Jonathan Stroud, November 2010 Guest Editor, of a classic 'boy's own adventure': He may seem a bit out-dated now, but Biggles was one of the very greatest fictional heroes of my childhood, and I’m still a huge fan. He’s an ace pilot and adventurer – brave, unflappable and decent – ready to serve his country in war, and battle injustice in times of peace. This particular story – one of the very best – is set in World War I. Biggles is sent to Northern Africa to try to uncover a mysterious German spy who is working havoc among British forces. Much to his disgust he must become a spy in his turn – and spies (when they’re caught) are immediately shot. The book is a genuine thriller, full of close shaves both on the ground and in the air, as Biggles and his unknown enemy play their deadly game of cat-and-mouse. Highly recommended!
Algy turned a trifle pale and shook his head. 'For God's sake be careful,' he whispered tersely. 'They'll shoot you like a dog if they spot what you're doing.' While on leave, Biggles is mistaken for someone else. He thinks little of it at the time, but when headquarters find out, they ask him to take the place of his double and work for the Germans as a spy, while secretly reporting back to the British. It's a difficult task and there's a very high price to pay if he's spotted - his life.
Captain W. E. Johns was born in Hertfordshire in 1893. He flew with the Royal Flying Corps in the First World War and made a daring escape from a German prison camp in 1918. Between the wars he edited Flying and Popular Flying and became a writer for the Ministry of Defence. The First Biggles story, Biggles, the Camels are Coming was published in 1932, and W. E. Johns went on to write a staggering 102 Biggles books before his death in 1968.
