THE PROBLEM OF THE MISSING HOYDEN: review

It's the Summer of 1885 in the English seaside town of Brighton, Arthur Conan Doyle is on his honeymoon and Charles Dodgson (aka "Lewis Carroll") is supposed to be at the railway station to pick up his young charge, the daughter of a prominent parliamentarian, entrusted into his care. A girl falls beneath the wheels; was it an accident, or was she pushed? So begins a thoroughly entertaining and well written "what if" tale of mystery and detection. Roberta Rogow is an author new to me but I shall be seeking out her other novels in this series. Highly recommended.

BIGGLES, the 1960 Granada TV series.

Neville Whiting as "Biggles", John Leyton as "Ginger" and David Drummond as "Bertie" in "Biggles", the 1960 Granada TV series.

Full details including episode titles can be found on Wiki via the link  Biggles 1960 TV series

THE BIGGLES BOOKS in READING order

There once was a magazine called POPULAR FLYING, launched in April, 1932 by an ex-W.W.I Pilot Officer, William Earle Johns. In his very first issue, Johns penned 'The White Fokker', a story which would result in the publication of more than one hundred books detailing the adventures of juvenile fiction's greatest flying hero, James Bigglesworth.

THE BIGGLES BOOKS in READING order (blog entry revised November, 2021.)

