A classic espionage and adventure novel set during The Great War, featuring the reckless Richard Hannay. Sequel to The Thirty-Nine Steps and precursor to Mr. Standfast. Tasked with unraveling a mysterious message, Hannay travels through Germany and the Middle East, searching for the elusive religious leader Greenmantle. He is joined by three more of Buchans heroes: Peter Pienaar, the old Boer Scout; John S. Blenkiron, the American determined to fight the Kaiser; and Sandy Arbuthnot, Greenmantle himself, modelled on Lawrence of Arabia. However, they must begin the task with no clues except three words scribbled on a piece of paper Kasredin, cancer, and v.I. In different disguises the men take separate roads to Constantinople where they will meet and begin their search, if they all arrive safely and its a big if.