" It is a man's duty to have books. A library is not a luxury, but one of the necessaries of life. "
— Henry Ward Beecher
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.
![Item #49069 [The Riding of Ninemileburn, in] Blackwood's Magazine No. MCLVIII [1158]. John...](https://harringtonbooks-co-uk.cdn.bibliopolis.com/pictures/49069BuchanBlackwood&?width=320&height=427&fit=bounds&auto=webp)
[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'..... More
![Item #53809 [The Riding of Ninemileburn, in] Blackwood's Magazine No. MCLVIII [1158]. John...](https://harringtonbooks-co-uk.cdn.bibliopolis.com/pictures/53809.jpg?width=320&height=427&fit=bounds&auto=webp&v=1558191948)
[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
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
The Causal and the Causal in History.
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1929. [Essay] FIRST EDITION, first impression. Octavo (20 x 13cm), pp.46 [2], blank. Brown card over boards, black titles to upper board and spine. With the scarce typographic dust-jacket, printed price of 2s. to front cover. With a loose review slip from the Cambridge University Press..... More
Comments and Characters.
London, Edinburgh, Paris, Melbourne, Toronto, and New York: Thomas Nelson and Sons Ltd., 1940. [Essays] FIRST THUS. Octavo (19 x 14cm), pp.xxxv [1] 422 [2]. Publisher's red cloth, gilt titles to spine. With the typographic dust-jacket. Top edge red. Offsetting to endpapers, very faintly spotted internally and to textblock edges..... More
The Dancing Floor.
London: Hodder and Stoughton, no date [1926]. [Mystery Thriller] SIGNED FIRST EDITION, first impression. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.311 [9]. SIGNED by the author in black ink to title page. With a frontispiece map of the island. Publisher's blue cloth with black titles to spine and upper. With the pictorial..... More
The Dancing Floor.
London: Hodder and Stoughton, no date [1926]. [Mystery] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.311; [1], blank; [10]. With a frontispiece map of the island. Elegantly hand-bound in half green crushed morocco by Bayntun Riviere, with traditional raised bands to spine, gilt tooling, green buckram-covered sides, top edge gilt, marbled..... More
Homilies and Recreations.
London, Edinburgh, Paris, and New York: Thomas Nelson and Sons, Ltd., 1926. [Essays] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (20 x 14cm), pp.383 [1]. Publisher's green cloth, gilt monogram to upper board, gilt titles to spine. With the typographic dust-jacket priced at 7/6 to spine. Top edge gilt. Light internal toning but otherwise..... More
![Item #57292 The Island of Sheep. [A Richard Hannay Novel]. John BUCHAN](https://harringtonbooks-co-uk.cdn.bibliopolis.com/pictures/57292.jpg?width=320&height=427&fit=bounds&auto=webp&v=1595436225)
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, gilt 'JB' monogram to upper board, and map printed to front endpapers. With the dust-jacket illustrated by Chesterman, priced at 7/6 to spine. Black ink ownership to..... More
![Item #70581 The Island of Sheep. [A Richard Hannay Novel]. John BUCHAN](https://harringtonbooks-co-uk.cdn.bibliopolis.com/pictures/70581.jpg?width=320&height=427&fit=bounds&auto=webp&v=1736444526)
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, cartographic front endpapers, pictorial jacket priced at 7/6. In inscription to free endpaper (mostly obscured by map), edges toned, jacket..... More
Sir Quixote of The Moors. Being Some Account of an Episode in the Life of the Sieur de Rohaine.
London: T. Fisher Unwin, 1895. [Literature] FIRST EDITION, first impression. Duodecimo (20 x 12cm), pp.188 [4]. Red publisher's cloth, pictorial design blocked in colour and titles in black to upper and spine. Fore edge untrimmed. Interior lightly toned, with the odd mark here and there. Toning and faint offsetting to..... More
Witch Wood.
London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1927. [Supernatural adventure novel] FIRST EDITION, first impression. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.380 [4]. Publisher's blue cloth in pictorial dust-wrapper. Contents clean, no inscriptions, edges slightly toned, no foxing. Jacket with minor wear and tear, spine panel toned/browned. A very good copy of a desirable Buchan..... More
Witch Wood.
