THE W. E. JOHNS knight PAPERBACKS

PAGE FIVE OF FIVE

27 DIFFERENT BIGGLES TITLES WERE PUBLISHED BY “KNIGHT” BOOKS PLUS 31 REPRINTS WITH DIFFERENT COVERS

PAGE ONE – Shows the very first Knight Biggles paperbacks. These were 6 “Green Knight” books with the white spine and surrounding white border.

PAGE TWO – Shows 15 different book titles, but two of those had slightly different covers, so 17 different covers are shown. These 15 titles included reprints of the first 6 original “Green Knight” paperbacks and so only added a further 9 titles to the range of Knight paperbacks. This page also shows the back of an 18^th book but that is just to show an example of the changes that occurred to the rear covers of the Knight books when the books were reprinted. For example “Green Knight” was changed to “Knight” by the removal of the word “Green”. Of the 15 titles,

3 of these books were published in 1969, 8 were published in 1970, 3 were published in 1971 and 1 was published in 1972.

PAGE THREE – Shows 12 different Knight books. These 12 books have a distinctive “stencilled” title font. 4 of them were published in 1974 and 8 of them were published in 1975.

6 of them were reprints of earlier Knight paperbacks and 6 of them were titles new in paperback, bringing the total number of different Knight Biggles books up to 21.

PAGE FOUR – Shows the 12 Knight paperbacks with a cartoon like Biggles head logo on a coloured title banner. 10 of these were reprints but 2 are first publications new to paperback, bringing the total number of different Knight Biggles books up to 23.

PAGE FIVE – Shows the final 11 Knight Biggles books which had the distinctive “posed” photographic covers. 7 of these are reprints but the other 4 are first publications in paperback bringing the total number of different Knight Biggles books up to 27. Some of these posed photographic covers are, it has to be said, frankly ridiculous!

IF YOU CLICK ON THE FRONT COVER OF ANY BOOK ILLUSTRATED BELOW, YOU GO TO THE STORY SUMMARY AND DETAILS OF THE PUBLICATION OF THE FIRST EDITION.

IF YOU CLICK ON THE REAR COVER OF ANY BOOK, YOU CAN SEE THE ILLUSTRATIONS FROM THE FIRST EDITION OF THE BOOK (IF IT HAD ANY).

There were eleven Knight Biggles paperbacks with photographic covers. The spines are prone to fading. The rear covers shown here don’t all show the original prices

BIGGLES BREAKS THE SILENCE – FRONT

Originally published in 1949. This book was later published in 1970 under the title “Biggles in the Antarctic”. Here it reverts back to its original title of “Biggles Breaks the Silence”.

This paperback was published in 1983.

It was originally priced at £1.25.

172 pages. No cover photographer is credited.

BIGGLES BREAKS THE SILENCE – REAR

This book contained no illustrations.

However, if you click on the back cover you can see the illustrations from the original hardback first edition.

BIGGLES MAKES ENDS MEET – FRONT

Originally published in 1957. This book does not have a corner flash saying “New in Paperback”. But it should do. This book appears in paperback for the first time ever. This paperback was published in 1983.

It was originally priced at £1.25.

192 pages. No cover photographer is credited.

BIGGLES MAKES ENDS MEET – REAR

This book contained no illustrations.

However, if you click on the back cover you can see the illustrations from the original hardback first edition.

(You will note that the last one of those illustrations was repainted and you can see the one that was NOT in the book).

BIGGLES FORMS A SYNDICATE – FRONT

Originally published in 1961. This book does not have a corner flash saying “New in Paperback”. But it should do. This book appears in paperback for the first time ever.

This paperback was published in 1984.

It was originally priced at £1.25.

155 pages. No cover photographer is credited.

BIGGLES FORMS A SYNDICATE – REAR

This book contained no illustrations.

However, if you click on the back cover you can see the illustrations from the original hardback first edition.

BIGGLES SEES TOO MUCH – FRONT

Originally published in 1970. This book does not have a corner flash saying “New in Paperback”. But it should do. This book appears in paperback for the first time ever.

This paperback was published in 1984.

It was originally priced at £1.25.

170 pages. No cover photographer is credited.

BIGGLES SEES TOO MUCH – REAR

This book contained no illustrations.

BIGGLES WORKS IT OUT – FRONT

Originally published in 1951. This book has a corner flash saying “New in Paperback”. This is not true. Armada originally published the book in paperback in 1971.

This paperback was published in 1984.

It was originally priced at £1.50.

188 pages. No cover photographer is credited.

BIGGLES WORKS IT OUT – REAR

This book contained no illustrations.

However, if you click on the back cover you can see the illustrations from the original hardback first edition.

BIGGLES ON MYSTERY ISLAND – FRONT

Originally published in 1958. This book has a corner flash saying “New in Paperback”. This is completely true as the book appears in paperback for the first time ever.

This paperback was published in 1984.

It was originally priced at £1.50.

190 pages. No cover photographer is credited.

BIGGLES ON MYSTERY ISLAND – REAR

This book contained no illustrations.

However, if you click on the back cover you can see the illustrations from the original hardback first edition.

BIGGLES INVESTIGATES – FRONT

Originally published in 1964. This book was first published as a paperback in 1970.

This paperback was published in 1985.

It was originally priced at £1.50.

174 pages. No cover photographer is credited.

BIGGLES INVESTIGATES – REAR

This book contained no illustrations.

However, if you click on the back cover you can see the colour frontispiece from the original hardback first edition.

BIGGLES AND THE PLOT THAT FAILED – FRONT

Originally published in 1965. This book was first published as a paperback in 1970.

This paperback was published in 1985.

It was originally priced at £1.50.

172 pages. No cover photographer is credited.

BIGGLES AND THE PLOT THAT FAILED – REAR

This book contained no illustrations.

BIGGLES LEARNS TO FLY – FRONT

Originally published in 1935 as a paperback. This book has a corner flash saying “Biggles – now starring in a major film”. Armada published the book as a paperback in 1963.

The Armada version had illustrations.

This paperback was published in 1986.

It contains the same illustrations as the Armada version and must have used the same printing plates for publication.

It was originally priced at £1.75.

160 pages. No cover photographer is credited.

BIGGLES LEARNS TO FLY – REAR

This book contained 9 original illustrations done for this book by an uncredited artist. They are on pages 4, 14, 23, 48, 83, 99, 119, 126 and 140 and are mainly small drawings at the end of chapters, with the noticeable exception of the frontispiece at page 4.

It is most unusual for any Knight paperback to have illustrations. There is a map printed in the Knight paperback version of “Biggles Flies West” and there are illustrations in the next book “Biggles Goes to War” but these are the only 3 Knight paperbacks with illustrations.

BIGGLES GOES TO WAR – FRONT

Originally published in 1938. This book has a corner flash saying “Biggles – now starring in a major film”. Armada published the book as a paperback in 1962. The Armada version had four original illustrations.

This paperback was published in 1986.

It contains the same illustrations as the Armada version and must have used the same printing plates for publication.

It was originally priced at £1.75.

159 pages. No cover photographer is credited.

BIGGLES GOES TO WAR – REAR

This book contained 4 original illustrations done for this book by an uncredited artist. They are on pages 22, 72, 99 and 115.