Classic Boys Own adventure stories set at the time of the first world war. The actul adventires are fairly pedestrian, but short so they don't drag. However the commentary on what was the normal life of people at that time makes them still interesting.

The five stories increase in length form the quite short 39 steps, which introduces us to Richard Hanney rousting German spies from settled english communities before the start of the First war. Through to the Island of Sheep which is significantly longer, and Richard has married and aged, but when confrotned with an outrageous piece of exhortion he stands by his friends. Buchan obviously travelled widely in the scottish highlands and loved his time there for many of the stories contain vivid descriptions of life in the Islands.

The downside to these stories is a remarkable reliance on co-incidence. There is always a friendly and helpful cottager willing to stand firm in the name of a good cause, an either or choice that goes the right way etc etc. At least the bad guys do so some sense of proportion and skill. Overall slow but readable.
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