John Buchan books in order
Scottish author and politician
- Lived
- 1875–1940
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Books
- 72
- Series
- 2
John Buchan published 25 novels, 4 novellas, 4 short story collections, 20 non-fiction books, 4 children's books, 3 poetry collections and 12 other books, beginning with Prester John (1910). The 2 series include Richard Hannay (5 books, starting with The Thirty-nine Steps) and Dickson McCunn trilogy (3 books, starting with Huntingtower). 3 feature Edward Leithen. The best-known is The Thirty-nine Steps (1915).
Updated September 2026
Richard Hannay books in order (5)Series page
Reading order: 1 The Thirty-nine Steps (1915) · 2 Greenmantle (1916) · 3 Mr Standfast (1919) · 4 The Three Hostages (1924) · 5 The Island of Sheep (1936)
- 1.
The Thirty-nine Steps (1915)
- 2.
Greenmantle (1916)
- 3.
Mr Standfast (1919)
- 4.
The Three Hostages (1924)
- 5.
The Island of Sheep (1936)
Dickson McCunn trilogy books in order (3)Series page
Reading order: 1 Huntingtower (1922) · 2 Castle Gay (1930) · 3 The House of the Four Winds (1935)
- 1.
Huntingtower (1922)
- 2.
Castle Gay (1930)
- 3.
The House of the Four Winds (1935)
Where to start with John Buchan
Start here
The Thirty-nine Steps
John Buchan's most-read book and the first of the 5 Richard Hannay books.
Standalone novels in order
John Burnet of Barns (1898)
A Lost Lady of Old Years (1899)
Prester John (1910)
Salute to Adventurers (1915)
Adventures of Richard Hannay (1919)
The Path of the King (1921)
The Half-hearted (1922)
Midwinter. Certain Travellers in Old England (1923)
Witch Wood (1927)
The Courts of the Morning (1929)
The Blanket of the Dark (1931)
Sir Walter Scott (1932)
The Gap in the Curtain (1932)
A Prince of the Captivity (1933)
The Free Fishers (1934)
Novellas in order
Sir Quixote of the Moors (1895)
Sir Walter Raleigh (1897)
The Power-House (1916)
Short story collections in order
The Watcher by the Threshold (1902)
The Moon Endureth (1921)
The Runagates Club (1928)
Isaac Asimov's Magical Worlds of Fantasy
Non-fiction in order
Brasenose College (1898)
The African Colony: Studies in the Reconstruction (1903)
Some Eighteenth Century Byways, and Other Essays (1908)
The Marquis of Montrose (1913)
These for Remembrance (1919)
Lord Minto (1924)
Homilies and Recreations (1926)
A History of English Literature (1929)
The Kirk in Scotland (1930)
Julius Caesar (1932)
Gordon at Khartoum (1934)
Oliver Cromwell (1934)
Men and Deeds (1935)
Montrose (1935)
The King's Grace, 1910-1935 (1935)
Augustus (1937)
The Massacre of Glencoe (1938)
Memory Hold-the-door (1940)
Pilgrim's Way (1940)
Children's books in order
The Last Secrets (1923)
The Magic Walking-Stick (1932)
Lake of Gold (1941)
The Long Traverse (1941)
Poetry in order
Musa Piscatrix (1896)
Poems, Scots and English (1917)
The Northern Muse (1928)
Other books in order
Scholar-gipsies (1896)
Grey Weather: Moorland Tales of My Own People (1899)
Nelson's History of the War (1914)
A Lodge in the Wilderness (1916)
The Battle of the Somme (1916)
The Battle of the Somme, First Phase (1916)
The Battle of the Somme, Second Phase (1916)
The Long Road to Victory (1920)
A History of the Great War (1921)
A Book of Escapes and Hurried Journeys (1922)
Adventurers All: Sir Richard Hannay, Sir Edward Leithen ... [et Al.] (1922)
A Date with Danger: Breathtaking Stories of Action and Adventure (1984)
Film and TV adaptations
- The 39 Steps (1935)Film · from The Thirty-nine Steps
- The 39 Steps (1959)Film · from The Thirty-nine Steps
- The Thirty Nine Steps (1978)Film · from The Thirty-nine Steps
- The 39 Steps (2008)TV · from The Thirty-nine Steps
- Huntingtower (1927)Film · from Huntingtower
Free to read
All free classics
About John Buchan
John Buchan, 1st Baron Tweedsmuir was a Scottish novelist, historian, British Army officer, and Unionist politician who served as Governor General of Canada, the 15th since Canadian Confederation.
Biography from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
John Buchan FAQ
- How many books has John Buchan written?
- John Buchan published 25 novels, 4 novellas, 4 short story collections, 20 non-fiction books, 4 children's books, 3 poetry collections and 12 other books that we list, as of September 2026.
- What order should I read John Buchan's books in?
- Read each series in its own order: start Richard Hannay with The Thirty-nine Steps and Dickson McCunn trilogy with Huntingtower. The other books stand alone and can be read in any order.
- What is John Buchan's last book?
- Pilgrim's Way (1940).
- What is John Buchan's most famous book?
- The Thirty-nine Steps (1915) is John Buchan's most widely read book.
- Are John Buchan's books connected?
- 8 books belong to 2 series (Richard Hannay and Dickson McCunn trilogy); the other 64 books stand alone.
- Which John Buchan books have been adapted?
- 2 books have been adapted for film or TV, including The Thirty-nine Steps (as The 39 Steps, film, 1935) and Huntingtower (film, 1927).
- Can I read John Buchan's books for free?
- Yes. 20 books by John Buchan are in the public domain in the US and free to read online or download here.
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Sources: book lists and dates from Wikidata and Open Library, ratings from Open Library readers, free texts from Project Gutenberg. Last updated September 2026.