Who is Biggles?
Biggles is a fictional pilot from the pen of Captain W.E. (William Earl) Johns who wrote around 98 books which featured Biggles, full name: James Bigglesworth. They are children’s books from the 1st world war through to the late 60’s when W.E. died. He was the editor of the magazine popular flying and also wrote several other books. Biggles struts around the world in air planes solving things and being an action hero with pals Algy, Ginger and Bertie. Biggles started off as a WW1 pilot, to a adventurer, to a WW2 pilot and then a air detective. Clever thinking from W.E. as detective fiction is a popular genre. W. E. Johns (who wasn’t a captain in truth) wrote other books Gimlet (a commando), Worrals (a WAF girl), Steely, a science fiction series of books and some other fiction and non-fiction. The agenda of Biggles is fairly pro-war and stiff upper lip, with a sensitive side.
My favourite Biggles books in order
1. Biggles in the Baltic
Was wy number 1 favourite.. this is such a great ripping yarn about a base on a small island in the Baltic where Biggles and his chums started daring missions into Germany. As a kid it really had me involved.
2. Biggles Takes Charge
This book is so dark and has a great intro, W.E.Johns seems very inspired. What I liked most is that Algy, Biggles 2nd in command takes the lead for the first part of the book. However, WEJ does not keep it up and the final section, deep in enemy country is quite poor. He also drops Algy back into his “looking after the plane” mode.
3. Biggles Charter Pilot
Probably a very terrible book, but it was one of the first I read and I liked the ‘psychedelic’ feel to it. The chaps even discovering Dodo’s are still alive etc! Having said that, and even though it was a favourite, I have not read it for years.
Why did I like Biggles books?
I am dyslexic and had a lot of trouble reading early on. The first books to inspire me to read were some dreadful series of pirate books; but Biggles books really got me going. I loved flying boat and amphibian air planes which Biggles often flies; I loved all that British pilot ‘old chap’ stuff; and I loved tales of exotic places around the world. So despite inspiring me to read I can honestly say that Biggles books inspired my desire to travel.
What good did it do?
Biggles was an upstanding chap and stuck to rigid morals of fair play, even though I guess that was my personality anyway to do like to think that he inspired me to be a good all round chap!
My books.
I had all the Biggles books but then in 2005 I sold them all, feeling that re-reading them all the time was a waste of life. Then in 2014 I was writing a novel and had a grammar issue. I then read the one Biggles book I had, Biggles in the Baltic and realised how good the grammar was. Through my Biggles Forum I was offered a few books including Gimlet, Worrals and the Space books. My plan is not to have any of the books with any real value in order not to be tempted to sell them again.
Post Biggles and being the number 1 fan, 2024 notes.
The above text was written sometime ago, here are some up to date notes.
I no longer read Biggles books. The last one I looked at was the first edition Red Fox version of Flies West. Back in the day I liked that book a lot. Biggles and pirates mixed. However, I realised why the books were edited over the years, as they are all quite intolerable in this 1st edition, very annoying people. In-fact, I find the books unbearable now. I’d not like the chaps if I met them. I’d not like W.E.Johns if I’d met him.
I was actually the biggest fan at one point as I started the Biggles Forum. I’m still the webmaster for it but I take no active role on there. I hate forums, I hate Biggles books. I can’t bear any of the WEJ output. But hey! It was written for kids. I started that forum as there wasn’t one for Biggles, only a Yahoo Group. Since then the Yahoo Groups were shut down and everyone came over to the Biggles Forum. The forum has about 200 members, which is rather small, but then, I guess the books are very old. I can’t talk, as I’d not join the forum myself now.
There is another number 1 fan on the internet Roger Harris, he has several WEJ sites.
I had been falling out of love with Biggles books for a long time before I stopped reading them and then stopped being on the forum. It was useful once to me, but I have changed and the world has changed.