The 1910 adventure book Prester John was written by Scottish novelist John Buchan. It narrates the tale of a young Scotsman named David Crawfurd and his exploits in South Africa, where a Zulu insurrection led by the ebullient black pastor John Laputa is connected to the medieval legend of Prester John. The year of publishing (1900) serves as the period for the setting. Laputa, the enemy, is first encountered by Crawfurd while conducting a ceremony on the beach at Kirkcaple, a seaside town. As a result of his interactions with Laputa and a Portuguese guy named Henriques, Crawfurd progressively learns of illicit diamond smuggling as well as a planned uprising of the local natives, including the Zulu and Swazi people, under the leadership of Laputa. Crawfurd is taken prisoner, but after relaying information to Captain Arcoll, he escapes during an ambush and takes the necklet from Henriques, who is attempting to take it for himself. While everything is going on, Crawfurd goes back to the cave and discovers the cunning Henriques dead outside, strangled by Laputa.
John Buchan (1st Baron Tweedsmuir) was a Scottish author, historian, and Unionist politician who lived from 26 August 1875 to 11 February 1940. Buchan was chosen by King George V to succeed the Earl of Bessborough as Governor General of Canada in 1935. He held the position until his passing in 1940. He blended his successful writing career as a thriller, historical fiction, historian, and biographer with a concurrent career in public service. He was Canada's governor general at the time of his death.Buchan received his education at Oxford and Glasgow Universities. He had a brief legal career before moving to South Africa in 1902, where he helped in the nation's post-Boer War reconstruction. In his writing, he frequently returns to his love of South Africa. Buchan served as the British Government's Director of Information during World War One. He produced a 24 book history of the conflict, which was eventually abridged. He also produced several excellent action books, such as Richard Hannay's spy-catching exploits. Dickson McCunn and Edward Leithen are two further notable characters developed by Buchan.
