BIGGLES BREAKS THE SILENCE

Book First Published on 26th September 1949* - 191 pages

* This information is taken from a letter from A. P. Watt & Son to W. E. Johns in my collection

Re-published in 1970 as an Armada paperback and then in 1983 as a hardback by Severn House as  Biggles in the Antarctic – both 158 pages

The serialisation rights to this book were sold to the ‘Liverpool Daily Post’ but I have no information as to any publication dates.  If anybody knows then please E-MAIL ME

This book was also serialised in the Australian comic “Chucklers’ Weekly” in, I believe, 10 parts from 22nd February 1957 to 26th April 1957

 

The first edition dust jacket showing the original price of 6 shillings

 

CHAPTERS

Click on any chapter for a summary of the events in that chapter or see the general story summary below

I – BIGGLES HAS VISITORS

II – A PAGE FROM THE PAST

III – SOUTHWARD BOUND

IV – BEYOND MEN’S FOOTSTEPS

V – INTO THE PAST

VI – GINGER RUNS AWAY

VII – THE HORROR IN THE BULK

VIII – THE UNEXPECTED AGAIN

IX – WHAT HAPPENED TO GINGER

X – A SHOCK FOR BIGGLES

XI – MOVE AND COUNTER-MOVE

XII – LAVINSKY SHOWS HIS HAND

XIII – BIGGLES PLAYS FOR TIME

XIV –WAR ON THE ICE

XV – THE END OF THE STORY

 

Biggles is visited by 'Jumbo' Grimes, whose son used to serve in his old squadron in the Western Desert. 'Jumbo' is a merchant seaman and had been forced against his will to sail to the Antarctic, where an old ship had been found frozen in the pack ice. Grimes has reason to suspect the ship contains treasure and the information he has leads Biggles to conclude that they have discovered the Starry Crown which in fact contains a horde of gold. Biggles arranges a deal with the Government whereby if they risk their lives in an effort to recover the gold, they can have 10% of its value to share between them. Leaving Algy and Bertie on the Falkland Islands as their South Atlantic base, Biggles, Ginger and Grimes Senior and Junior make a risky landing in the Antarctic. Ginger discovers the wreck of the ship and the gold, only to be terrified by something else. Later, the gold is retrieved but another disaster befalls both Ginger and the gold. After Ginger is rescued by a shipload of villains, our heroes have to fight for the gold before Algy arrives to save the day. The picture of the dust cover depicts a meeting with a stranded seaman who has gone insane after being marooned in the Antarctic.

 

Click here to see the story illustrations from this book

 

FIND OUT WHERE W.E. JOHNS GOT THE IDEA FOR THIS BOOK FROM BY CLICKING HERE

 

Biggles Breaks the Silence

Subtitle - An adventure of Sergeant Bigglesworth, of the Special Air Police, and his comrades of the service

Publication Details - published by Hodder & Stoughton

 

Frontispiece

Click on the above to see it in more detail

 

This book was also released as a picture book – one of only two.  The other one was Biggles Hunts Big Game

 

 

The cover to the 1970 hardback reprint where the book is retitled “BIGGLES IN THE ANTARCTIC”

 

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