The Thirty-Nine Steps

HarperCollins is proud to present its new range of best-loved, essential classics. 'I snapped the switch, but there was nobody there. Then I saw something in the far corner which made me drop my cigar and fall into a cold sweat.' When Richard Hannay is warned of an assassination plot that has the potential to take Britain into a war, and then a few days later discovers the murdered body of the American that warned him in his flat, he becomes a prime suspect. He flees to the moors of Scotland and a spirited chase begins as he is pursued by the police and the German spies involved with stealing British plans. Buchan's tale unfolds into one of the seminal and most influential 'chase' books, mimicked by many, yet unrivalled in the tension and mystery created by his writing. Buchan reveres Hannay as an ordinary man who puts his country's good before his own and the classic themes of the novel influenced many films and subsequent 'man-on-the-run' novels.
• Highly collectible, these must-have classics should feature in every family's home library.
• Striking and recognizable black and white cover designs, achieving stand-out on the bookshelves against the competition.
Features include:
• A glossary of Classic Literature: Words and Phrases, adapted from the Collins English Dictionary.
• A Life & Times section, detailing information about the author, their work and the time of publication.
• A History of Collins, exploring the heritage and established reputation of Collins as a publisher of Classic fiction.