CHAPTER TITLES FROM THE BIGGLES BOOKS
I have done an analysis of
the chapter titles from the Biggles books.
I typed EVERY Biggles book
chapter title into a spread sheet (dont ask!).
I could then see which ones
had been previously used and where.
I could also then search for
key words and come up with some interesting information.
What do I mean by every
Biggles book chapter title? I mean
every single chapter title from every FIRST EDITION Biggles book and EXCLUDING
all reprints. So that means including
all the original chapter titles from the Boys Friend Library versions of
Biggles Learns to Fly (24 chapters) and Biggles in France (25 chapters,
incidentally, the highest number of chapters in any Biggles book) and not
including Biggles Pioneer Air Fighter and Biggles of 266 which are
reprints. I included the solitary
Biggles story from Comrades in Arms (Thunder over Germany which is a
unique chapter title). I did not include
any preface to a book. I included all
the stories from Biggles Air Ace as separate chapter titles and also the
four named chapter titles from Biggles Does Some Homework.
To my astonishment, the
figure came to exactly 1500! W.E. Johns
wrote EXACTLY 1500 chapter titles for the Biggles books!
I wanted to know how many
were unique and how many were repeated.
If you want to know as well
..
this is where you can find out
There are 1323 different and
unique chapter titles
177 were duplicate chapter
titles this is only 11.80%
There are some very similar
sounding unique titles. For example,
Back to the Wall is the title of chapter 11 of BIGGLES & Co., whereas BackS to the
Wall (with an S on the end of the word back) is the title of chapter 20 of
BIGGLES GOES TO WAR but neither of those chapter titles appear in any other
Biggles book written by W. E. Johns.
Both are therefore unique chapter titles.
What is the most common
chapter title?
TRAPPED. It appears in 10
Biggles books
The Cruise of the
Condor Chapter 12
Biggles Air
Commodore Chapter 15
Biggles Flies
South Chapter 10
Biggles Flies
North Chapter 18
Biggles in the
South Seas Chapter 15
Biggles Defies
the Swastika Chapter 14
Biggles Forms a
Syndicate Chapter 6
Biggles and the
Missing Millionaire Chapter 9
Biggles Takes it
Rough Chapter 8
Biggles and the
Noble Lord Chapter 10
What were the first Biggles
books to duplicate previous chapter titles?
Well, W. E. Johns started
early. BIGGLES FLIES AGAIN chapter 13
was called The Last Show and this was a repeat of the title of chapter 17 of
THE CAMELS ARE COMING. THE BLACK PERIL
chapter 13 was called Fog and this was a repeat of the title of chapter 15 of
THE CAMELS ARE COMING. In BIGGLES LEARNS
TO FLY (BFL) - chapter 12 was The Decoy.
This was the same title
as chapter 10 of THE CAMELS ARE COMING.
In BIGGLES HITS THE TRAIL chapter 6 was Marooned This was
the same title as chapter 13 of THE CRUISE OF THE CONDOR. BIGGLES HITS THE TRAIL chapter 11 was
Council of War This was the same as chapter 6 of THE BLACK PERIL. BIGGLES FLIES EAST chapter 8 was Forced
Down and this was the same as chapter 1 of THE BLACK PERIL. BIGGLES FLIES EAST chapter 22 was Biggles
Explains This was the same as chapter 15 of THE BLACK PERIL. BIGGLES & CO. chapter 5 was What
Happened to Algy? This was the same as chapter 11 of THE BLACK PERIL.
Its not until the 12th
Biggles book that we find the chapter title Trapped being repeated. Trapped was originally used as the title
for chapter 12 of THE CRUISE OF THE CONDOR.
It was then used as the title of chapter 15 of BIGGLES AIR COMMODORE.
By the time we have got to
the end of BIGGLES GOES TO WAR, W. E. Johns had invented 250 different chapter
titles and he had only repeated 9 of those chapter titles. Thats 241 ORIGINAL chapter titles. Obviously as he wrote more and more books, it
was harder and harder not to repeat the chapter titles of the previous books!
That said, even as late as
1967, when BIGGLES SORTS IT OUT was published, that book has 17 chapters all
with unique chapter names! They repeat
no other chapter titles that have ever gone before in the Biggles books.
