The 39 Steps
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The 39 Steps by John Buchan comes up on The Rest Is History, with transcript quotes, timestamps, and episode context.
The 39 Steps by John Buchan appears 4 times across 4 podcast episodes on 1 show, with transcript quotes and timestamps.
“to me they're not real people that and they're blindingly obvious they're two fictional characters one of them is richard hannay so that's um john buckens i mean you must have read the 39 steps”
Why people keep bringing this up
The Rest Is History cites The 39 Steps across four episodes (594, 372, 113, 101), using the novel and its author John Buchan as a recurring cultural touchstone. In episode 594 (The First World War: The Invasion of Belgium) the hosts quote Buchan on the Belgian stand at Liège to illustrate wartime rhetoric. In episode 372 (The Birth of British Fascism) the book is mentioned as reflecting conspiratorial ideas involving “Jewish financiers and Bolsheviks” in Buchan’s thrillers, serving as an example within a discussion of political movements and narratives.
In episode 113 (Hallowe’en and modern paganism) Buchan is invoked for his repeated attention to the topic — the hosts say he was “very big on this” and “wrote about it three times.” Episode 101 (James Bond) brings up Richard Hannay and The 39 Steps as a shorthand when comparing earlier thriller characters to Bond. Across these mentions the book functions as concrete evidence for the hosts when addressing wartime commentary, conspiratorial themes, pagan motifs, and early thriller/spy‑fiction figures.
The host references John Buchan's perspective on the Belgian defense at Liege to illustrate the significance of national duty and valor in warfare. This mention serves to highlight the dramatic contrast between the romanticized notions of battle and the harsh realities faced by soldiers during World War I.
The host mentions 'The 39 Steps' to illustrate how John Buchan's thrillers reflect the paranoid political climate of post-war Britain. Buchan's work embodies the fears and conspiracies prevalent in society, particularly regarding Jewish financiers and Bolshevism.
The host mentions 'The 39 Steps' to illustrate how John Buchan incorporates themes of paganism and Protestant anxieties in his thrillers. Buchan's work reflects a tension between modernity and ancient beliefs, showcasing a Christian hero confronting pagan traditions.
Recent show rotation: The Rest Is History.
Fastest path back to the source: the strongest indexed mention lands at 15:07 in the episode where we captured it.
Quick FAQ
Answers to common book, episode, podcast, and guest questions.
Which episode mentioned The 39 Steps?
101. James Bond on The Rest Is History is one of the clearest indexed episodes that mentioned The 39 Steps by John Buchan. Other indexed episodes include 594. The First World War: The Invasion of Belgium (Part 1) on The Rest Is History and 372. The Birth of British Fascism on The Rest Is History. The first indexed transcript timestamp lands at 15:07.
Which podcast mentioned The 39 Steps?
The Rest Is History is the main indexed podcast currently tied to The 39 Steps by John Buchan.
Who mentioned The 39 Steps on podcasts?
PodcastMentions ties The 39 Steps by John Buchan to The Rest Is History, but the underlying mentions do not yet expose stable guest names for every episode.
Why do podcast guests bring up The 39 Steps?
The host references John Buchan's perspective on the Belgian defense at Liege to illustrate the significance of national duty and valor in warfare. This mention serves to highlight the dramatic contrast between the romanticized notions of battle and the harsh realities faced by soldiers during World War I. It most often appears in conversations about Belgian stand at Liege, British politics in the 1920s, and Paganism in literature.
Mentions across episodes
Every mention card links back to the episode page and exact transcript anchor.
“I mean, to me they're not real people that and they're blindingly obvious they're two fictional characters one of them is richard hannay so that's um john buckens i mean you must have read the 39 steps.”
“John Buchan, the 39 Steps author, said that the Belgian stand at Liege was an advertisement to the world that the ancient faiths of country and duty could still nerve the arm for battle.”
“John Buchan is mentioned as the author of 'The 39 Steps', which reflects the idea of conspiracies involving Jewish financiers and Bolsheviks in his thrillers.”
“John Buchan, the author of The 39 Steps and all those great thrillers, is very big on this. He wrote about it three times.”