Biggles Learns to Fly [Import] [Paperback]

Captain W. E. Johns (Author)

Book Description

Series: Red Fox Older Fiction

At age 17, Biggles is sent to tackle the enemy in the hostile skies over First World War France.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Red Fox; New Ed edition (1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0099938200
• ISBN-13: 978-0099938200
• Product Dimensions: 5.1 x 0.6 x 7.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,400,117 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a great early Biggles adventure, June 13, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Biggles Learns to Fly (Paperback)

Only 17, having lied about his age, young James Bigglesworth ("Biggles" to his friends) joins the Royal Flying Corp right out of school and with only a few hours of training under his belt, he's off to France to fight the Germans.

He is described as physcially small, with delicate, almost feminine hands, so it's lucky for him he didn't wind up in the trenches. The RFC finds an unlikely hero in young Biggles, his aptitude surprises his superiors and he outlives the majority of RFC cadets.

This book was published later, W.E. Johns looking back into Biggles' past, and the story is a fantastic blue-print for the man Biggles grows to be.

This is the realization of a dream for children of all ages, defying authority to fight for your King and Country and it has a wide appeal to both young and old alike. Biggles is the embodiment of several key values, such as loyalty, duty, hard-work, and putting the needs of the team above his own. But at the same time, he's not without flaws... yet we love him for it.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Biggles learns to fly, his early days as a WW1 fighter pilot, October 20, 2009

By 

Kiwi (Mississauga, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Biggles Learns to Fly (Knight Books) (Paperback)

First Published in the Boys' Friend Library Issue No. 469 - dated 7th March 1935 and republished in 1955 - 192 pages

The 1955 version contains sixteen chapters, each of which is virtually a short story on its own, although they do flow together and sometimes one carries on from the previous one. Originally published as BIGGLES LEARNS TO FLY in 1935 with 12 stories and subsequently republished in an amended form in 1955. Two of the stories in the original publication were left out of the 1955 edition as they had already been reprinted in BIGGLES OF 266 (also published in 1955) the amended 1955 version contains:-

AUTHOR'S NOTE (a short essay by W. E. Johns containing explanatory notes)

FIRST TIME UP! - Biggles is taken up by an instructor who gives him his first ever flight in an aeroplane.

LANDED - BUT LOST - Biggles' first solo flight results in him getting hopelessly lost. After 15 hours he gets his 'wings'.

THE BOAT FOR FRANCE - Sent to France to serve in 169 squadron, Biggles meets Mahoney of 266 on the boat over.

BATTLE - Biggles faces aerial combat for the first time, with his experienced gunner, Mark Way (a New Zealander - I knew there was another reason I liked Biggles).

PLOTS AND PLANS - After a week's experience, Biggles and Mark go on an important recognisance mission.

LATE FOR DINNER - Returning from the above mission, Biggles and Mark have to ditch in the sea.

A DARING STUNT - Attacking an aerodrome, Biggles is again shot down. He and Mark escape from No Man's Land.

SPECIAL MISSION - Major Raymond sends Biggles on a special mission, to deliver and collect a spy.

EYES OF THE GUNS - Biggles does artillery observation for ground guns. When they can't hit the target, he bombs it.

THE CAMERA - A Bristol Fighter replaces Biggles' F. E. aeroplane. His temporary gunner, Harris, is killed.

THE 'SHOW' - Biggles and his squadron lend major support to a large ground attack over a number of days.

DIRTY WORK - When Phosphorus flares set their plane on fire, Biggles and Mark crash again.

THE PUP'S FIRST FLIGHT - Biggles transfers to 266 squadron and flies a Sopworth Pup. He captures a German Rumpler.

CAUGHT NAPPING - Biggles plans a major attack on a German 'circus'. Seven German Triplanes are destroyed.

THE YELLOW HUN - Now equipped with Sopworth Camels, Biggles seeks to avenge his old friend, Mark Way.

THE DAWN PATROL - Biggles lands and rescues Mahoney after he is shot down.

The dust cover of the 1955 version of the book shows Biggles in the cockpit of his plane at night.

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful stuff!, September 7, 2011

By 

H. Ray Spitz (Atlanta, Georgia, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Biggles Learns to Fly (Paperback)

I am fan of all sorts of WWI aviation books. It started with "The Blue Max."

I had never heard of "Biggles" when I picked up a "Biggles Learns to Fly" in Duxford. before long I was hunting for more. The Biggles books have more aviation adventure in one place than just about anything else I have ever read.

I do have to wonder why, with advent of CGI, imagination starved Hollyweird doesn't make a "real" Biggles movie and