General Chat

I was reading Biggles when I was perhaps ten years old. It's awfully good fun old chap. Tally ho and all that stuff.

'Bigglers' as I called him because I was considered very funny when I read him out loud within the family, using all sorts of awfully English Tally-Ho chaps voices was an amazing character given that he served without much age change in a lot of places and through a lot of years - or so it seemed to me.

The stories were aimed at young males around the time of WW1. I never met another girl besides my sibling, who read them. The last one I remember reading was Biggles Defies The Swastica. It was about 1972 when I was thirteen and I was stuck in an airport due to some delay. Everyone around me was moaning but I had my head in a book so I was happy.

I can't tell you if they are too young for your young man. Early on, the books were quite interesting historically but I think that later on, not so much. For an idea of what the RFC (Royal Flying Corp) later the RAF was all about, it's a good read and also educational as to the social structure of our nation at that time. Capt. WE Johns was himself a pilot of the time so I presume that he based much on his own experiences.

I've just Wiki'd Biggles and can't believe that there are 98 Biggles books listed. I would recommend the earlier ones purely from the historical point of view.

Hope this helps. Jill

It's supposed to be a surprise if possible....... I don't know anything about biggles

Why dont you ask him or her.

George

Would anyone consider Biggles books too young for a 15 1/2 year old who belongs to the ATC and wants to join RAF.
I would appreciate your thoughts.

Thank you

Phyll