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A Book of Escapes and Hurried Journeys
A Book of Escapes and Hurried Journeys by John Buchan. I have never yet seen an adequate definition of Romance, and I am not going to attempt one. But I take it that it means in the widest sense that which affects the mind with a sense of wonder-the surprises of life, fights against odds, weak things confounding strong, beauty and courage flowering in unlikely places. In this book we are concerned with only a little plot of a great province, the efforts of men to cover a certain space within a certain limited time under an urgent compulsion, which strains to the uttermost body and spirit. Why is there such an eternal fascination about tales of hurried journeys? In the great romances of literature they provide many of the chief dramatic moments, and, since the theme is common to Homer and the penny reciter, it must appeal to a very ancient instinct in human nature.
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First published May 1, 1025
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About the author
John Buchan
1,763 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.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
April 20, 2020
As the title suggests, the book is a collection of twelve famous escapes or hurried journeys from history including Charles II’s escape after the Battle of Worcester, Marie Antoinette’s flight to Varennes and Winston Churchill’s adventures during the Boer War.
The stories show how small decisions, chance and random events, such as inclement weather, can change the course of history and how the success of one plan may be thwarted by the failure of another. An example is ‘The Railway Raid in Georgia’ in which a daring attempt to prevent the arrival of enemy reinforcements by cutting railroad links fails due to a lack of tools and the late running of trains due to heavy rain. The story features a race between two trains that would make a great film.
The book also highlights how much a successful escape or journey often relies on the courage and daring of singular individuals. For example, in ‘Two African Journeys’ he describes Dick King’s great ride to bring news of impending danger as seeming ‘in the last degree impossible’. Sheer ingenuity is often another factor such as in ‘Lord Nithsdale’s Escape’ where a combination of disguise and confusion leads to a successful release from imprisonment and execution.
The most detailed accounts are reserved for two journeys set in Scotland: the escape of Prince Charles Edward (‘Bonnie Prince Charlie’) and a forced march by the army of ‘The Great Montrose’. The latter is a figure for whom Buchan had great admiration, describing him as ‘certainly one of the purest and most chivalrous figures in his country’s annals.’ (Buchan later wrote a biography of Montrose.) The author describes how Montrose resolved on ‘the craziest of adventures’ when faced by enemies on two sides, noting that it is ‘the duty of a good general when he is confronted by two immediate perils to meet the greater first.’ Buchan provides a detailed and thrilling account of a flank march which he describes as ‘one of the great exploits in the history of British arms’. There is also a brief episode in which Montrose dons the disguise of a groom accompanied by two soldiers wearing the uniform of enemy soldiers. The same episode features in his novel Witch Wood, when its hero, David Sempill, encounters the party and guides them to safety.
There are also touches of humour such as in ‘The Flight of Lieutenants Parer and M’Intosh Across The World’ which tells of the attempt by two Australian airmen stationed in England to win the £10,000 prize by entering for the Australia Flight competition. Unfortunately, the only aircraft they are able to obtain is rundown old airplane, ‘a condemned comic-opera machine’ which, as Buchan notes, means the routine of their journey becomes ‘ to break down every day or two, and then patch up the machine with oddments sufficient to carry it to the next landing-place, where it fell to pieces again.’
My favourite story was probably ‘From Pretoria to the Sea’ which depicts Winston Churchill’s escape from a prison camp during the Boer War, memorably dramatized in the film Young Winston). Buchan notes that Winston Churchill published the story of his escape during the war (in two volumes initially but later published as a single volume entitled The Boer War). However, at the time of publication it was important not to implicate any friends still in the Transvaal and so, Buchan proudly states, ‘the next part of his journey has never been explicitly told.’ He recounts how Churchill’s exploits attracted growing public attention with newspapers reporting on his progress with varying degrees of accuracy. ‘It was rumoured that he had escaped disguised as a woman, and again disguised as a policeman; and finally it was reported that he was still in hiding in Pretoria.’
In the Preface to the book, John Buchan reflects on the ‘eternal fascination about tales of hurried journeys’. He suggests the drama they provide appeals to ‘a very ancient instinct in human nature’ and the conflict between time and space they involve can create what he calls ‘great moments’. He writes, ‘Whether failure or success is the result, life is sharpened, intensified, idealized’. In A Book of Escapes and Hurried Journeys, John Buchan certainly brings to life many of such ‘great moments’ from history.
#ReadJB2020
The stories show how small decisions, chance and random events, such as inclement weather, can change the course of history and how the success of one plan may be thwarted by the failure of another. An example is ‘The Railway Raid in Georgia’ in which a daring attempt to prevent the arrival of enemy reinforcements by cutting railroad links fails due to a lack of tools and the late running of trains due to heavy rain. The story features a race between two trains that would make a great film.
The book also highlights how much a successful escape or journey often relies on the courage and daring of singular individuals. For example, in ‘Two African Journeys’ he describes Dick King’s great ride to bring news of impending danger as seeming ‘in the last degree impossible’. Sheer ingenuity is often another factor such as in ‘Lord Nithsdale’s Escape’ where a combination of disguise and confusion leads to a successful release from imprisonment and execution.
The most detailed accounts are reserved for two journeys set in Scotland: the escape of Prince Charles Edward (‘Bonnie Prince Charlie’) and a forced march by the army of ‘The Great Montrose’. The latter is a figure for whom Buchan had great admiration, describing him as ‘certainly one of the purest and most chivalrous figures in his country’s annals.’ (Buchan later wrote a biography of Montrose.) The author describes how Montrose resolved on ‘the craziest of adventures’ when faced by enemies on two sides, noting that it is ‘the duty of a good general when he is confronted by two immediate perils to meet the greater first.’ Buchan provides a detailed and thrilling account of a flank march which he describes as ‘one of the great exploits in the history of British arms’. There is also a brief episode in which Montrose dons the disguise of a groom accompanied by two soldiers wearing the uniform of enemy soldiers. The same episode features in his novel Witch Wood, when its hero, David Sempill, encounters the party and guides them to safety.
There are also touches of humour such as in ‘The Flight of Lieutenants Parer and M’Intosh Across The World’ which tells of the attempt by two Australian airmen stationed in England to win the £10,000 prize by entering for the Australia Flight competition. Unfortunately, the only aircraft they are able to obtain is rundown old airplane, ‘a condemned comic-opera machine’ which, as Buchan notes, means the routine of their journey becomes ‘ to break down every day or two, and then patch up the machine with oddments sufficient to carry it to the next landing-place, where it fell to pieces again.’
My favourite story was probably ‘From Pretoria to the Sea’ which depicts Winston Churchill’s escape from a prison camp during the Boer War, memorably dramatized in the film Young Winston). Buchan notes that Winston Churchill published the story of his escape during the war (in two volumes initially but later published as a single volume entitled The Boer War). However, at the time of publication it was important not to implicate any friends still in the Transvaal and so, Buchan proudly states, ‘the next part of his journey has never been explicitly told.’ He recounts how Churchill’s exploits attracted growing public attention with newspapers reporting on his progress with varying degrees of accuracy. ‘It was rumoured that he had escaped disguised as a woman, and again disguised as a policeman; and finally it was reported that he was still in hiding in Pretoria.’
In the Preface to the book, John Buchan reflects on the ‘eternal fascination about tales of hurried journeys’. He suggests the drama they provide appeals to ‘a very ancient instinct in human nature’ and the conflict between time and space they involve can create what he calls ‘great moments’. He writes, ‘Whether failure or success is the result, life is sharpened, intensified, idealized’. In A Book of Escapes and Hurried Journeys, John Buchan certainly brings to life many of such ‘great moments’ from history.
#ReadJB2020
December 31, 2013
Non-fiction! After reading four of Buchan's excessively melodramatic, chase-heavy proto-spy adventure yarns, I came across this modest volume, in which he recounts some famous historic chases and escapes, some successful, some not. From the American civil war to royals on the run, to a young Winston Churchill's daring escape during the Boer War, these stories are all terribly interesting, and some are downright thrilling. Well done Mr. Buchan!
August 1, 2025
Didnt read the last 1 or 2 short stories not a huge fan of the book to be honest. Whoever had it before me made it extra confusing with all their annotations.
some cool stories such as the churchill escape but the general writing didnt help with the tense atmosphere of the scene.
Reading about the escapes of kings did remind me how instant everything is now. News of the kings travells spreading across the country took days/weeks and it was constantly changing by the time people had read the most up to date.
Pretty funny i thought especially when the king was able to speak to someone about where they think the king is not knowing they are talking to him.
Some cool stories but honestly a little tiresome.
some cool stories such as the churchill escape but the general writing didnt help with the tense atmosphere of the scene.
Reading about the escapes of kings did remind me how instant everything is now. News of the kings travells spreading across the country took days/weeks and it was constantly changing by the time people had read the most up to date.
Pretty funny i thought especially when the king was able to speak to someone about where they think the king is not knowing they are talking to him.
Some cool stories but honestly a little tiresome.
March 22, 2021
It’s rubbish.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 21, 2014
The title may be the best line. From the master of fictional escapes and hurried journeys (think of crossing the pass in Mr. Standfast), some non-fiction ones, embellished probably with J.B.'s own touches.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews