Hope – an extremely clever man who took a First in Greats at Oxford and gave up a promising legal career to write – placed it cannily somewhere to the east of Germany, where the average Briton’s grasp of geography starts to become vague. The answer to the last question was, of course, Ruritania: a ‘highly interesting and important kingdom’ which had played ‘no small part’ in European history. Who was the prisoner? Why was he or she incarcerated? And where on earth was Zenda? Modern warfare held a fascination too, but when it came to single combat and displays of derring-do, our hearts belonged to an earlier age – and no book captured it better than Anthony Hope’s 1894 novel The Prisoner of Zenda. Our swords were wooden rulers chipped and battered desks served as castle battlements. Rassendyll bears an uncanny resemblance to Rudolf Elphberg, who is about to be crowned King of Ruritania and when Elphberg's rival, the villainous Black Michael of Strelsau, attempts to seize power, Rassendyll impersonates the King to uphold the rightful sovereignty and ensure political stability.Duelling was a daily feature of my prep-school life. The hero of this classic swashbuckling romance, English gentleman Rudolf Rassendyll, is transported from a comfortable life in London to extraordinary adventures in Ruritania, a mythical land. Suspense, compelling plots and captivating characters ensure that once again you need look no further than the Penguin logo for the scene of the perfect crime. The genre thrived in the post-war austerity of the 1940s, and reached heights of popularity by the 1960s. In 1935 the Penguin was born, but it took until the late 1940s for the Crime and Mystery series to emerge. Lane's disappointment at the range of books available led him to found a company – and change the world. His choice was limited to popular magazines and poor quality paperbacks.

It was in 1935 when Allen Lane stood on a British railway platform looking for something good to read on his journey. Rassendyll bears an uncanny resemblance to Rudolf Elphberg, who is about to be crowned King of Ruritania and when Elphberg's rival, the villainous Black Michael of Strelsau, attempts to seize power, Rassendyll impersonates the King to uphold the rightful sovereignty and ensure political stability In this classic swashbuckler, English gentleman Rudolf Rassendyll, is transported from a comfortable life in London to extraordinary adventures in Ruritania.

The Prisoner of Zenda by Anthony Hope