W. E. Johns — Biggles Defies the Swastika

Toronto, Oxford University Press, 1943 . First edition. Cloth. The first Canadian edition of this thrilling adventure by W. E. Johns, with the original, unclipped dust wrapper and illustrations by Howard Leigh and Alfred Sindall. The first Canadian edition. First published in the UK in 1941. Scarce to see with the original, unclipped dust wrapper. Written by William Earl Johns, an English First World War pilot and writer of adventure stories, who wrote under the pen name Capt. W. E. Johns. He is best known for creating the fictional air-adventurer Biggles. In this exciting Biggles adventure, we see the much-loved adventurer stranded in Oslo during the Nazi occupation. Biggles is advised to find out all he can about the enemy's intentions, all while assuming the identity of a member of the Gestapo. Illustrated with six monochrome sketches by Howard Leigh and Alfred Sindall. Collated, complete. With the label of the "Diocesan Book Room" to the front paste down. Bound in the publisher's cloth with the original, unclipped dust wrapper. Externally, smart with light fading to the spine and extremities. A little bumping and the odd mark. Label to front paste down and label remnants to front endpaper. Dust wrapper is sound, with edge wear and loss to the extremities and spine head and tail. The odd mark to wraps. Internally, firmly bound. Pages bright and clean with the odd light spot to the fore edge. Very Good Indeed . Ill.: Howard Leigh; Alfred Sindall. Very Good Indeed/Good.