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The Thirty-Nine Steps
- Narrated by: Robert Powell
- Length: 3 hrs and 53 mins
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The Thirty-Nine Steps
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Summary
Exclusively from Audible
An espionage thriller that has been called the first great spy novel, it has sustained its popularity, being embraced by each new generation.
The first in a series of five audiobooks it features the spy Richard Hannay, an action hero with a stiff upper lip who gets caught up in a dangerous race against a plot by German spies to destroy the British war effort.
When Richard Hannay offers sanctuary to an American agent seeking his help in stopping a political assassination, he takes the first step on a trail of peril, murder, and espionage. Days later the agent's murdered body turns up in Hannay's flat, making him the prime suspect.
Knowing he's next he goes into hiding in Scotland, but in his possession is the American agent's little black book that holds the key to the conspiracy. On the run from both the police and members of a mysterious organisation that will stop at nothing to keep their secrets hidden, the book has become one of the most influential chase books, adopted by many, including Hollywood, but with an unrivalled tension.
The novel has been the basis for many adaptations although most have departed from the text. Most famous is Alfred Hitchcock's classic film The 39 Steps released in 1935.
Narrator Biography
Robert Powell received his first starring role in The Italian Job (1969) and is best known for the title role in the television series Jesus of Nazareth (1977). He received Best Actor awards for his performances in Imperativ (1982) and Harlequin (1980). His television career has included appearing in BBC One's Holby City (2005-2011) and the "science-fact" drama Doomwatch (1970) as well as starring alongside Jasper Carrott in the sitcom The Detectives (1993-1997). He has a distinctive voice that has narrated documentaries including World War II in HD Colour, Hitler's Bodyguard, The Story of the Third Reich and Secrets of World War II. In 2013 he narrated the dramatic television series The Bible. He has narrated many fictional and historical audiobooks including Rebecca's Tale, The Well-Beloved and The Thirty-Nine Steps.
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What listeners say about The Thirty-Nine Steps
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Ant
- 15-12-13
Surprised by how much I enjoyed this!
I am a big fan of turn of the century novels of this type, the stories are usually far less important than the language used for me. It's like stepping back in time to a place when a man's character was written on his face: "He was a tall man with a poorly nourished moustache". There, that's everything you need to know about that blaggard.
The story itself is well crafted and well told. If you enjoy writing from this period in time, then I highly recommend this. As for the narrator - you can't go wrong with Robert Powell.
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5 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Stafford Steve
- 07-10-10
Forget Hitchcock return to Buchan
There have been many movies, of varying quality, and at least two dramatised radio versions, probably better than any screen adaptations, but this audio-book takes us back to the original and still the best version, where 39 steps really do mean 39 steps, and the menace of German agents in the years up to the outbreak of war is palpable. No playing around with deep cover master spies with missing fingers; here the German mastermind is not only a master chameleon but one who can hood his eyes as only an agent of the Kaiser could ever do. Listen to the our hero's rapid disgust with Edwardian London, watch in your mind's eye as he thinks on the hoof, whether trying to get away from the murder scene unnoticed or trying to get as far away as possible by train lines and drover roads over the Galloway hills. A tale of daring do, this remains all the more exciting as our hero is making it up as he goes along, his experiences in Africa providing far less in the way of survival skills than we might expect. His dealings with road menders, inn keepers, and cads of the highest order demonstrate his honest ordinariness. At every turn his desire not just to survive but to find out what the Germans are trying to do that is so important they will do almost anything to capture him keeps the listener engaged. Though these times may be almost a hundred years ago, this is still a modern world of railways and telephones, and more particularly of short-sighted xenophobia that ignores the real threats to Britain and its way of life, all of which retains a certain currency even today. So, listen to this original version, particularly if you have little interest in music hall memory men, preferring your 39 Steps to be about spies thwarted at the very last by an ordinary person cast up amidst extraordinary times. It's almost as good as Geoffrey Household's more intense Rogue Male, another loner on the run from German agents 25 year later.
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4 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Mary Berg
- 15-02-21
very good. Orator was really really good
Enjoyed this book. Thought moved along at a good pace. Orator really very good. Excellent
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Timedout
- 02-03-20
Too many coincidences to be believable
loved the old English style and language but wished the hero hadn't been quite so reliant on 'good luck' and coming across 'a fine fellow or two'. Still enjoyable though.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Darren - UK
- 25-06-14
A real classic I loved every bit of it
Would you consider the audio edition of The Thirty-Nine Steps to be better than the print version?
Better, this is the version I would recommend to anybody interested in reading this book.
What did you like best about this story?
The protagonists and his sense of adventure
What does Robert Powell bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?
Allot he added so much to the character and really brought him to life a perfect match of story character and voice actor.
Any additional comments?
One of my favorite audio books so far highly recommend.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- david cowan
- 01-03-18
amazing story
the 39 steps audiobook was entertaining from begining till end it was as if you were there in person
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- M James
- 12-04-17
39 Steps
Great story and well read, this is my 3 rd audio book and again I'm sold to it. it was too fast when it started listening I'm not sure if this was a glitch but if you get the same thing reduce the speed and sit back and enjoy a classic spy adventure. I loved it
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 02-05-18
Classic tale.
Great story !
Read by the perfect choice narrator.
Not quite the tale portrayed in film, very good listen!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Pamela McCrea
- 13-04-20
Excellent
Robert Powell voice captured the persona of Richard hannay very well in my mind. Worth listening to
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Gruffs
- 08-07-21
Great, but a disappointing end on it's own.
As a stand alone book, the end needs to be more clear.
I'm sure the books following will tie the ends, but not enough!
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