Greenmantle

This book was first published in 1916; it's an adventure story from a bygone age.

The British protagonist and a few others (not all British) undertake an urgent espionage mission during the First World War, making their different ways across a Europe at war to meet up in Turkey. They experience considerable discomforts and dangers throughout, but in the end their mission is accomplished.

This is not my usual kind of reading, and I don't expect to reread it much, but it's quite readable and passes the time well enough.

I'm not sure that I've ever read it until now (2024). I noted the book briefly in my 1963 diary, but I suspect that I started it without finishing it. I turned 9 years old in 1963.

John Buchan's follow-up book in the classic espionage series featuring Richard Hannay takes up when Hannay has recently returned to London following the Battle of Loos, and is called to meet with Sir Walter.

Asked to take on a mission to neutralise a potentially devastating plot by the Germans in the Ottoman Empire to inflame the Islamic Near East to jihad. Hannay is accompanied by American John Blenkiron and his compatriot from Loos Sandy Arbuthnot. In this story all three are ‘masters of disguise' and possess plenty of other skills necessary for such an unlikely undertaking. Along the way Hannay meets up with old friend Peter Pienaar, the South African Boer Scout.

The first third of the story follows Hannay and Pienaar as they make their way through Europe initially to Germany, then on to Turkey, where the original trio are to meet up. As we come to expect with Hannay (and Buchan) there are tremendous coincidences, great luck and lots of bravado en route, as long as some fantastical disguises!

Once in Turkey, the action really hots up and the story moves fast through various evolutions of turning all in sundry into enemies. The story culminates at the battle for Erzerum, at the Turkish/German and Russian front line.

The story is framed in the actual war setting, and the reality contrasting with the ridiculous is a nice touch. There are many references (some I understood, many went over my head) to battles and events of World War I - Gallipoli features heavily in mentions, there is plenty of British stiff upper lip ethos, and the larger than life characters. Given that when this book was published it was set in the current time, the audience would have had a more intimate knowledge of the setting and goings on, so there was perhaps less need to explain to the reader. While there is much that goes unexplained, and Greenmantle is somewhat of an enigma until near the end, it is without doubt a lot of fun.

For me this was a step up from #1 in the series, as it brought to it a complexity missing in the earlier book (and another 100 pages).
4 stars

—–
Book #1 The Thirty-Nine Steps

. The author:
John Buchan was a British novelist, historian, and Unionist politician who served as Governor General of Canada, the 15th since the Canadian Confederation.
After a brief legal career, Buchan simultaneously began his writing career and his political and diplomatic careers, serving as a private secretary to the administrator of various colonies in southern Africa. He eventually wrote propaganda for the British war effort during the First World War. He was elected Member of Parliament for the Combined Scottish Universities in 1927, but he spent most of his time on his writing career, notably writing The Thirty-Nine Steps and other adventure fiction.

. Summary:
This is the second of Richard Hannays' adventures. The story takes him from First World War trenches on a mission of vital importance to the British campaign in the East. In an attempt to manipulate their Turkish allies the Germans have created a religious figurehead. This is a prophet of a new order to unify the disparate tribes of Asia and crush the allied offensive. Pursued by the barbaric General Stumm, Hannay (along with a cast of characters) make their way to Constantinople. Their purpose: to find the elusive Greenmantle and avert disaster. But who is Greenmantle? And what dastardly part has the sinister fanatic Hilda von Einem to play in the game? The answers will determine the outcome of the war.
Packed with incidents and incredible feats of derring-do, the story culminates at the offensive. Highly enjoyable and remarkably prescient.

I also listened to the book adaptation broadcast on BBC Radio 4: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00tmckv..

. Quote:
“I'm an economical soul, and if I'm going to be hanged I want a good stake for my neck.”

. Characters: marks 2* /5. Plot: marks 4 /5. Settings: marks 3 /5. Dialogue: marks 3 /5Reviewing CriteriaCharacters: = one-dimensional; generic cardboard cut-outs; didn't care if they lived or died
** = a few redeeming features; slightly fleshed out; only wanted to punch a few of them
* = nicely rounded; would probably go for a pint with them; may add as a Facebook friend** = almost a real person; almost fully formed & three-dimensional; care about their motivations & actions
*** = fully formed & three-dimensional; completely invested in them; would probably date themPlot:* = boring; confusing; possibly generated by computer with a grudge against humanity = unoriginal but tolerable; several gaping holes; just about holds the reader's interest
* = average; unexceptional but works in the context of its own genre; nothing too earth shattering here** = exciting and dramatic; impressive; only a few minor flaws which can be overlooked
*** = rip-roaring; moved to tears; didn't want it to finish; wanted to re-read the book immediatelySettings:* = limited; hardly moved from one location; induces sleep (zzzz) = some variation; helped move the plot along; added a small degree of interest
* = fluid; generated a sense of anticipation; worked well with the plot & characters** = several locations; well described and exciting; propelled the lot along
*** = extensive jet-setting; exotic locations & well described geography; makes me want to add these to my bucket listDialogue:* = unconvincing, dull and clichéd. Blurgh (sad face) = somewhat bloated, a bit turgid and generally below par
* = not bad; fairly convincing; may be a bit exposition heavy but overall it works** = above average; very convincing; mostly enjoyable; worked well with the characters
***** = sparkling & erudite; intelligent & clever; brilliantly fitted to the characters

Much like the first book in the series, The Thirty Nine Steps. Too many coincidences and strokes of luck. It is a fascinating peek into the world of 1916 Europe.