Sir Edward Leithen is a fictional character in several of

John Buchan John Buchan, 1st Baron Tweedsmuir (; 26 August 1875 – 11 February 1940) was a Scottish novelist, historian, British Army officer, and Unionist politician who served as Governor General of Canada, the 15th since Canadian Confederation. As a ...

's novels: '' The Power-House'', ''

John Macnab ''John Macnab'' is a 1925 adventure novel by the Scottish author John Buchan. Plot Three successful friends in their forties confess their ennui with their lives and professions. They are Sir Edward Leithen, lawyer, Member of Parliament and ...

'', '' The Dancing Floor'', '' The Gap in the Curtain'' and ''

Sick Heart River ''Sick Heart River'' (1941) is a novel by Scottish author John Buchan set in Canada. It was published posthumously. The book was published in the United States under the title ''Mountain Meadow''. Plot summary Sir Edward Leithen is diagnosed w ...

''. These were published over a number of years, the first in 1916 (although "The Power House" was originally published in a magazine in 1913), and the last in 1941, one year after Buchan's death. Leithen's name is borrowed from the

Leithen Water Leithen Water () is a tributary of the River Tweed in Scotland. It rises in the Moorfoot Hills and joins the Tweed near the town of Innerleithen, whose name comes from the Scottish Gaelic ''inbhir'', meaning a confluence, and anglicised as "in ...

, a tributary of the

River Tweed The River Tweed, or Tweed Water, is a river long that flows east across the Border region in Scotland and northern England. Tweed cloth derives its name from its association with the River Tweed. The Tweed is one of the great salmon rivers ...

, one of many references to the

Scottish Borders The Scottish Borders is one of 32 council areas of Scotland. It is bordered by West Lothian, Edinburgh, Midlothian, and East Lothian to the north, the North Sea to the east, Dumfries and Galloway to the south-west, South Lanarkshire to the we ...

in Buchan's novels. He also appears in '' The Return of John MacNab'' by Andrew Greig in a 1990s retelling of ''

''.

Career

In the books, Leithen is a Scottish

barrister A barrister is a type of lawyer in common law jurisdiction (area), jurisdictions. Barristers mostly specialise in courtroom advocacy and litigation. Their tasks include arguing cases in courts and tribunals, drafting legal pleadings, jurisprud ...

and a

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...

politician (and MP) and, at one point,

Attorney General In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general (: attorneys general) or attorney-general (AG or Atty.-Gen) is the main legal advisor to the government. In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have executive responsibility for law enf ...

. He is also described as an excellent fly fisherman (which forms an important part of ''John MacNab''.). He served in the

British Army The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...

during

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, starting as a private in the

Grenadier Guards The Grenadier Guards (GREN GDS) is the most senior infantry regiment of the British Army, being at the top of the Infantry Order of Precedence. It can trace its lineage back to 1656 when Lord Wentworth's Regiment was raised in Bruges to protect ...

and ending as a GSO 1 (General Staff Officer - Grade 1, probably a lieutenant-colonel or colonel).

Personality

In a number of ways, Leithen resembles Buchan himself, moving amongst high society, and espousing Conservative values. However, Leithen also has a playful side, as can be seen in ''John Macnab''. Because of the long period over which the Leithen novels were written, and the autobiographical element, we can see a real progression and change in the character: by ''

'' (1941), the character is old and weary.http://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/books/buchan-s-final-steps-1-918811 In ''Sick Heart River'' Leithen is diagnosed with terminal

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB), also known colloquially as the "white death", or historically as consumption, is a contagious disease usually caused by ''Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can al ...

. He decides to spend his last days tracking down a missing financier who has had a nervous breakdown and fled to

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

. Leithen finds the man but decides to stay with some

Indians Indian or Indians may refer to: Associated with India * of or related to India ** Indian people ** Indian diaspora ** Languages of India ** Indian English, a dialect of the English language ** Indian cuisine Associated with indigenous peoples o ...

and help them fight a disease epidemic. Leithen succeeds in helping the Indians and dies a happy man.

References

Fictional British Army officers Fictional knights Fictional British lawyers Fictional politicians Fictional Scottish people Fictional World War I veterans John Buchan characters Leithen, Sir Edward {{novel-char-stub

Career

Personality

See also

References