John Buchan 
The Half-Hearted 

Many of the aristocrats profiled in John Buchan's novel The Half-Hearted are beset with crippling doubts about their own lifestyles and characters. Protagonist Lewis Haystoun is disgusted with his own inability to take a decisive stand on any issue of significance, and sets about to cure himself by undertaking a life-or-death campaign halfway around the world. This crowd-pleasing novel has something for everyone: romance, derring-do, and plenty of action and adventure.