Mr Standfast - John Buchan

Possibly the most preposterous Hannay story yet, jollied along by a particularly daft love story and a greater level of stiff-upper-lippery than ever. The numerous references to Pilgrim's Progress are quite effective, and this is perhaps the last novel to treat WW1 as, essentially, a Boy's Own lark. Conscientious Objectors are given a surprisingly sympathetic hearing.

This is typical of the kind of thing the reader is letting himself in for:

"My stomach rose at the thought of it, and I had pretty well decided to wire to Bullivant and cry off. There are some things that no one has a right to ask of any white man."