ABSTRACT
For much of John Buchan’s life he was a champion of closer ties between Britain and the United States. During and a er the First World War he played an in uential role in shaping Anglo-American relations, through journalism, history, popular ction and professional diplomacy. His work included leading the British government’s wartime propaganda e ort, a centrepiece of which was encouraging active American support for the Allies against Germany. His overarching objective was to encourage broad, popular, and mutual understanding between the American and British peoples, including those overseas in the settler dominions. From 1914 onwards, this was a leading personal concern, evident in the subjects he wrote about, the stories and characters he created, and the themes he emphasized – not least in some of his bestselling novels, notably Th e Th irty-Nine Steps, Greenmantle and Mr Standfast. It was also evident in his direct involvement in international diplomacy. Perhaps most striking was the extent to which his conceptualization of America and its relationship with Britain was shaped by the same ideas that underpinned his enthusiasm for the British Empire.1
