"Outside of a dog, man's best friend is a book. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read."
— Groucho Marx
John Buchan | First Editions
1875 - 1940
John Buchan, 1st Baron Tweedsmuir, GCMG, GCVO, CH, PC (26 August 1875 – 11 February 1940) was a Scottish novelist, historian and Unionist politician. Buchan served as Governor General of Canada, the 15th since Canadian Confederation.
Buchan embarked upon his writing career at the same moment as his political and diplomatic careers, serving as a private secretary to the colonial administrator of various colonies in southern Africa. Indeed, Buchan produced propaganda for the British war effort in the First World War. When elected Member of Parliament in 1927 for the Combined Scottish Universities, Buchan instead spent the majority of his time writing - in this period, he produced The Thirty-Nine Steps, and other adventure fiction.
In 1935, John Buchan was appointed Governor General of Canada by King George V, upon recommendation from the Prime Minister of Canada, R. B. Bennett. He occupied the post until his death in 1940. Buchan proved to be a popular statesman, and was enthusiastic about the evolution of Canadian culture. In death, he received a state funeral in Canada, before his ashes were returned to the United Kingdom.
Buchan's 100 works include nearly thirty novels, seven collections of short stories, and biographies of Sir Walter Scott, Caesar Augustus, and Oliver Cromwell. The most famous of his books were the spy thrillers, for which he is now best remembered.
See below our stock of John Buchan First Editions, and signed copies.
The Queen's Gift Book In Aid of Queen Mary's Convalescent Auxiliary Hospitals for Soldiers and Sailors Who Have Lost Their Limbs in the War
London: Hodder and Stoughton, no date [1915]. [Literary Anthology] FIRST EDITION. Quarto (25 x 19cm), pp.160. With twelve mounted and captioned colour plates plus many other illustrations within the text. Artists include Arthur Rackham, W. Heath Robinson and William Russell Flint. Publisher's mid-blue cloth blocked in black, scarce original dust-jacket... More about The Queen's Gift Book In Aid of Queen Mary's Convalescent Auxiliary Hospitals for Soldiers and...
Mr. Standfast.
London: Hodder and Stoughton. 1919. Advance proof copy. 8vo. Publisher's original plain brown wraps, slightly spotted with minor edgewear. Internally clean, unifom light toning to page block. A most unusual and scarce advance proof copy of Mr. Standfast, one of Buchan's scarcer Richard Hannay stories. Protected by a tailor-made brown... More about Mr. Standfast
The Courts of The Morning.
Boston, Houghton Mifflin. 1929. First US edition. 8vo. Very good in publisher's green cloth titled in red to spine and front board. Light edgewear, slight bumping to spine ends, minor abrasion to top edge front board. In a strong, sharp example of the pictorial dustwrapper with shallow wear and chipping... More about The Courts of The Morning
The Courts of the Morning. A Richard Hannay novel.
London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1929. FIRST EDITION. 8vo. Publisher's light blue cloth (also issued in green cloth) with title and trim printed in black. Minor wear and discolour to cloth. Very good. A dramatic series of adventures which take place against the backdrop of a small South American Republic that... More about The Courts of the Morning. A Richard Hannay novel
![The Riding of Ninemileburn, in] Blackwood's Magazine No. MCLVIII [1158]. John BUCHAN](/pictures/thumb/49069BuchanBlackwood'sMagazine.jpg?v=1547505471)
[The Riding of Ninemileburn, in] Blackwood's Magazine No. MCLVIII [1158].
London: William Blackwood and Sons, April 1912. FIRST APPEARANCE. Large octavo, pp.[32], 445-496. In publisher's light brown paper wrappers with titles and contents to front cover. Some expected wear; small losses to spine; very good. The first appearance of a strange tale included in the published collection 'The Moon Endureth' (1912). More about The Riding of Ninemileburn, in] Blackwood's Magazine No. MCLVIII [1158
![The Riding of Ninemileburn, in] Blackwood's Magazine No. MCLVIII [1158]. John BUCHAN](/pictures/thumb/53809.jpg?v=1558191951)
[The Riding of Ninemileburn, in] Blackwood's Magazine No. MCLVIII [1158].
