"The Thirty-Nine Steps" by Pauline Francis is a thrilling adventure inspired by John Buchan's classic. The story follows Richard Hannay, an ordinary man who becomes embroiled in a web of espionage and danger after discovering a plot to assassinate a government official. Fleeing from secret agents and police, Hannay must use his wits and courage as he travels across the Scottish landscape in a desperate race against time. As he uncovers secrets and confronts various adversaries, Hannay learns about loyalty, betrayal, and the lengths one will go to protect their country. The tale is filled with suspense and action, keeping readers on the edge of their seats. [Generated by language model - please report any problems].
This book is part of a book series called Express Classics .
This book is aimed at children at US 5th grade+.
This book has been graded for interest at 10 years.
There are 56 pages in this book. This book was published in 2014 by ReadZone Books Limited .
John Buchan was a Scottish diplomat, barrister, journalist, historian, poet and novelist. He published nearly 30 novels and seven collections of short stories. He was born in Perth, an eldest son, and studied at Glasgow and Oxford. After spells as a war correspondent, Lloyd George's Director of Information and Conservative MP, Buchan moved to Canada in 1935. He served as Governor General there until his death in 1940. SARAH WIMPERIS began painting at a very early age as a result of family influences and an inability to spell. She studied fine art at Falmouth School of Art, exhibited with the Portal Gallery, then travelled the world, including China, Russia, Israel and Norway, painting all the way. She returned to Cornwall, raised a lot of children, painted murals for a while, then became a professional illustrator. Since 2008 she has exhibited regularly at the Beside the Wave Gallery in Falmouth, which she now manages. TONY EVANS started his career as a high school English teacher, and has a Masters Degree in Literary Research from Lancaster University. After working as a Deputy Headteacher in Bristol he became a school inspector and educational consultant, based in Leeds. He is now a full-time writer and lives with his wife in the Yorkshire Dales. Tony has a particular interest in Victorian literature and culture. His publications include a collection of detective stories set in late nineteenth century England, as well as co-authorship of a book on steam locomotives and several books in the Real Reads series of re-told classics. Pauline Francis's books include Drake's Drummer Boy, The Little Giant: the Story of Isambard Kingdom Brunel and Television Man: the Story of John Logie Baird. Jane Tattersfield has illustrated three books accompanying television series: The India File, Celebrating India and Stories of Faith, as well as some of the Dress Sense costume books for Belitha Press.
This book contains the following story:
The 39 Steps
When Richard Hannay returns to London after an action-packed life in Rhodesia, he finds life unbearably dull. He is on the point of leaving the city in search of adventures, when mystery and intrigue turns up at his door in the shape of Franklin Scudder, Hannay's neighbour, who turns out to be a spy trying to escape the clutches of a shady international organisation, bent on sparking a European war. When Scudder is mysteriously murdered and all the evidence seems to point to Hannay himself, he escapes to Scotland, bearing Scudder's cryptic coded notebook, which he struggles to decipher. Hannay manages by cunning, skilful disguise and sheer pluck to keep one step ahead of his ruthless pursuers...and eventually works out the cipher to read Scudder's mysterious notes, which refer to the 39 steps and the enigmatic Black Stone. But can Hannay solve the puzzle, thwart the criminals, and clear his name before Europe is plunged into turmoil?