01. The Boy Biggles 1968

02. Biggles Goes to School 1951

03. Biggles Learns to Fly 1935

04. Biggles in France 1935

05. Biggles of 266 1956

06. Biggles of the Camel Squadron 1934

07. Biggles Flies East 1935

08. The Rescue Flight 1939

09. The Camels are Coming 1932*

10. Biggles Pioneer Air Fighter 1954* (Rejigged version of 09 above)

11. Biggles & the Cruise of the Condor 1933

12. Biggles Flies Again 1934

13. Biggles & the Black Peril 1935

14. Biggles Hits the Trail 1935

15. Biggles & Co. 1936

16. Biggles in Africa 1936

17. Biggles Air Commodore 1937

18. Biggles Flies West 1937

19. Biggles Flies South 1938

20. Biggles Goes to War 1938

21. Biggles in the South Seas 1940

22. Biggles in the Jungle 1942

23. Biggles in Spain 1939

24. Biggles Flies North 1938

25. Biggles Secret Agent 1940

26. Biggles in the Baltic 1940

27. Biggles Sees It through 1941

28. Biggles Defies the Swastika 1941

29. Spitfire Parade 1941

30. Biggles "Fails to Return" 1943

31. Biggles Sweeps the Desert 1942

32. Biggles in Borneo 1943

33. Biggles in the Orient 1945

34. Biggles Delivers the Goods 1946

35. Comrades in Arms 1947

36. Sergeant Bigglesworth C.I.D. 1947

37. Biggles Second Case 1948

38. Biggles Hunts Big Game 1948

39. Biggles Takes a Holiday 1949

40. Biggles Breaks the Silence/in the Antarctic 1949

41. Biggles Gets his Men 1950

42. Another Job for Biggles 1951

43. Biggles Works It Out 1951

44. Biggles Takes the Case 1952

45. Biggles Follows On 1952

46. Biggles Air Detective 1952

47. Biggles & the Black Raider 1953

48. Biggles in the Blue 1953

49. Biggles in the Gobi 1953

50. Biggles of the Special Air Police 1953

51. Biggles Cuts It Fine 1954

52. Biggles & the Pirate Treasure 1954

53. Biggles Foreign Legionnaire 1954

54. Biggles in Australia 1955

55. Biggles Chinese Puzzle 1955

56. No Rest for Biggles 1956

57. Biggles Takes Charge 1956

58. Biggles Makes Ends Meet 1957

59. Biggles of the Interpol 1957

60. Biggles on the Home Front 1957

61. Biggles Presses On 1958

62. Biggles on Mystery Island 1958

63. Biggles Buries a Hatchet 1958

64. Biggles in Mexico 1959

65. Biggles Combined Operation 1959

66. Biggles at World's End 1959

67. Biggles & the Leopards of Zinn 1960

68. Biggles Goes Home 1960

69. Biggles & the Poor Rich Boy 1961

70. Biggles Forms a Syndicate 1961

71. Biggles & the Missing Millionaire 1961

72. Biggles Goes Alone 1962

73. Orchids for Biggles 1962

74. Biggles Sets a Trap 1962

75. Biggles Takes it Rough 1963

76. Biggles Takes a hand 1963

77. Biggles Special Case 1963

78. Biggles & the Plane That Disappeared 1963

79. Biggles Flies to Work 1963

80. Biggles & the Lost Sovereigns/Treasure 1964

81. Biggles & the Black Mask 1964

82. Biggles Investigates 1965

83. Biggles & the Plot that Failed 1965

84. Biggles Looks Back 1965

85. Biggles & the Blue Moon 1965

86. Biggles Scores a Bull 1965

87. Biggles in the Terai 1966

88. Biggles & the Gun Runners 1966

89. Biggles Sorts It Out 1967

90. Biggles & the Dark Intruder 1967

91. Biggles & the Penitent Thief 1967

92. Biggles & the Deep Blue Sea 1968

93. Biggles in the Underworld 1968

94. Biggles & the Little Green God 1969

95. Biggles & the Noble Lord 1969

96. Biggles Sees Too Much 1970

97. Biggles Does Some Homework 1997

Biggles Charter Pilot 1943

(Set during WW2 but not war stories)

Biggles of the Royal Flying Corps 1978

(A combination of earlier books)

Biggles - Air Ace 1998

(Short stories)

W E JOHNS' major works in alphabetical order

W E JOHNS' major works in alphabetical order.
(Blog entry upgraded November, 2021.)

Adventure Bound 1955

Adventure Unlimited 1957

Adventures of the Junior Detective Club 1960

Air VC'S 1935

Another Job for Biggles 1951

Biggles in Africa 1936

Biggles "Fails to Return" 1943

Biggles & Co. 1936

Biggles & the Black Mask 1964

Biggles & the Black Raider 1953

Biggles & the Blue Moon 1965

Biggles & the Dark Intruder 1967

Biggles & the Deep Blue Sea 1968

Biggles & the Gun Runners 1966

Biggles & the Leopards of Zinn 1960

Biggles & the Little Green God 1969

Biggles & the Lost Sovereigns/Treasure 1964

Biggles & the Missing Millionaire 1961

Biggles & the Noble Lord 1969

Biggles & the Penitent Thief 1967

Biggles & the Pirate Treasure 1954

Biggles & the Plane That Disappeared 1963

Biggles & the Plot that Failed 1965

Biggles & the Poor Rich Boy 1961

Biggles Air Commodore 1937

Biggles Air Detective 1952

Biggles at World's End 1959

Biggles Book of Heroes 1959

Biggles Book of Treasure Hunting 1962

Biggles Breaks the Silence/in the Antarctic 1949

Biggles Buries a Hatchet 1958

Biggles Charter Pilot 1943

Biggles Chinese Puzzle 1955

Biggles Combined Operation 1959

Biggles Cuts It Fine 1954

Biggles Defies the Swastika 1941

Biggles Delivers the Goods 1946

Biggles Does Some Homework 1997 gb Printed in a limited edition of 300 plus a number of unnumbered 'test' copies.

