In Greenmantle (1916), a classic tale of espionage and adventure, Richard Hannay, hero of The Thirty-Nine Steps, travels across war-torn Europe on the trail of a German plot and an Islamic Messiah. He is joined by three more of Buchan's heroes: Peter Pienaar, the old Boer scout; John S. Blenkiron, the American determined to fight the Kaiser; and Sandy Arbuthnot--Greenmantle himself--a character modelled on Lawrence of Arabia. Together they move in disguise through Germany to Constantinople and the Russian border in order to face their enemies: the grotesque Stumm and the evil femme fatale Hilda von Einem.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Review
'Readers who fancy another look at John Buchan's originals, with their matchless suspense and gormless opinions, can find new editions ... in Oxford World's Classics.' Boyd Tonkin, New Statesman and Society
'An exciting First World War thriller.' Observer --This text refers to the Paperback edition.
'An exciting First World War thriller.' Observer --This text refers to the Paperback edition.
About the Author
John Buchan, 1st Baron Tweedsmuir, was a Scottish novelist and politician who served as Governor General of Canada.
--This text refers to the
Paperback
edition.
Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By laura covill
Format:Paperback
After September 11 and the breathless wartalk of the US government I suddenly found myself thinking about good old Greenmantle. As the other reviewers say, it is undoubtedly imperialist and jingoistic (I can't begin to imagine how viciously Edward Said would trash it), but uncannily useful for reading the current political situation. The stunning climax (I've never read one better) suggests perfectly how the West intends to undermine Islamic extremism in a far more subtle way than we can imagine. I'm tempted to reveal the ending, but it's far to good to spoil. Read this!
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
"Greenmantle", by John Buchan, is actually based on a remarkable, if little-known, aspect of German propaganda during World War I. It involved Kaiser Wilhelm declaring himself a convert to Islam, a leader of "jihad", as a tactic for winning the support of the Muslim territories under British control and thus fomenting an anti-British revolution. Richard Hannay, Buchan's intrepid hero from "The Thirty-Nine Steps", is the man entrusted to stop this plan from being carried out, and his adventure takes him from London, to Holland and Turkey and finally to the Russian border for a spectacular climax. Complaints have been made about Buchan's racist and jingo-imperialist biases, as the novel easily betrays the sentiments of a la "dominion over palm and pine." However, a fiction-writer may, under a certain poetic license, attack creeds, doctrines, persons and institutions with impunity; moreover, a writer must be seen as a product of his age. This racy, lively, energetic novel is best appreciated as an excellent work of light literature. The conclusion is an undeniably exciting confrontation, including the charge of Cossack cavalry, as Hannay engages in the final showdown between the two German villains, the gross Stumm and the evil beauty, Hilda von Einem.
By C. Helf
Format:Paperback
A plot driven novel with characters based on stereotypes. I assume Buchan's skills from WWI as a propaganda officer transferred here. He manages to orientalise Germany and subvert any other culture present here. The reader is clearly invited to view this text from a British perspective (around the 1920 of course). It read very much like "The Da Vinci Code", so if you're into that kind of thing...
Hilda Von Einemm is the worst femme fatal in existence.
If not taken seriously I suggest a read, if only to give perspective, or a listen to on audio book perhaps.
It wasn't painful, but it was rich with misogyny. It was interesting when put into context with the time it was written. The character Sandy was based off of Aubrey Herbert, and I suggest the biography by Fiitzherbert ("The Real Greenmantle") over "Greenmantle". Although personally I didn't feel Sandy paralleled with Herbert well, he was closer to a Richard Burton.
Interesting at the very least, and if you ignore the racism, cultural othering and misogyny I'm sure it can be seen as a very fun and exciting read.
Hilda Von Einemm is the worst femme fatal in existence.
If not taken seriously I suggest a read, if only to give perspective, or a listen to on audio book perhaps.
It wasn't painful, but it was rich with misogyny. It was interesting when put into context with the time it was written. The character Sandy was based off of Aubrey Herbert, and I suggest the biography by Fiitzherbert ("The Real Greenmantle") over "Greenmantle". Although personally I didn't feel Sandy paralleled with Herbert well, he was closer to a Richard Burton.
Interesting at the very least, and if you ignore the racism, cultural othering and misogyny I'm sure it can be seen as a very fun and exciting read.
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4.0 out of 5 stars
Most recent customer reviews
2.0 out of 5 stars
Silly, misleading, and offensive
The number of absurd coincidences, cliffhangers, and deus ex machinas required to sustain the plot of this boy scout daydream would challenge anyone's ability to suspend disbelief. Read more
Published on Dec 18 2001
2.0 out of 5 stars
Silly, misleading, and offensive trash.
The number of absurd coincidences, cliffhangers, and deus ex machinas required to sustain the plot of this boy scout daydream would challenge anyone's ability to suspend disbelief. Read more
Published on Dec 18 2001 by LostMarble
4.0 out of 5 stars
Dull and Delicious
You know, I really don't like war stories (although I do tend toward wartime authors) and I wouldn't have read this book if I hadn't been bored. Read more
Published on Sep 15 2001
4.0 out of 5 stars
A fine little thriller
...and a harmless read (recommended for train trips through particularly tedious or repetitive countryside, or long plane flights spent wedged into economy class). Read more
Published on May 28 2001 by J. Rabideau
5.0 out of 5 stars
Best John Buchan book
Fast paced and intruiging. Set in a real historical situation which means you get a slice of the atmosphere around that period.
Published on Jan 5 2001
4.0 out of 5 stars
An fine cosy espionage thriller,
of the sort that cannot be written nowadays. (The modern equivalent would be seven times as long and would be a study in grey, as exciting as a slab of concrete. Read more
Published on April 28 1999
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