BIGGLES WORKS IT OUT

Book First Published in October 1951 - 192 pages

This story was first published, in six monthly parts, as BIGGLES WORKS IT OUT in the Boy’s Own Paper  Volume 73, issues 7 to 12, dated April 1951 to September 1951

This story was later published, in eight monthly parts, as BIGGLES WORKS IT OUT in the The Silver Jacket  (an Australian Publication), from October 1953 to May 1954

 

The first edition dust jacket showing the original price of 7 shillings and 6 pence

 

The second edition dust jacket also shows the original price of 7 shillings and 6 pence – but note the additional titles to the Biggles and Gimlet books on the rear flap

 

CHAPTERS

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

I – BIGGLES HAS SOMETHING TO SAY

II – A FRENCHMAN SETS A POSER

III – MODERN DAYS, MODERN WAYS

IV – THE TRAIL TAKES SHAPE

V – INVESTIGATIONS

VI – A MAN MINUS A BUTTON

VII – MORE PROBLEMS

VIII – BERTIE TAKES A JOB

IX – ALGY LEARNS THE ANSWERS

X – A TRIP TO REMEMBER

XI – EL ASILE

XII – BIGGLES TAKES A TURN

XIII – SMOKE IN THE SAHARA

XIV – ENEMIES OR ALLIES?

XV – THE SUN DICTATES

XVI – WHERE THE TRAIL ENDS

 

Biggles, Algy, Ginger and Bertie meet Marcel Brissac from the French police for the first time. He is trying to trace a mysterious aircraft, which from sketches Biggles recognises as a Douglas D.C. 3. Biggles suspects the same plane has been used in a gold robbery from a gold mine in Australia and the team fly to Australia to investigate. Here they find two clues. A button and the paper wrapper from a tooth pick, given out in a hotel in Monte Carlo. Algy and Bertie fly to Monte Carlo on what appears to be the hopeless task of investigating the clues. Algy unexpectedly strikes a trail but is astonished when Bertie disappears. Bertie has taken a job with the bad guys as a pilot in order to infiltrate their organisation. Bertie is sent to their base at El Asile, in the Ahagger Mountains, deep in the Sahara desert. Algy learns of this after following a van, which leads to a secret aerodrome where he finds Von Stalhein. Algy hides himself on a plane and manages to overpower the pilot (a scene that is depicted on the dust cover of the book). After nearly being shot down by Marcel Brissac, Algy flies to El Asile and rescues Bertie but their escape is foiled when their fuel tank is holed and they have to land in the desert. Captured by Arabs, they are then taken on a raid on the base at El Asile. Biggles arrives later with French police and the team recovers the stolen gold. Von Stalhein escapes to fight another day.

 

Click here to see the story illustrations from this book

 

Biggles Works it Out

Subtitle - A story of Air Detective-Inspector Bigglesworth and his comrades of the Air Police

Publication Details - published by Hodder & Stoughton

 

Frontispiece

Click on the above to see it in more detail

 

The original artwork for this book sold at Sothebys on 6th March 2014 for £5250

 

Above is the original artwork that was opposite Page 156.  This used to be in my private collection

 

… and finally, here is a signed copy of “Biggles Works it Out” signed not only by W. E. Johns, but also by the cast of the 1960s TV series – click on the book to find out more

 

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