Biggles Flies Again 1934

Biggles Flies East 1935

Biggles Flies North 1938

Biggles Flies South 1938

Biggles Flies to Work 1963

Biggles Flies West 1937

Biggles Flying Omnibus 1940

Biggles Follows On 1952

Biggles Foreign Legionnaire 1954

Biggles Forms a Syndicate 1961

Biggles Gets his Men 1950

Biggles Goes Alone 1962

Biggles Goes Home 1960

Biggles Goes to School 1951

Biggles Goes to War 1938

Biggles Hits the Trail 1935

Biggles Hunts Big Game 1948

Biggles in Africa 1936

Biggles in Australia 1955

Biggles in Borneo 1943

Biggles in France 1935

Biggles in Mexico 1959

Biggles in Spain 1939

Biggles in the Antarctic 1970

Biggles in the Baltic 1940

Biggles in the Blue 1953

Biggles in the Gobi 1953

Biggles in the Jungle 1942

Biggles in the Orient 1945

Biggles in the South Seas 1940

Biggles in the Terai 1966

Biggles in the Underworld 1968

Biggles Investigates 1965

Biggles Learns to Fly 1935

Biggles Looks Back 1965

Biggles Makes Ends Meet 1957

Biggles of 266 1956

Biggles of the Camel Squadron 1934

Biggles of the Interpol 1957

Biggles of the Royal Flying Corps 1978

Biggles of the Special Air Police 1953

Biggles Omnibus 1938

Biggles on Mystery Island 1958

Biggles on the Home Front 1957

Biggles Pioneer Airfighter 1954

Biggles Presses On 1958

Biggles Scores a Bull 1965

Biggles Second Case 1948

Biggles Secret Agent 1940

Biggles Sees It through 1941

Biggles Sees Too Much 1970

Biggles Sets a Trap 1962

Biggles Sorts It Out 1967

Biggles Special Case 1963

Biggles Sweeps the Desert 1942

Biggles Takes a hand 1963

Biggles Takes a Holiday 1949

Biggles Takes Charge 1956

Biggles Takes it Rough 1963

Biggles Takes the Case 1952

Biggles Third Omnibus 1941

Biggles Works It Out 1951

Black Peril: A Biggles Story 1935

Blue Blood Runs Red 1936

Boy Biggles 1968

Camels are Coming 1932

Champion of the Main 1938

Comrades in Arms 1947

Cruise of the Condor: A Biggles Story1933

Death Rays of Ardilla 1959

Desert Night: A Romance 1938

Doctor Vane Answers the Call 1950

Edge of Beyond 1958

Fighting Planes & Aces 1932

Gimlet Bores In 1959

Gimlet Comes Home 1946

Gimlet Gets the Answer 1952

Gimlet Goes Again 1944

Gimlet Lends a Hand 1949

Gimlet Mops up 1947

Gimlet Off the Map 1951

Gimlet Takes a Job 1954

Gimlet's Oriental Quest 1948

King of the Commandos 1943

Kings of Space 1954

Man Who Lost His Way 1960

Man Who Vanished Into Space 1963

Missing Page, The 1942

Modern Boys book of Aircraft 1931

Modern Boy's Book of Pirates 1939

Mossyface 1932

Murder at Castle Deeping 1938

Murder by Air 1937

No Motive for Murder 1958

No Rest for Biggles 1956

Now to the Stars 1956

Orchids for Biggles 1962

Passing Show 1937

Pictorial flying course 1932

Quest for the Perfect Planet 1961

Raid, The 1935

Rescue Flight: A Biggles Story 1939

Return to Mars 1955

Rustlers of Rattlesnake Valley 1948

Sergeant Bigglesworth C.I.D. 1947

Short Sorties 1950

Sinister Service 1942

Sky Fever & other stories 1953

Sky High 1951

Some Milestones in Aviation 1935

Spitfire Parade (Biggles) 1941

Spy Flyers 1933

Steely Flies Again 1951

Third Biggles Omnibus 1940

Thrilling Flights (edited by) c1935

To Outer Space 1957

To Worlds Unknown 1960

Unknown Quantity 1940

Where the Golden Eagle Soars 1960

Wings Flying Adventure

Wings of Romance: A Steeley Adventure 1939

Worlds of Wonder 1962

Worrals Carries On 1942

Worrals Down Under 1948

Worrals Flies Again 1942

Worrals Goes Afoot 1949

Worrals Goes East 1944

Worrals in the Wastelands 1949

Worrals in the Wilds 1947

Worrals Investigates 1950

Worrals of the Islands: 1945

Worrals of the W.A.A.F. 1941

Worrals on the War-Path 1943

['Biggles - Air Ace' gb Printed in a limited edition of 300 plus a number of unnumbered 'test' and review copies. Includes Johns' short stories. Published in 1998 by Norman Wright.]