WHAT HAPPENED TO ALGY?
This was used as a chapter title 4 times in THE BLACK PERIL, BIGGLES &
CO., BIGGLES FLIES SOUTH and BIGGLES IN THE BALTIC
There were then a further 23
chapter titles that referred to Algy.
Algy Gets a Shock
Algys Antelope
Hunt
Algy to the
Rescue
Algy Explores
How Algy ditched
the Gosling
Algy Meets a
Friend and an Enemy
Algy Takes a Hand
Algy Carries On
The Coming of
Algy
Algy Learns the
Answers
No Rest for Algy
Algy and the
Dragon
Algy Makes a
Wager
Algy Spoils Some
Breakfasts
Hard Going for
Algy
Algy Speaks His
Mind
Problems for Algy
Algy Meets
Trouble
An Anxious Day
for Algy
Where is Algy
Algy Explains
Worry for Algy
Algy Reports
WHAT HAPPENED TO GINGER?
This was used as a chapter
title 4 times in HITS THE TRAIL, SOUTH SEAS, SWEEPS THE DESERT and BREAKS THE
SILENCE
Ginger Goes
Alone is used 4 times SPAIN, GETS HIS MEN, IN THE BLUE and COMBINED
OPERATION
Ginger Takes a
Walk is used 3 times DELIVERS THE GOODS, SERGEANT BIGGLESWORTH and LEOPARDS
OF ZINN
Ginger Gets a
Shock is used twice BIGGLES & CO. and DELIVERS THE GOODS
Ginger Goes
Back is used twice SECRET AGENT and BORNEO
Ginger Has a
Fright is used twice SOUTH SEAS and LOST SOVEREIGNS
Thats
17 Ginger chapter titles
but there are then another 43 chapter titles
that refer to Ginger to add to that total.
Ginger Takes a
Hand
Ginger Strikes
Gingers Night
Out
Ginger Comes Home
Ginger Takes the
War-Path
Ginger Gets a
Prisoner and a Shock
Ginger Goes
Scouting
Ginger Acts
More Shocks for
Ginger
Ginger Goes
Exploring
Ginger Makes a
Discovery
Ginger Loses His
Temper
Dusky Tells His
Story and Ginger Learns a Lesson
Ginger Gets Some
Shocks
Ginger Starts
Something
Ginger Climbs a
Tree
Ginger Climbs
Down
Ginger Runs Away
Ginger Falls Out
Ginger Brings
News
Ginger Wins an
Argument
Ginger Goes
Ashore
Tough Going for
Ginger
Ginger Takes a
Turn
Up to Ginger
Bad Luck for
Ginger
Ginger Takes a
Chance
Ginger Drops In
Ginger on a Spot
Gingers Dilemma
Shocks for Ginger
Troubles for
Ginger
Ginger Takes
Charge
Ginger Finds a
Scent
Ginger Sets Off
No Fun for Ginger
Ginger Reports
Ginger Goes to
Somerset
Where is Ginger?
Tough Going for
Ginger
Ginger Gets a Fright
A Message from
Ginger
Why Ginger was
Late
WHAT
HAPPENED TO BERTIE?
This title is
used three times PLANE THAT DISAPPEARED, SCORES A BULL and DARK INTRUDER
but there is also
a chapter called What Happened to Bertie (continued) in SCORES A BULL that
follows on from What Happened to Bertie!
There are then are a
further 21 chapter titles that refer to Bertie:-
Bertie Picks the
Lock
Bertie Meets a
Friend
Bertie Picks a
Lemon
Bertie Flies
Alone
Bertie Takes a
Turn
Bertie Gets a
Fright
Bertie Takes a
Job
Bertie Has Some
Fun
Bertie Gets Busy
Bertie Climbs a
Tree
Bertie Takes a
Hand
Bertie Has a
Brainwave
Bertie Gets His
Way
Bertie Goes
Ashore
Bertie Makes a
Blunder
Bertie Gets Tough
Bertie Takes a
Chance
Bertie Brings
News
Bertie Takes a Walk
Problems for
Bertie
What Became of
Bertie?
