In an English country house, a strange experiment is about to take place: “A gem . . . unadulterated entertainment” (The New York Times).
In this unique blend of suspense, satire, and science fiction, Sir Edward Leithen settles in for a holiday weekend at Lady Flambard’s stately home in the Cotswolds. But the house party turns strange when one of the guests, the enigmatic physicist and mathematician Professor Moe, enlists the help of Leithen and his companions in a bizarre experiment meant to give them a glimpse of the future.
For those who take part, the consequences will be dramatic—and test Leithen’s formidable powers of reasoning—making for a “confident, assured” novel (The Spectator) from John Buchan, author of The Thirty-Nine Steps and a recipient of the James Tait Black Memorial Prize.
John Buchan was a Scottish diplomat, barrister, journalist, historian, poet and novelist. He published nearly 30 novels and seven collections of short stories. He was born in Perth, an eldest son, and studied at Glasgow and Oxford. In 1901 he became a barrister of the Middle Temple and a private secretary to the High Commissioner for South Africa. In 1907 he married Susan Charlotte Grosvenor and they subsequently had four children. After spells as a war correspondent, Lloyd George's Director of Information and Conservative MP, Buchan moved to Canada in 1935. He served as Governor General there until his death in 1940. Hew Strachan is Chichele Professor of the History of War at the University of Oxford; his research interests include military history from the 18th century to date, including contemporary strategic studies, but with particular interest in the First World War and in the history of the British Army.