Richard Hannay finds a corpse in his flat & becomes involved in a plot by spies to precipitate war & subvert British naval power. The resourceful victim of a manhunt he is pursued by both the police & the ruthless conspirators. The Thirty-Nine Steps is a seminal chase thriller rapid & vivid. It has been widely influential & frequently dramatised: the film directed by Alfred Hitchcock became a screen classic. This engaging novel also provides insights into the inter-action of patriotism fear & prejudice.