John Buchan was a Scottish writer, politician, and diplomat. He published his first stories and poems before graduating from Oxford. His first adventure novel, Prester John, was drawn from British colonial experiences in South Africa. In 1935, the same year his classic The Thirty-Nine Steps was adapted for film by Alfred Hitchcock, Buchan was appointed Governor General of Canada. He died five years later, leaving behind over one hundred published books, including novels, poetry and short story collections, and biographies.
