25. The Thirty-Nine Steps: The First James Bond episode artwork

EPISODE · Jul 27, 2026 · 1H 12M

25. The Thirty-Nine Steps: The First James Bond

from The Book Club · host Goalhanger

How did the First World War inspire The 39 Steps? Why did John Buchan set the novel in Scotland? And, is the dashing protagonist Richard Hannay, a model for later Spy heroes? Join Dominic Sandbrook and Tabitha Syrett as they delve into the fascinating story behind the writing of The 39 Steps, and the world it was born of. Email us: ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠ For analysis, book recommendations and more, sign up to our newsletter, Book Club Notes, introduced weekly by Tabby or Dominic. Sign up at: https://www.thebookclubhq.com/  Instagram: ⁠⁠@bookclubpodhq⁠⁠ TikTok: ⁠⁠@thebookclubpodhq⁠⁠ X: ⁠⁠@bookclubpodhq⁠⁠ YouTube: ⁠⁠@TheBookClubPodHQ⁠⁠ Senior Producer: Nicole Maslen Assistant Producer: Alfie Norris Social Producer: Harry Balden Video Editors:  Lorcan Moullier & Joe Pettit Executive Producer: Dom Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Jul 27, 2026

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25. The Thirty-Nine Steps: The First James Bond

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