Biggles - a concise biography of the character

BIGGLES, as he would soon come to be known on every corner of this planet, was born in India in 1899. His proud father was then the Assistant Commissioner of the United Provinces of India, with the result that young James learnt the ways of bush survival at an early age, and could handle a rifle well at the tender age of seven. Unfortunately, he contracted a fever which was to dog him not only through his childhood in India but later on whenever he visited the tropics. At the age of fourteen, Biggles commenced schooling at his father's old school, Malton Hall, in rural England, a school primarily for lads destined for the British Army. Biggles' elder brother Charles had also attended Malton before entering Sandhurst. (Charles, with the rank of Major, was to die under enemy fire just before the end of the war.) Although Biggles' father intended that the lad should go to university and study for the Indian civil service exam, the Great War arrived. Biggles quickly found himself in Norfolk at No 77 Flying Training School. After a number of adventures, he was posted to Maranique with 266 Squadron, via 169. It wasn't long before his brilliant abilities in the air saw his elevation to Captain Bigglesworth, flawless saint as portrayed in the reprinted stories of the 1950s and 60s. Although fearless in any crisis, Biggles sometimes took to the bottle briefly to dull tragic occurrences (of which there were many in those violent days). Late in the war he had a brief encounter with Marie Janis, a Belgian lass who proved to be a German spy. Biggles' cousin, the Honourable Algernon Lacey, ALGY from this point on joined 266 in 1917. The two became inseparable companions despite early misgivings on Biggles' part, with the result that they formed a chartering operation, Biggles & Co, after the War. It was not long before GINGER (first seen as a 16 year old lad in The Black Peril in 1935) came on the scene. WW2 arrived and the threesome, together with Smyth, their mechanic, formed Z Squadron, then 666. Early on in the war while on a secret mission in Norway, Biggles found himself surrounded by the invading forces and actually managed to join the Luftwaffe in order to escape. After further adventures, and with the war over, Biggles, Algy, Ginger and a new arrival, Bertie, scored jobs in the Special Air Police. Biggles' adversary throughout his career was Erich von Stalhein, first with Germany and later with 'the other side' as it was termed in those days. Approximately 103 Biggles books were published in the period 1932-1970. This included several omnibus editions which contained more than one novel, but not the later R.F.C., Bumper and Best Of, titles. Several of the books relating Biggles' wartime exploits comprised short stories which originally appeared either in Popular Flying (a monthly magazine) or The Modern Boy storypaper weekly of the 1930s. The first book, published by John Hamilton in 1932, was The Camels Are Coming. The Cruise of the Condor, Biggles of the Camel Squadron, Biggles Flies Again, and The Black Peril followed over the next few years from the same publisher. Biggles Learns to Fly appeared in a pocket library (The Boys' Friend) in 1935, as did Biggles in France. Oxford University Press took over as Johns' publisher for the next eight years with Biggles Hits the Trail; Biggles in Borneo was their last in 1943. Biggles Fails to Return came out from Hodder & Stoughton in the same year. Brockhampton, Dean, Thames and even Marks and Spencer shared the publishing from the 1950s with H&S. Some titles appeared from more than one publisher, some of course being printed many times. Artist Howard Leigh provided most of the fine jacket and frontispiece illustrations for the OUP titles before Leslie Stead took over with the change of publishers to H&S. One title worthy of note was the 1942 edition of 'Biggles in the Jungle'. The brilliant illustrations came from the hands of famed transport artist Terence Cuneo. With the rapid rise of interest in Johns' works, a number of clubs (and thus magazines) have appeared. The best of these was Biggles & Co, an A5 size quarterly. Quite a few of the titles were reprinted in paperback. Cheap laminated editions were also published by Dean, but these should not be confused with some of the later titles which came out in both laminated (without dust jacket) and standard cloth (with dustjacket). As one writer said in an article on the Biggles books, figuring out who published what, when, first, etc, is a minefield.

Page upgraded November 2021.