Richard Hannay arrives in London on the eve of World War I, where he meets an American agent seeking help in stopping a political assassination. Before long, Hannay finds himself in possession of a little black book that holds the key to the conspiracy &mdash; and on the run from both the police and members of a mysterious organization that will stop at nothing to keep their secrets hidden.<br /><br />John Buchan&#39;s<i>&nbsp;The Thirty Nine Steps</i>&nbsp;has been called the first great espionage novel. It has been embraced by each new generation and shows no sign of losing popularity.