London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1927. [Supernatural adventure novel] LEATHER-BOUND FIRST EDITION, first impression. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.[2] 380 [6]. Recently re-bound in navy half calf, with raised bands gilt titles to spine, and matching cloth over boards. With the publisher's original cloth covers bound in at rear. Toned to..... More
Witch Wood.
London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1927. [Supernatural adventure novel] LEATHER-BOUND FIRST EDITION, first impression. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.[2] 380 [6]. Elegantly hand-bound in half dark blue morocco over publisher's pale blue cloth sides lettered in black, spine gilt-lettered in six compartments with traditional raised bands, sewn endbands. Light spotting in..... More
The Courts of the Morning. A Richard Hannay novel.
London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1929. [Spy Thriller] FIRST EDITION, first impression. Octavo, pp.405 [8]. Publisher's light blue cloth (also issued in green cloth) with title and trim printed in black, map endpapers. In original pictorial dust-jacket. Some very light offset to flyleaves, minor toning to spine; a gently handled copy..... More
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. No inscriptions, uniform toning to edges of text block. Very good in like jacket with small chips to extremities, some strips..... More
The Blanket of the Dark.
London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1931. [Historical Fiction] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (19 x 14cm), pp.314; [6], advertisements. Double-page map bound at rear. Elegantly hand-bound in half green crushed morocco by Bayntun Riviere, with traditional raised bands to spine, gilt tooling, green buckram-covered sides, top edge gilt, marbled endpapers. Elegantly hand-bound in..... More
The Moon Endureth. Tales and Fancies.
William Blackwood and Sons, Edinburgh and London 1912. [Strange Tales] FIRST EDITION, COLONIAL ISSUE. Octavo, pp.324 [4]. Publisher's slate grey cloth titled in gilt with silver moon to spine and similar monogram motif to upper. This is the uncommon Colonial edition, which did not contain the 64-page catalogue after the..... More
Musa Piscatrix.
London: The Bodley Head, 1896. [Literature/recreation] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (20 x 14cm), pp.108; [16], ads. Illustrated with etchings. Publisher's dark blue buckram, sunned to spine decorated in gilt to spine and front board. Top edge gilt, others untrimmed. Internally clean. Nursery Training College library label to endpaper, remnants of other..... More
The Blanket of the Dark.
London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1931. [Historical Fiction] SIGNED FIRST EDITION, first impression. Octavo (19 x 14cm), pp.314 [6]. With presentation inscription to half title, signed by John Buchan. Publisher's green cloth, gilt titles, illustrated map endpapers, pictorial jacket priced at 7/6. A very good, used copy, jacket rubbed, with some..... More
Castle Gay.
London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1930. [Adventure Novel] FIRST EDITION, first impression, Publisher's file copy as marked to endpaper and title page. Octavo (19 x 14cm), pp.320. Publisher's green cloth with gilt titles to spine. With the illustrated dust-jacket priced at 7/6. No inscriptions, edges toned, vintage tape mark to half..... More
Castle Gay.
London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1930. [Adventure Novel] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (19 x 14cm), pp.320. Elegantly hand-bound in half green crushed morocco by Bayntun Riviere, with traditional raised bands to spine, gilt tooling, green buckram-covered sides, top edge gilt, marbled endpapers. Contents clean, exterior as new. The second 'shocker' to feature..... More
The Free Fishers.
London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1934. [Intrigue] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (20 x 14cm), pp.320. Publisher's green cloth in pictorial jacket. With the pictorial dust-jacket priced at 7/6 to backstrip. No inscriptions, some spotting/toning. Very good in like jacket with chips to crown, spine tanned, a few small strips of tape applied..... More
The Free Fishers.
London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1934. [Intrigue] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.320. Elegantly hand-bound in half green crushed morocco by Bayntun Riviere, with traditional raised bands to spine, gilt tooling, green buckram-covered sides, top edge gilt, marbled endpapers. Contents clean, exterior as new. Historical adventure set in bleak Yorkshire;..... More
The Gap in the Curtain.
London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1932. [Thriller] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.315; [1], blank; [4], ads. Elegantly hand-bound in half green crushed morocco by Bayntun Riviere, with traditional raised bands to spine, gilt tooling, green buckram-covered sides, top edge gilt, marbled endpapers. Contents clean, exterior as new. 'Shocker' featuring..... More