Books

A very handsome copy bound in finely woven blue cloth and stamped brightly in black on the front boards and on the spine. Faint darkening across the top edge of the front panel and a touch of leeching of color to the bottom right-hand corner of the rear panel. Slight edge-wear along the spine with a touch of wear to the top and bottom of the spine ends. Internally very clean and tight with occasional browning to the top edges of the paper, as is common. Light foxing to the front paste-down. With 1 leaf of Blackwod s Shilling Editions of Popular Novels at the end. A remarkably clean copy of this delicate publication in collector's condition. First edition in book form of this "man-on-the-run" spy novel, in which Richard Hannay escapes to Scotland just ahead of accusations he has murdered a secret agent. First published as a serial in Blackwood's Magazine the same year, this thriller landed in the middle of World War I, resonating with its generation's sense of reluctant heroism, mixed with the adventure of a well-told yarn. The basis for Alfred Hitchcock's classic film starring Robert Donat and Madeleine Carroll. Notably, The 39 Steps centres on what became one of Hitchcock's most commonly used themes: an innocent man is mistakenly accused of a crime and must clear his name. In addition, the movie highlighted the director s ability to combine taut suspense with humour. (Wikipedia) First printing, first UK edition with the title page date of 1915 and "All Rights Reserved" at the bottom of the title page.

The Thirty-Nine Steps is an adventure novel by the Scottish author John Buchan. It first appeared as a serial in Blackwood's Magazine in August and September 1915 before being published in book form in October that year by William Blackwood and Sons, Edinburgh. It is the first of five novels featuring Richard Hannay, an all-action hero with a stiff upper lip and a knack for getting out of sticky situations.