Publisher's Proof - Biggles - Worrals of the WAAF

Publisher's Proof - Biggles - Worrals of the WAAF
Collection of Biggles Proof Copies, sold individually.

We are very lucky to have 10 Proof copies of the famous Biggles books – these exist before First Editions are even printed. Proof copies are sent out to reviewers and advance readers before a book goes through final corrections. They can be of poor quality and design, and sometimes the book is not yet properly laid out.

There’s a magic to these ugly siblings of first editions and it is no surprise that they are so collectable. They somehow bring you closer to the author and as a rule they are scarcer than first editions. In this section we feature some of the magic of these rare “pre-first editions”.

The Biggles Series

William Earl Johns (5 February 1893 – 21 June 1968) was an English pilot and writer of adventure stories, usually written under the pen name Captain W. E. Johns. He is best remembered as the creator of the ace pilot and adventurer Biggles.

Johns' early ambition was to be a soldier, being a crack shot with a rifle. In 1913, while working as a sanitary inspector, Johns enlisted in the Territorial Army as a trooper in the King's Own Royal Regiment (Norfolk Yeomanry). Later, Johns became a flying instructor and aircraft bomber.

After leaving the RAF, Johns became a newspaper air correspondent, as well as editing and illustrating books about flying. At the request of John Hamilton Ltd, he created the magazine Popular Flying which first appeared in March 1932. It was in the pages of Popular Flying that Biggles, first appeared.

In his 46-year writing career (1922–68) he penned over 160 books, including nearly one hundred Biggles books, and scores of magazine articles and short stories. Johns also wrote eight other books of juvenile fiction, twelve books of fiction for adults, and eight factual books, including several books on aviation, books on pirates and treasure hunting, and a book on gardening.

Condition:

Very good