Biggles Books

[Darkoath]

I thought I had read somewhere on our forum that a member was fond of the Biggles stories.  Just picked up Biggles of the Camel Squadron on Ebay, and am looking for more information.  It looks like Biggles is sort of a Horatio Hornblower of WWI bi-planes?  I usually like to read books in chronological order but it looks like just getting them is going to be a challenge!  Can't wait for this one to arrive!

Also picked up a couple of titles of G8 and his Battle Aces.  It will be interesting to compare the two different story lines.

[theoldschool]

Darkoath
Biggles is the quintessential Boys Own adventure. Although the early books are set in WW1 and the stories are very much about dogfights, the later books see our heroes working as freelance fliers and special agents in an air police force. Strangely I recall that he also flies Spitfires in WW2, but doesn't seem to be any older.
I tried G8, but just couldn't get into the whole Zombie Staffel thing.
Pat

[Grimm]

Darkoath I send you a PM

Cheers Grimm

[Malamute]

Ype Biggles is defianately boys own stuff. You are quite right, he never ages and sees service from WW1 - through WW2. There were literally loads of books written. I used to have a great collection that was started by my brother. I am not sure what happened to Them all.

[Plynkes]

The Biggles fan may well have been me, as I unashamedly am one (of the war stories at any rate, not so much the later  Biggles: Special-Giant-Crab-Fighting-Air-Detective variety).

He does age a bit, as he is clearly a teenager in some of the books set during the Great War. I don't think he's described as such in the WWII books.

They were originally written as books for young boys, though I still find them entertaining. But then again I'm pretty immature myself. Despite the age they were aimed at they have many references to alcohol and smoking (though hardly ever romance, and never sex) which were actually edited out in later editions. Happily they're back in the modern ones.

Here's quite a good site for Biggles fans, which shows how many were written (and how far they veered from the original Great War Dogfight theme):

http://www.biggles.info/

[Hammers]

Despite the age they were aimed at they have many references to alcohol and smoking (though hardly ever romance, and never sex) which were actually edited out in later editions. Happily they're back in the modern ones.

What's that quote now? "No sex, please! We are British."  :-)

[dadlamassu]

I'm also a Biggles fan.  The stories even in the collections are not necessarily in any chronological order though I suppose if you were trying for something approaching that I'd read "Biggles Learns to Fly" first, then almost any of the others - they are all set in late 1917 to the end of the war.

A cautionaty note though - some books are given different titles by different publishers - same stories, different titles and artwork.

[Yankeepedlar01]

Ah, Biggles! My favourite title ~ "Biggles Sweeps the Desert", so very Pythonesque in its concept....

[Maenoferren]

Ahhhh Biggles of the Camel Squadron - my favourite so far... Especially the bit with Algernon Montmorceroy LAcey and his goldfish.... wont say anymore dont want to spoil it! Got them all in My Mums loft down on the mainland.


Cheers
Stepehen