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
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”