Rare and First Edition Books from Buckingham Books

Dealer in Rare and First-Edition Books:  Western Americana; Mystery, Detective, and Espionage Fiction

The Thirty-Nine Steps [In] All-Story Weekly Magazine (June 5 & June 12, 1915) JOHN BUCHAN

The Thirty-Nine Steps [In] All-Story Weekly Magazine (June 5 & June 12, 1915)

JOHN BUCHAN

Other works by JOHN BUCHAN

Publication: The Frank A Munsey Company, 1915, New York

First edition. Two 8vo issues (25cm); illustrated pulp wrappers; [8],577-768; [4],192 pp; illustrated. June 5th issue shows light wear to extremities, two stains to front and rear wrapper, with several short edge tears; June 12th issue shows some trivial wear to extremities, and a few tiny edge tears; text in both issues is creamy, supple, and clean throughout; Very Good+ and Near Fine, respectively. First appearance of Buchan's best-known work, and the debut of English soldier of fortune Richard Hannay. The appearance in All-Story Weekly presents the full text of the novel across two issues, preceding the serialized version (UK) in Blackwood's Magazine, published between July-September, 1915 under the pseudonym "H de V." The archetypal English spy thriller, never out of print, and rare in this format. Basis for three film adaptations, most notably Alfred Hitchcock's 1935 version starring Robert Donat and Madeleine Carroll. Significant? To quote Pronzini & Muller: "This is where James Bond came from." Haycraft-Queen cornerstone mystery. Richard Hannay finds at his door a person he recognizes as the occupant of the upstairs apartment. The person is an American and tells Hannay that they fear for their life, so have faked their own death. Several days later, the person is murdered in Hannay's apartment. Hannay immediately recognizes that he is the next victim and flees to the wilds of Scotland until he can clear his name. The police want him for the murder of an American agent, and the spies want to prevent him from delivering vital information to British authorities. All the while World War I looms in the background. Housed in an attractive cloth clamshell case with leather label on the spine and titles stamped in gold gilt.

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