John Buchan 
The Path of the King 

Best known for penning the spy thriller The Thirty-Nine Steps, author and politician John Buchan produced dozens of fiction and non-fiction works over the course of his career. The Path of the King is a sprawling epic that takes the reader on a trip through the lives of centuries' worth of kings and leaders, beginning in ancient times and ending with a surprising twist in nineteenth-century America. Fans of fast-paced historical fiction will love this inventive novel.