What do you think?
Rate this book
Sir Edward Leithen #1, 2, 3 & 5
The Leithen Stories
Collects three stories featuring Buchan's character, Edward Leithen, a prosperous Scots lawyer and MP in London. He seeks adventure to relieve the tedium of respectability. These stories present him: making his own adventure by playing the poacher, and seeking a lost friend in the wastes of Canada.
720 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2000
14 people are currently reading
49 people want to read
About the author
John Buchan
1,764 books469 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
John Buchan was a Scottish novelist, historian, and Unionist politician who served as Governor General of Canada, the 15th since Canadian Confederation.
As a youth, Buchan began writing poetry and prose, fiction and non-fiction, publishing his first novel in 1895 and ultimately writing over a hundred books of which the best known is The Thirty-Nine Steps. After attending Glasgow and Oxford universities, he practised as a barrister. In 1901, he served as a private secretary to Lord Milner in southern Africa towards the end of the Boer War. He returned to England in 1903, continued as a barrister and journalist. He left the Bar when he joined Thomas Nelson and Sons publishers in 1907. During the First World War, he was, among other activities, Director of Information in 1917 and later Head of Intelligence at the newly-formed Ministry of Information. He was elected Member of Parliament for the Combined Scottish Universities in 1927.
In 1935, King George V, on the advice of Canadian Prime Minister R. B. Bennett, appointed Buchan to succeed the Earl of Bessborough as Governor General of Canada and two months later raised him to the peerage as 1st Baron Tweedsmuir. He occupied the post until his death in 1940. Buchan promoted Canadian unity and helped strengthen the sovereignty of Canada constitutionally and culturally. He received a state funeral in Canada before his ashes were returned to the United Kingdom.
John Buchan was a Scottish novelist, historian, and Unionist politician who served as Governor General of Canada, the 15th since Canadian Confederation.
As a youth, Buchan began writing poetry and prose, fiction and non-fiction, publishing his first novel in 1895 and ultimately writing over a hundred books of which the best known is The Thirty-Nine Steps. After attending Glasgow and Oxford universities, he practised as a barrister. In 1901, he served as a private secretary to Lord Milner in southern Africa towards the end of the Boer War. He returned to England in 1903, continued as a barrister and journalist. He left the Bar when he joined Thomas Nelson and Sons publishers in 1907. During the First World War, he was, among other activities, Director of Information in 1917 and later Head of Intelligence at the newly-formed Ministry of Information. He was elected Member of Parliament for the Combined Scottish Universities in 1927.
In 1935, King George V, on the advice of Canadian Prime Minister R. B. Bennett, appointed Buchan to succeed the Earl of Bessborough as Governor General of Canada and two months later raised him to the peerage as 1st Baron Tweedsmuir. He occupied the post until his death in 1940. Buchan promoted Canadian unity and helped strengthen the sovereignty of Canada constitutionally and culturally. He received a state funeral in Canada before his ashes were returned to the United Kingdom.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
February 6, 2021
The Dancing Floor is a superb novel braiding pagan and Christian, ancient and modern, youth and age, Fate and ingenuity, family shame and family honor. Its characters traverse landscape and social obligations in England and on the small Greek island of Plakos. The larger imperial island in the northwest of Europe is in the thick of post-bellum metropolitan life; in southeast Europe, on Plakos, ancient folkways are barely below the surface: in the island cemetary peasants still keep lamps at relatives' grave-heads to ward off vampires.
Full review:
http://jayrothermel.blogspot.com/2021...
Full review:
http://jayrothermel.blogspot.com/2021...
November 22, 2023
Everything You Could Possibly Want
These 4 books are wonderful, each in their own way. They make a lasting, well-defined portrait of the central character, Sir Edward Leithen, who most see as being closest to the author, John Buchan.
Well done!
These 4 books are wonderful, each in their own way. They make a lasting, well-defined portrait of the central character, Sir Edward Leithen, who most see as being closest to the author, John Buchan.
Well done!
October 31, 2020
A fine collection of JB's Edward Leithen stories.
November 5, 2013
I really enjoy Buchan's stories. Leithen isn't as daring as Buchan's more famous hero, Richard Hannay, but he's quite endearing. The last story, The Sick Heart River, really brings this out in his character. The second story, John McNab was my personal favorite due to its light-hearted ridiculousness. A good read.
November 24, 2016
This trilogy was picked up after I devoured all the Richard Hannay books. Leithen is mentioned in them. This gives his back stories, wonderfully.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews