Who wrote the novel 'The 39 Steps'?

John Buchan wrote the novel “The 39 Steps,” more formally titled “The Thirty-Nine Steps.”

Buchan’s 1915 adventure novel introduces Richard Hannay, a Scottish-Canadian mining engineer drawn into an international spy plot. Hannay becomes a classic “man on the run,” relying on improvisation as he tries to expose a conspiracy and evade both police and enemy agents.

The book was written while Buchan was recovering from a duodenal ulcer. Its title reportedly came from stairs leading toward the beach at Broadstairs, England. The actual staircase was said to have had a different number of steps, but the altered figure made a better title.

Hitchcock’s 1935 film adaptation is one of the best-known versions, but it changes substantial elements of Buchan’s story, including adding a prominent love interest. That difference can cause readers to mistake Hitchcock for the novel’s author; Buchan created the original character, plot framework, and title.