BIGGLES LOOKS BACK
Book First Published on 26th February 1965 - 191 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 has dinner with old
enemy, and now friend, Erich von Stalhein, who asks him if he ever wonders what
happened to Marie Janis, a young girl Biggles fell in love with during the
First World War. (This tale is told in a short story called "Affair De Coeur" in the first ever Biggles book THE
CAMELS ARE COMING).
Biggles is astonished to hear that Von Stalhein has had a letter from Marie.
She is in Czechoslovakia and the letter contains clues that all is not well.
Later, Von Stalhein disappears and Biggles concludes he has gone to rescue
Marie. A postcard from Rodnitz with a cryptic message
confirms this. Taking Bertie with him, Biggles poses as a glass buyer and
travels to Rodnitz in Czechoslovakia. Here they find
Von Stalhein working as a violin player in a Cafe. He has traced Marie to a
nearby large Castle (her family home) where she is being held virtually as a
prisoner. Biggles and Bertie set out to explore the castle but are turned away.
It is discovered that Von Stalhein is an escaped political prisoner and he has
to go on the run. Joined by Von Stalhein, Biggles makes a second attempt to
reach the castle and they both finally make contact with Marie, whom Biggles
does not recognise, as so much time has passed since they last met. Marie is
being held because she refuses to disclose the whereabouts of the Janis
treasure, a collection of family jewels including an ancient jewelled Bohemian
crown. Biggles is visited by Reinhardt, a local policeman who is suspicious of
Biggles and after Von Stalhein. Biggles comes up with a plan to get Marie and
Von Stalhein away and he sends Bertie back to England to get a plane, with an
agreement as to a future date for meeting them, to pick them up. The Czech
police come to arrest Biggles, but he escapes in time and hides up at the
castle. Reinhardt lays on more guards at the castle but doesn't know of the
connection between Biggles and Marie. Whilst stealing some wirecutters,
Biggles hides in the shadows and overhears Reinhardt discussing the situation.
This would appear to be the picture on the dust cover of the book. On the
appointed night, Biggles, Von Stalhein and Marie all make a daring escape to
the rendezvous that has been arranged and escape back to England. Marie takes
the family jewels with her and this enables her to buy a cottage in a Hampshire
village where Biggles and Von Stalhein are able to visit her.
Click here to see the story illustrations from this book
Biggles Looks Back
Subtitle - A Story of Biggles and the Air Police
Publication Details - published by Hodder and Stoughton
Frontispiece
Click on the above to see it in more detail