BIGGLES TAKES A HOLIDAY
Book First Published June 1949* - 191 pages
* W. E. Johns was sent his six
presentation copies of this book with a covering letter dated 29th
June 1949. This information is taken from
a letter from A. P. Watt & Son to W. E. Johns in my collection
I believe this Biggles book was never serialised elsewhere. If anybody knows differently then please E-MAIL ME
The first edition dust jacket showing the original price of 6
shillings – the spine is very prone to fading from the sun.
(NB – The second edition dust jacket is virtually identical – but it
has ‘Biggles Breaks the Silence’ after ‘Biggles Hunts Big Game’ on the rear
flap – a point worth checking to ensure correct DJ!)
CHAPTERS
Click on any chapter for a summary of the events in that chapter or
see the general story summary below
I – A MESSAGE FROM OVER THE SEA
VIII – DISTURBING DEVELOPMENTS
XIII – A STAGGERING ANNOUNCEMENT
XVI – THE GATHERING OF THE CLANS
Biggles, Algy, Ginger and Bertie go
to the South American Rain Forest in order to rescue their old comrade, Angus
Mackail. He, and a number of other people, have been conned into
"farming" in the jungle, where in reality they are just slave labour.
Unable to escape because of the remoteness of the area, no one knows of
their plight until a man named Linton defies the odds and manages to bring word
to Biggles. The area, named 'Paradise Valley', is run by a Doctor Liebgarten,
but is really a front for ex-Nazi's who are carrying out various experiments
and building a secret weapon. Also present is a certain Erich von Stalhein.
Biggles and Ginger meet with Doctor Liebgarten but are not fooled by his charm.
Biggles is bitten by a tarantula, but recovers sufficiently to organise a
revolt by the "farmers" and save the day. The jacket dust cover shows
Biggles on a pony, with his arm in a sling as a result of the said bite,
leading the farmers in the revolt.
Click here to see the story illustrations from this book
Biggles Takes a Holiday
Publication Details - published by Hodder and Stoughton
Frontispiece
Click on the above to see it in more detail
The “Hampton Library” reprint – click on the above picture to
find out more details
The “Children’s Book Club” edition reprint – click on the above
picture to find out more details
The French edition of the book – “Biggles en Permission” –
Biggles on Leave