John Buchan (1875-1940) was a Scottish novelist, historian, barrister, and politician. After studying at Glasgow and Oxford, he served as private secretary to the High Commissioner for South Africa from 1901 to 1903. On his return to the UK he pursued politics and a literary career. During the First World War he was a war correspondent before being appointed Director of Information for the British Army Intelligence Corps. From 1935 to his death in 1940 he was the Governor General of Canada. He is best known as the author of The Thirty-Nine Steps and other adventure fiction.
