr. Standfast

John Buchan

Feb 2013 · Sold by Harper Collins

About this ebook

Recalled from duty on the Western Front by renowned spymaster Sir Walter Bullivant, British secret agent Richard Hannay goes undercover as a pacifist, working to outwit a dangerous German spy and his agents. Guided by his contact—and love interest—Mary Lamington, Hannay tracks his enemy from London to Glasgow to the Scottish Highlands, eventually confronting him in a dramatic climax above the battlefields of Europe.

Revisiting the memorable characters from The Thirty-Nine Steps, Mr. Standfast is one of two Richard Hannay novels set during the First World War. The Thirty-Nine Steps and its four sequels established John Buchan as an original thriller writer, and a pioneer of espionage fiction.

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About the author

Author of the iconic novel The Thirty-Nine Steps, John Buchan filled many roles including barrister, colonial administrator, publisher, Director of Intelligence, and Member of Parliament. The Thirty-Nine Steps, first in the Richard Hannay series, is widely regarded as the starting point for espionage fiction and was written to pass time while Buchan recovered from an illness. During the outbreak of the First World War, Buchan wrote propaganda for the British war effort, combining his skills as author and politician. In 1935 Buchan was appointed the 15th Governor General of Canada and established the Governor General’s Literacy Award. Buchan was enthusiastic about literacy and the evolution of Canadian culture. He died in 1940 and received a state funeral in Canada before his ashes were returned to the United Kingdom.