Suspense

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The thirty-nine steps, dated

The thirty-nine steps, dated

This short spy novel was published in 1915 in Great Britain and retells the circumstances of Europe's entry into a new war, in an entertaining tone, cultivating suspense. The author's intention seems to be to make us forget the anxiety of the ongoing conflict, while encouraging his compatriots to be vigilant and selfless. A curious mix of genres, dated, reflecting an internal struggle between the desire to prolong the carefree era of the turn of the millennium and the duty to defend one's country against enemies presented as true minions of the devil. The final acceleration shows to what extent human talent was preponderant in solving the major strategic problems of the moment, while by transposing this situation today, an AI would have provided the desired answer in a few seconds.

Read in the 1994 edition (Penguin popular classics)

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The thirty-nine steps, dated