Biggles Looks Back

Biggles Looks Back
Cover Art	Cover of the 1965 1st edition.
Author	W. E. Johns
Publisher	Hodder and Stoughton
First Published	1965
Other Editions	1 other in English
Period	Post World War 2, Air Police
Setting	Czechoslovakia

Biggles Looks Back by W. E. Johns was first published in 1965 by Hodder and Stoughton with illustrations by Studio Stead. This remained the only edition until 2008 when Norman Wright put out another. The events in the book take place in the mid 1960s mainly in what was then Czechoslovakia.

The title page carries the subtitle "A Story of Biggles and the Air Police", although, for most of the time, he was on leave.

Synopsis

"Did you ever wonder what became of Marie Janis?" This bombshell of a question sends Biggles and co. into the mountains of Bohemia to seek the answer.

Plot

Note: The sections below contain spoilers. In particular, the plot subpage (click here) has an extended summary of the narrative in the book

Characters

The Special Air Police

• Air Commodore Raymond
• Biggles
• Algy Lacey
• Ginger Hebblethwaite
• Bertie Lissie

Friends and allies

• Erich von Stalhein
• Marie Janis
• Greta
• Max
• Marcel Brissac

Others

• Hans Reinhardt

Aircraft

• de Havilland Dove

Places

Visited

• Switzerland - ingress by air, transit by rail
• Austria - transit by rail

• Rodnitz - a town in Bohemia, in the then Czechoslovakia
  • Steinhof Hotel
  • Cafe Wagner
  • Schonschloss

• France
  • Nancy - egress. Biggles was hospitalised here for two weeks

Other Research Notes

References to the past

• There are multiple references to the past association between Biggles, Erich von Stalhein and Marie Janis.
  • The story of how Biggles first met Marie in Affaire de la Coeur from The Camels are Coming is recounted by Algy early on.
  • The events of Biggles Buries a Hatchet and how Biggles rescued von Stalhein from Sakhalin are mentioned.
  • Von Stalhein mentions that after the "Roth" affair of Biggles Takes a Hand, Iron Curtain authorities would be on the look out for him. It is mentioned here that Biggles actually gave evidence at the trial of Rallensky and Molsk.

Incongruities

• • Page 18 of the 1st ed. contains an illustration of Biggles recalling the events in 1918 when Marie's house was bombed. It has an incongruous drawing of a de Havilland Mosquito, and aircraft of the wrong era.

Chronology

• Chapter III mentions that it is September.

Editions

1. London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1965. 191 pages. Orange boards with dust cover. Black titles on the spine and white titles on front od dustjacket. Six b/w illustations by Studio Stead. Book list on back cover lists Biggles Investigates (No. 70). Price 8/6. Number 71 on spine. 19 cm.

• Dustjacket depicts a scene from Chapter XV. Biggles is prone on the ground with a pair of wire cutters near him.

2. Swanage, Dorset: Norman Wright, 2008. 174 pages. 22 cm. Dustjacket by Andrew Skilleter. Limited edition of 300 numbered copies.

• Dustjacket depicts a castle on a knoll with a de Havilland Dove flying over it in the foreground.
• Frontispiece depicts Marie, Erich von Stalhein and Biggles with a castle in the background.

International titles

• French: Biggles en Bohême (Spirale 1968)
• Swedish: Biggles bakom järnridån (Wahlströms 1986)
• Czech: Bigglesovo drama v Čechách (Riopress 1999)