BIGGLES' SPECIAL CASE
Book First Published on 22nd July 1963 - 170 pages
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 8
shillings and 6 pence
Biggles is sent on an important
mission to the Middle East. He is asked to fly Professor Zorlan
to the ruins of Quarda on what officially is a survey
mission but is actually a political mission. At Ankara, Biggles, Ginger and
Bertie are saddled with an unwanted Turkish official called Colonel Osman Alfondari. On arrival at Quarda,
the party falls out with Alfondari as he has a secret
radio and is signalling their position. Later, they are visited by a Russian
produced MIG single-seat jet fighter. Next to arrive is an aircraft from the
Turkish Intelligence Service, which comes to take Alfondari
away. Soon after, the remaining party is attacked by three MIG fighters and
this is the picture on the dust cover of the book. Zorlan
is in fact meeting with the Sheikh of Zarat at Quarda. Biggles is then instructed to fly Zorlan to Rasal al Sharab to pick up a passenger, who turns out to be the
daughter of the Sultan of Rasal al Sharab. She is due to marry the Sheikh of Zarat in a marriage contract which also involves certain
valuable oil concessions for the United Kingdom. When Biggles returns to the
Sheikh of Zarat he discovers that Zorlan
is asking for a separate document to be signed that will give Zorlan, personally, for his services, seven per cent of all
the money that accrues from the sale of the oil. Biggles is certain that this
is a fraudulent document and sends Bertie and Ginger to Athens to check with
London. Zorlan tries to bribe Biggles in order to get
the contract signed. When Ginger and Bertie return to Quarda,
there is a further attack, this time from the air by parachutists. The Sultan's
daughter is flown to safety by Ginger, whilst Biggles, Bertie, the Sheikh's
men, and the Sultan's daughter's bodyguard fight the attackers. Zorlan is killed in the ensuing battle. Bertie thinks he
sees Alfondari leading the attackers. Ginger returns
with reinforcements, which turn the tide of the battle. Alfondari
escapes.
With the exception of the frontispiece, there are no story
illustrations in this book.
Biggles' Special Case
Publication Details - published by Brockhampton
Press
Frontispiece
Click on the above to see it in more detail