WHAT HAPPENED TO BIGGLES
Below is a list of the most
common chapter titles referring to Biggles.
Biggles Makes a
Call 5 chapters ORIENT, ANOTHER JOB, MEXICO, BLUE MOON and LITTLE GREEN
GOD
Biggles
Explains 4 chapters BLACK PERIL, FLIES EAST, GOES ALONE and SETS A TRAP
What Happened to Biggles? 3 chapters FLIES WEST, IN THE BALTIC and BLUE MOON
Biggles Speaks
His Mind 3 chapters TAKES A HOLIDAY, PLOT THAT FAILED and PENITENT THIEF
A Shock for
Biggles 3 chapters BREAKS THE SILENCE, TAKES A HAND, DARK INTRUDER
Biggles Takes a
Chance 3 chapters FOLLOWS ON, MAKES ENDS MEET and LITTLE GREEN GOD
Biggles Gets
Tough 3 chapters MAKES ENDS MEET, SPECIAL CASE and UNDERWORLD
Biggles Gets a
Shock 2 chapters CRUISE OF THE CONDOR and FLIES EAST
Biggles Gets
Busy 2 chapters FLIES EAST and MYSTERY ISLAND
Biggles Has
Visitors 2 chapters GOES TO WAR and BREAKS THE SILENCE
Biggles Meets an
Old Friend 2 chapters SOUTH SEAS and IN THE JUNGLE
Biggles Takes
Over 2 chapters FAILS TO RETURN and SPITFIRE PARADE
Biggles
Investigates 2 chapters ORIENT and BIGGLES INVESTIGATES
Biggles Asks
Some Questions 2 chapters SECOND CASE and LITTLE GREEN GOD
Biggles Takes a
Turn 2 chapters HUNTS BIG GAME and WORKS IT OUT
Biggles Plays
for Time 2 chapters BREAKS THE SILENCE and GETS HIS MEN
Biggles Decides
2 chapters MYSTERY ISLAND and LEOPARDS OF ZINN
Biggles Arrives
2 chapters GOES HOME and IN THE TERAI
Biggles Makes a
Plan 2 chapters TAKES IT ROUGH and BLUE MOON
Biggles is
Worried 2 chapters BLACK MASK and IN THE TERAI
Then in addition to those 50
chapter titles there were 101 other Biggles chapter titles!
Biggles Finds His
Feet
Biggles Day Off
Biggles Special
Mission
Biggles Declares
War
Biggles
Disappears
Biggles Flies a
Bomber
Biggles Gets a
Bull
Biggles
Bombshell
Biggles Gets the
Bird
Biggles Tells the
Story
Biggles Sums Up
Biggles Speaks
Biggles Makes a
Proposition
Biggles Makes
Some Suggestions
Biggles Wins
Through
Biggles Strikes
Biggles Gets a
Letter
Biggles Goes to
Prenzel
Biggles Strikes
Back
Biggles Takes a
Trip
Biggles Comes
Back
Biggles Makes a
Capture
Biggles Strikes
Again
Biggles Takes His
Turn
Biggles Hears the
News
Where is Biggles?
