The Thirty-Nine Steps - Softcover

John Buchan (1875–1940) was a Scottish novelist and Unionist politician who served as Governor General of Canada, the 15th since Canadian Confederation. After a brief career in law, Buchan simultaneously began writing and his political and diplomatic career, serving as a private secretary to the colonial administrator of various colonies in Southern Africa, and eventually wrote propaganda for the British war effort in First World War. Once back in civilian life, Buchan was elected Member of Parliament for the Combined Scottish Universities, but spent most of his time on his writing career. He wrote The Thirty-Nine Steps and other adventure fiction. He was in 1935 appointed as governor general by George V, king of Canada, on the recommendation of Prime Minister of Canada Richard Bennett, to replace the Earl of Bessborough as viceroy, and occupied that post until his death in 1940. Buchan proved to be enthusiastic about literacy, as well as the evolution of Canadian culture, and he received a state funeral in Canada before his ashes were returned to the UK and interred at Elsfield, Oxfordshire.

This enjoyable 1947 radio adaptation of John Buchan's 1916 thriller comes from the vaults of the CBC. More faithful to Buchan's novel than was Alfred Hitchcock's 1935 film adaptation, Charles Rittenhouse's script also makes fine use of the sound medium. Musical chords punctuate dramatic moments. A montage of train sounds and conversational snatches succinctly maps hero Richard Hannay's escape from London and the clutches of a spy ring. After he disguises himself in the garb of a cooperative milkman, Hannay's innocent whistling lets us trace his steps as he nonchalantly slips past the police. Two badly muffled passages turn up, as expected with historic radio transcriptions, but the play is fast-paced fun. G.H. © AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine