Boxall's 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die discussion

BBC Radio 4 aired a program yesterday on John Buchan, author of LIST book The 39 Steps.

From BBC Radio 4 description:

A century after its first print run, the famous novel The Thirty-Nine Steps continues to sell worldwide. It's never been out of print.

The book's author, John Buchan, wasn't just a master of the suspense thriller, he also wrote poetry, short stories, essays, biographies and histories - all on top of his ambitious career as editor, publisher, intelligence officer, civil servant, politician, churchman, peer and, at the end of his life, Governor-General of Canada.

The writer Nicholas Rankin examines Buchan's literary legacy through the lens of two of his descendants who have themselves become authors - James Buchan is one of John's grandsons, a former FT Middle East correspondent who now writes both fiction and non-fiction; while Ursula Buchan, a granddaughter of John Buchan, is a distinguished gardening journalist and social historian.

With additional contributions from best selling novelist William Boyd and literary critic Kate Macdonald, James and Ursula reflect in a personal way on the influence John Buchan has had on their own writing and the significance of his books today.

It can be found for streaming here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b05qjq6h

Glad to see Buchan mentioned.

Buchan is often described as the 'father of the novel of international intrigue' (but he is not) and 'The 39 Steps' --often noted for its influence, and correctly, too--is arguably not even his best work. True devotees of the genre seek out his less-famous titles and as their reward, find a treasure-trove of great writing.

I love The 39 Steps. It shows just how dangerous pre-WW I era was.

Indeed. Wild times. The historical period I study most. Great stuff all happening at once.

Thank you for the reference to the BBC radio program on John Buchan. I collect every book of his I find and love his writing. I just plain like the man himself! Intriguing.

Yesterday, BBC Radio 4 Extra started a drama based on Buchan's book Greenmantle. Episode 1 can be found for streaming here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00tkllp