Biggles Briefs
Himself
Biggles Makes a
Wager
Biggles Plays Fox
Biggles Sums Up
Biggles Makes a
Reconnaissance
Shocks for
Biggles
Biggles Follows
On
Biggles Takes to
Water
Biggles Offers
Terms
Biggles States
the Case
Biggles Takes
Charge
Biggles Turns the
Tide
Biggles Calls the
Tune
Biggles Takes a
Ride
Enter Biggles
Biggles Hits Back
Biggles Has
Something to Say
Biggles Baits the
Trap
Biggles Makes His
Plans
Biggles is
Surprised
Biggles Then and
Now
Bad Luck for
Biggles
Leave it to
Bigglesworth
Biggles and the
Pirate Treasure
Biggles Buys a
Watch
Biggles Nets a
Fish
Biggles Startles
the Chief
Biggles Chinese
Puzzle
Biggles Answers
Some Questions
Biggles Goes
Alone
Biggles Turns the
Trick
Biggles Has
Doubts
Biggles Walks In
Biggles Works
Overtime
Biggles Makes a
Bet
Biggles Lays a
Ghost
Biggles Changes
His Mind
Biggles Makes His
Plan
Biggles Makes a
Deal
Biggles Sees
Daylight
What Biggles was
Doing
Biggles Gives
Advice
Biggles Goes
Hunting
Biggles Cooks
Some Dirt
Biggles Makes a
Suggestion
Biggles Sits Back
Biggles Makes
Plans
Biggles Has a
Fright
Biggles Has a
Visitor
Biggles Plans
Action
Biggles Learns
Something
Biggles
Understands
Biggles Remembers
Biggles Cracks a
Nut
Biggles Picks Up
a Club
Biggles Makes
Plans and a Trip
Biggles is
Puzzled
Biggles Does Some
Thinking
Biggles Show How
Biggles Makes
Some Calls
Biggles Has a
Problem
Biggles Faces the
Music
Biggles Plays the
Last Card
Biggles is Not
Impressed
Biggles Makes a
Decision
Biggles Learns
the Facts
Biggles Makes
Some Inquiries
Biggles Shows His
Hand
Biggles Xmas Box
Biggles Christmas
Tree
Biggles and the
Joker
Biggles Night Out
Biggles on the
Spot
Biggles Exciting
Night
Biggles Takes the
Bait
We can now look at the
statistics relating to the above information.
1500 chapter titles
27 featured Algy
60 featured Ginger
25 featured Bertie
151 featured Biggles
Thats a total of 263 chapter titles featuring our
heroes
..
So there is a reference to a hero character in 17.53%
of all chapter titles!
How many chapter titles refer
to Von Stalhein? The answer is 9
Enter Von Stalhein (Secret
Agent Chapter 8)
Von Stalhein Plays a Trump Card (Secret
Agent Chapter 10)
Von Stalhein Again (Baltic Chapter 14)
Von Stalhein Again (Sees it Through
Chapter 13)
Von Stalhein is Annoyed (Follows On
Chapter 14)
Von Stalhein Comes Back (No Rest
Chapter 14)
Von Stalhein Says His Piece (Buries a
Hatchet Chapter 15)
Von Stalhein Gives a Hint (Takes a Hand
Chapter 3)
Von Stalhein Explains (Looks Back
Chapter 5)
How many chapters featured a
PROBLEM? The answer is 17
Problems (Gun Runners & Sees Too Much)
More Problems (Works it Out
Missing Millionaire Lost Sovereigns Looks Back Blue Moon Deep Blue
Sea)
Knotty Problems (Another Job
for Biggles)
Problems for Algy (Mystery Island)
The Problem (Biggles Looks
Back)
Pearls and Problems (Blue
Moon)
A Policeman has a Problem (Scores
a Bull)
No Ordinary Problem (Dark
Intruder)
A Plan and a Problem (Dark
Intruder)
Biggles has a Problem (Penitent
Thief)
Problems for Bertie (Underworld)
How many chapters featured a
SHOCK? The answer is 25.
Biggles Gets a Shock (Cruise)
Algy Gets a Shock (East)
Biggles Gets a Shock (East)
More Shocks (East)
Still More Shocks (East)
Ginger Gets a Shock (& Co.)
Ginger Gets a
Prisoner and a Shock (War)
An Unpleasant Shock (North)
A Nasty Shock (Spain)
More Shocks for Ginger (Spain)
Ginger Gets Some Shocks (Jungle)
More Shocks (Borneo)
Ginger Gets a Shock (Delivers)
Shocks for
Biggles (Delivers)
A Shock for Biggles (Silence)
Shocks in
the Plural (Gobi)
The Final Shock (Home)
Shocks and
More Shocks (Poor Rich Boy)
Shocks for
Ginger (Millionaire)
A Shock for Biggles (Hand)
Shocks
(Black Mask)
A Shock and a Journey (Looks Back)
A Shock for Biggles (Dark Intruder)
A Shocking Discovery (Underworld)
Shocks (Sees
Too Much)
Something or someone TAKES A
HAND a dozen times
Ginger Takes a Hand (Black Peril)
Sterne Takes a Hand (Biggles Flies East)
Carruthers Takes a Hand (Biggles in the Jungle)
Algy Takes a Hand (Biggles Second Case)
Nature Takes a Hand (Biggles Takes a Holiday)
A Soldier Takes a Hand (Black Raider)
Nature Takes a Hand (Makes Ends Meet)
Bertie Takes a Hand (Buries a Hatchet)
The Weather Takes a Hand (Worlds End)
The River Takes a Hand (Poor Rich Boy)
Nature Takes a Hand (Biggles Special Case)
Horace Takes a Hand (Biggles Flies to Work)
Something happens AGAIN in
sixteen chapters
Hardwick Again (Biggles & Co.)
Southward Again (Flies North)
Goudini Again (Biggles in Spain)
Von Stalhein Again (in the Baltic)
Von Stalhein Again (Biggles Sees it Through)
Biggles Strikes Again (Biggles Sweeps the Desert)
The Enemy Strikes
Again (Biggles Sweeps the Desert)
Preuss Tries Again (Sergeant Bigglesworth C.I.D.)
Gontermann Does
it Again (Sergeant Bigglesworth
C.I.D)
Von Schonbeck
Tries Again (Biggles Second Case)
The Clock That
Ticked Again (Biggles Second Case)
The Unexpected Again (Biggles Breaks the Silence)
Morgan Tries Again (Biggles in the Blue)
Yomas Tries Again (Biggles and the Lost Sovereigns)
Death Strikes Again (Biggles and the Deep Blue Sea)
And Again (Biggles and the Deep Blue Sea)
There are certain standard
ending chapter titles
4 Chapters are Conclusion
Cruise of the
Condor
Biggles Flies
North
Biggles Secret
Agent
No Rest for
Biggles
2 Chapters are In
Conclusion
Biggles in Africa
The Boy Biggles
5 Chapters are The End of
the Trail
Biggles Flies
South
Biggles in the
Orient
Biggles Second
Case
Biggles on the
Home Front
Biggles and the
Penitent Thief
We also have How it Ended
4 times
Biggles at
Worlds End
Biggles and the
Leopards of Zinn
Biggles and the
Plot That Failed
Biggles and the
Gun Runners
And How it all Ended 5
times
Biggles Special
Case
Biggles and the
Plane that Disappeared
Biggles Looks
Back
Biggles in the
Underworld
Biggles Sees Too
Much
AND JUST FOR COMPLETENESS ...
BECAUSE SOMEONE IS BOUND TO ASK
THE WORRALS BOOKS
165 chapter
titles
136 of those are
not previously used in any Biggles, Worrals or Gimlet book
29 repeat
previous Johns chapter titles
Worrals Takes a
Trip is the most common, being used 3 times
On Thin Ice,
Fresh Plans and Desperate Measures are used twice in the Worrals books
There is only one
chapter called What Happened to Worrals
and that is in Worrals Flies Again (chapter 9)
There are 20
chapters with Worrals and 11 with Frecks in the title
THE GIMLET BOOKS
157 chapter
titles
132 of those are
not previously used in any Biggles, Worrals or Gimlet book
25 repeat
previous Johns chapter titles
Gimlet Takes
Over is the most common, being used 3 times
Gimlet Takes a
Hand, Explanations, First Reconnaissance, Cub Takes a Chance and Gimlet
Goes Alone are all used twice
There is no What
Happened to Gimlet chapter(!)
There are 12
chapters with Gimlet and 16 with Cub in the title
There are 6
Chapters with Copper and 2 with Trapper in the title
FINAL SUMMARY
1500 BIGGLES BOOK
CHAPTER TITLES
165 WORRALS BOOK
CHAPTER TITLES
157 GIMLET BOOK
CHAPTER TITLES
A TOTAL OF 1822
CHAPTER TITLES
1323 different
BIGGLES chapter titles
136 different WORRALS chapter titles
132 different GIMLET chapter titles
1591 unique
chapter titles out of 1822 - Therefore 87.32% of chapter titles written by W.
E. Johns had unique and original titles!
All details are from a presentation
given by Roger Harris to the W. E. Johns Appreciation Society on Saturday 14th
October 2017.