London: William Blackwood and Sons, April 1912. [Weird tales] FIRST APPEARANCE. Large octavo, pp.[32], 445-496. In publisher's light brown paper wrappers with titles and contents to front cover. Some external wear, address stamp to upper, old tape to head and tale of spine; very good. The first appearance of a.... More about The Riding of Ninemileburn, in] Blackwood's Magazine No. MCLVIII [1158
The African Colony. Studies in the Reconstruction.
Edinburgh and London: William Blackwood and Sons, 1903. [History] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (24 x 17cm), pp.xviii; 404. Publisher's blue cloth, gilt titles to spine, edges untrimmed, two folding maps printed in colour, blue coated endpapers. Reading lean, textblock generally bright and clean with just the occasional mark, some tearing and... More about The African Colony. Studies in the Reconstruction
Augustus.
London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1937. [Ancient History] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (23 x 17cm), pp.356. With four photogravure plates including a frontispiece, and and folding map and genealogical table. Publisher's green cloth with gilt titles to spine and gilt device to upper board. Top edge gilt. Light spotting to edges. Slightly... More about Augustus
The Dancing Floor.
London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1937. [Adventure novel]. Octavo (19 x 14cm), pp. 311; [1], blank. Attractive reprint edition in publisher's blue cloth, pictorial jacket. A lightly handled copy with minor wear, 4/- roundel sticker to spine. Shows well. More about The Dancing Floor
The History of the South African Forces in France.
London: Thomas Nelson and Sons, Ltd., no date [1920]. [First World War] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (24 x 16cm), pp.404. Publisher's blue cloth, titles in gilt to spine, gilt motif to upper board, light brown endpapers, fore and tail edges untrimmed. Illustrated with a colour frontispiece, seventeen further plates, and twenty... More about The History of the South African Forces in France
![The Island of Sheep. [A Richard Hannay Novel]. John BUCHAN](/pictures/thumb/52131.jpg?v=1534949576)
The Island of Sheep. [A Richard Hannay Novel].
London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1936. [Spy Thriller] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (20 x 14cm), pp.318; [2]. Publisher's green cloth with gilt titles to spine and gilt 'JB' monogram to upper board. Map printed to front endpapers. Some spotting to prelims and edges, cloth shows handling and wear, one tear at crown... More about The Island of Sheep. [A Richard Hannay Novel
![The Island of Sheep. [A Richard Hannay Novel]. John BUCHAN](/pictures/thumb/52494.jpg?v=1552663323)
The Island of Sheep. [A Richard Hannay Novel].
London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1936. [Spy Thriller] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (20 x 14cm), pp.318; [2]. Publisher's green cloth with gilt titles to spine and gilt 'JB' monogram to upper board, map printed to front endpapers, pictorial jacket priced at 7/6. No toning, no spotting. An immaculate copy of the book... More about The Island of Sheep. [A Richard Hannay Novel
![The Island of Sheep. [A Richard Hannay Novel]. John BUCHAN](/pictures/thumb/53763.jpg?v=1558713535)
The Island of Sheep. [A Richard Hannay Novel].
London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1936. [Spy Thriller] SIGNED FIRST EDITION. Octavo (20 x 14cm), pp.318. SIGNED by the author in black ink to title page. Publisher's green cloth with gilt titles to spine. Illustrated maps to front endpapers. With the colour-illustrated dust-jacket by Chesterman, priced at 7/6. Rear flyleaf removed... More about The Island of Sheep. [A Richard Hannay Novel
The Island of Sheep. A Richard Hannay Novel.
London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1936. [Adventure novel]. Octavo (20 x 14cm), pp.318. Publisher's green cloth in pictorial dust-wrapper. A little spotting, jacket with a few chips, marks and tears. A most presentable early printing in the year of the first, now benefitting from a full colour dustwrapper as part of... More about The Island of Sheep. A Richard Hannay Novel
Mr Standfast.
London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1919. [Spy thriller] FIRST EDITION. Octavo, pp.412. Publisher's mid-blue cloth, titled and ruled in dark blue, titled and ruled in dark blue, pictorial wrapper priced at 7/-. A lightly used copy with minor edge spotting and bumping, jacket lightly edgeworn with a few minor tears. Overall... More about Mr Standfast
Mr Standfast.
London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1919. [Spy thriller] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.412. Publisher's mid-blue cloth, titled and ruled in dark blue, titled and ruled in dark blue. Light toning to text block, trivial marks to cloth, spine a fraction off-colour else a particularly clean, bright copy. An attractive... More about Mr Standfast
The Power-House.
Edinburgh and London: William Blackwood and Sons, 1916. [Thriller]. FIRST EDITION. Octavo (19 x 14cm), pp.x; 238. Publisher's red cloth, titles in black to spine and upper. Textblock browned as expected, endpapers to rear gutter split with the gauze showing through, binding still sound. Slight reading lean. A few small... More about The Power-House
The Runagates Club.
London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1928. FIRST EDITION, INSCRIBED BY THE AUTHOR in the month of publication. Octavo, pp.331; [1], blank; [4], advertisements. Publisher's mid-blue cloth, titled and ruled in dark blue. A very cood copy with some acceptable wear, backstrip a little toned with a short tear at the crown... More about The Runagates Club
![The Thirty-Nine Steps [39 Steps], John BUCHAN](/pictures/thumb/50730.jpg?v=1542993301)
The Thirty-Nine Steps [39 Steps],
London: William Blackwood and Sons, 1915. [Espionage thriller]. FIRST EDITION. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.253; [3]. Publisher's blue cloth boards with dark blue embossed lettering to spine and upper. Browning to page edges, though less than would normally be expected. Reading lean; spine sunnedy. Very good, in an attractive leather-spined... More about The Thirty-Nine Steps [39 Steps
![The Thirty-Nine Steps [39 Steps]. John BUCHAN](/pictures/thumb/50953.jpg?v=1523894672)
The Thirty-Nine Steps [39 Steps].
Edinburgh and London: William Blackwood and Sons, 1915. [Espionage thriller]. FIRST EDITION. Octavo (19 x 13), pp.253; [blank]; [2 of publisher's advertisements]. Publisher's mid blue cloth, titles in darker blue to spine and upper board. Re-cased with later bright white endpapers. Textblock somewhat toned as usual. Cloth shows well, slightly... More about The Thirty-Nine Steps [39 Steps
The Three Hostages.
Boston; New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1924. FIRST AMERICAN EDITION. Octavo, pp. 367. Bound in publisher's grey cloth with bold red lettering and ruling to front board and spine, blank endpapers. This book is the fourth of Buchan's five 'shockers', which feature Sir Richard Hannay. The reader is also introduced... More about The Three Hostages
A Lodge in the Wilderness.
Edinburgh and London: William Blackwood and Sons, 1906. FIRST EDITION, Presentation Copy. Octavo, pp.[8], 378 [32]. With a printed label to front pastedown stating 'Sent by desire of the Author'. In publisher's aquamarine cloth with gilt titles to spine and upper board. Re-cased with neat repairs to hinges. Brown endpapers... More about A Lodge in the Wilderness
The Blanket of the Dark.
London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1931. [Historical Fiction] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (19 x 14cm), pp.314; [6], advertisements. Publisher's green cloth, gilt titles, illustrated map endpapers, pictorial jacket priced at 7/6. A lightly used copy with clean page edges, discreet owner name, attractive wrapper has benefited from some discreet and well executed... More about The Blanket of the Dark
Castle Gay.
London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1930. Thriller. FIRST EDITION. Octavo, pp.320. Publisher's green cloth in pictorial dustwrapper. Both book and jacket are used; some toning to edges, gummed label to flyleaf, jacket worn with several chips, losses and tears. Priced accordingly The second 'shocker' to feature Dickson McCunn, the unlikliest of... More about Castle Gay
The Free Fishers.
London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1934. [Historical Fiction] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (20 x 14cm), pp.320. Publisher's green cloth in pictorial jacket. A near fine copy of the book in a very good wrapper, toned to spine with some chips to crown and extremities. Historical adventure set in bleak Yorkshire; A Minister... More about The Free Fishers