This must have been a copy that Blackwood bound up for the colonies. The 'East African Protectorate' (or British East Africa) became the British colony of Kenya after the war, in 1920. The front free endpaper bears a clue: a signature followed by 'East Africa 1918'. This copy, however, is in plain light brown paper-covered boards, with yapped edges - but with the exact same lettering as on a standard copy. The usual binding for this book is light blue cloth over flimsy boards, with lettering in black on the front cover and spine (very rarely encountered with its pictorial dust jacket). This was a cheaply-produced wartime book (price one shilling), printed on cheap paper that has always browned, with the result that it is now usually encountered in miserable condition. The tale was of course the basis for one of Alfred Hitchcock's most highly-regarded early films, released in 1935 there have been three other releases, the most recent (2008) for TV. STANDFAST, THE THREE HOSTAGES and THE ISLAND OF SHEEP). This was the first of Buchan's five mysteries to feature the Richard Hannay (the others being GREENMANTLE, MR. It features a British mining engineer from the southern Africa colonies, bored on vacation in London, who inadvertently learns too much about a German plot, and flees to his homeland of Scotland to avoid his pursuers. First (Colonial) Edition of Buchan's best-known book, the classic mystery that has withstood the test of time both as a book and as a film. Original light brown paper-covered boards with yapped edges, printed in black. Edinburgh and London: William Blackwood and Sons, 1915. As the obvious murderer Hannay goes on the run - he heads from London to his native Scotland but must keep his wits about him until he is able to warn the goverment hopefully before its too late! One of the classics of Twentieth Century fiction and brought numerous times to the stage, screen and radio most notably by Alfred Hitchcock. A World War I thriller whose protagonist, Richard Hannay returns to boring life in London from South Africa he has a chance encounter with an American who outlines an assassination plot who is then promptly killed in Hannay's flat.

A lovely copy & much crisper than usually encountered. Unusually, the original endpapers are unsplit. Internally fresh and clean with no inscriptions.

A couple of very light small translucent marks only. Housed in a bespoke quarter mid blue morocco clamshell case with raised bands & gilt titles.

The 39 steps john buchan summary