"A book should serve as the axe for the frozen sea within us."
— Franz Kafka
Captain W. E. Johns (William Earl Johns) | First Editions
1893 - 1968
William Earl Johns (5 February 1893 – 21 June 1968) was an English pilot and writer of adventure stories, usually written under thepen 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). The regiment was mobilised in August 1914, and was sent overseas in September 1915. This was the start of a very successful military career, which was to inspire his Biggles series. 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.
See below our stock of Captain Johns First Editions, fine bindings, sets and other collectible material.
Biggles & The Penitent Thief.
Leicester, Brockhampton Press, 1967. Publisher's cloth, a very fine copy in crisp, fine wrapper with just a little rubbing to the tip of the spine. A very bright copy indeed of a rare Biggles title. FIRST EDITION. More
Biggles Delivers the Goods.
London, Hodder and Stoughton, 1946. FIRST EDITION. Publisher's cloth, very good indeed. In like dustwrapper. with a couple of tears and creases, frayed to head and foot of spine. More
Biggles and the Gun Runners.
London: Brockhampton Press, 1966. [Adventure novel]. FIRST EDITION. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.182; [2]; advertisements. Duck egg blue hardcovers titled in gilt, illustrated jacket (priced clipped). Small scuff/sticker pull to flyleaf else a fine copy of the book in a very good wrapper with some rubbing and edgewear plus a...... More
Biggles Scores A Bull.
London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1965. First Edition. Octavo, pp. 160. Red cloth with gilt titles to spine, in pictorial dustwrapper designed by 'Studio Stead' depicting Biggles swooping throughout the sky in a helicopter with a somewhat indifferent looking Bovine overlaid by concentric circles. Textblock is clean and bright apart from..... More
Biggles Presses On.
Leicester: Brockhampton Press Ltd., 1958. [Adventure novel] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.192. Contains six boldly coloured plates, including frontispiece, all by Leslie Stead. Publisher's burgundy/brown cloth in pictorial dust-wrapper priced 8/6 to front flap. Edges spotted, school prize label, jacket very lightly handled showing some minor wear to..... More
Biggles Forms a Syndicate.
London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1961. First Edition, octavo. Contains 11 illustrations, including colour frontispiece, all by Stead. Publisher's bright red cloth, titles in black to spine and front board with small illustration to lower front board also. Dark blue pictorial dust jacket. Some rubbing to jacket and some dusty marks..... More
Biggles of the Interpol....Some Adventures of Air Detective-Inspector Bigglesworth of the International Police Commission.
Leicester: Brockhampton Press Ltd. 1957. [Adventure novel] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.181 [1], blank; [2], advertisements. Contains six boldly coloured plates, including frontispiece, all by Leslie Stead. Publisher's bright red cloth in original pictorial dust-wrapper priced 8/6 to front flap. Edges spotted, jacket moderately handled showing some edge..... More
Biggles Delivers the Goods. A 'Biggles Squadron' Story.
London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1946. [Children's adventure] FIRST EDITION. Crown octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.182. With 10 illustrations including colour frontispiece by Leslie Stead. In publisher's orange cloth with black titles to spine and upper board. Illustrated endpapers to front endpapers. With original colour illustrated dust-jacket. Some dustiness to edges..... More
Biggles Forms a Syndicate.
London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1961. [Children's Adventure] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.160. With a colour frontispiece and occasional in-text illustrations by Stead. Publisher's red cloth with black titles to spine and a black design to upper board. With the dust-jacket illustrated in colour, also by Stead, priced at..... More
Biggles Makes Ends Meet.
London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1957. [Children's Adventure] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.192. With six colour plates, including a frontispiece, by Stead. Publisher's blue cloth with gilt titles to spine. With the dust-jacket, also illustrated by Stead, priced at 10s / 50p. Light spotting to edges. Jacket clipped, though..... More
Biggles Makes Ends Meet.
London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1957. [Children's Adventure] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.192. With six colour plates, including a frontispiece, by Stead. Publisher's blue cloth with gilt titles to spine. With the dust-jacket, also illustrated by Stead, priced at 8/6. Both book and jacket lightly handled; some edge wear..... More
Biggles Takes It Rough.
Leicester: Brockhampton Press, 1963. [Children's adventure] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.184. Publisher's green cloth, titles in black to spine, cartographic endpapers at front, pictorial dust-jacket with printed price of 8s 6d net. Colour frontispiece illustration by Leslie Stead. Some spotting to edges, cloth lightly handled, wrapper rubbed to..... More
Biggles Works It Out. A Story for Air Detective-Inspector Bigglesworth and his Comrades of the Air Police.
London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1951. [Children's adventure fiction] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.192. 8 full page illustrations by Stead. Publisher's maroon cloth with titles in black to front board and spine, in pictorial dust-jacket illustrated by Stead priced at 7/6. Small bump to rear upper corner, some minor..... More
Biggles' Combined Operation.
London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1959. [Children's Adventure] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.158. With six colour plates by Stead. Publisher's red cloth with black titles to spine and a black design stamped to upper board. With the dust-jacket illustrated in colour, also by Stead, priced at 8/6. Jacket spine..... More
Biggles' Combined Operation.
London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1959. [Children's Adventure] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.158. With six plates printed in colour by Stead. Publisher's red cloth, black titles to spine and a black design stamped to upper board, dust-jacket by Stead, with printed price of 8s 6d net. Some spotting and..... More
Biggles and the Black Peril.
London: Dean and Son Ltd., by arrangement with Thames Publishing Co., no date [circa 1960]. [Children's adventure] ATTRACTIVE REPRINT. Octavo (20 x 14cm), pp.184. Publisher's cornflower blue cloth, titles in black to spine, in pictorial dust-jacket. Neat gift inscription to flyleaf. Minimal bumping to spine and corners with very slight..... More
Biggles and the Poor Rich Boy. Another case from the records of Biggles and the Special Air Police.
Leicester: Brockhampton Press, 1961. [Children's Adventure] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.182; [2]. With a chromolithographic frontispiece and occasional in-text illustrations by Leslie Stead. Publisher's brown cloth with green titles to spine. With the dust-jacket also illustrated by Stead, price obscured. Very light spotting to edges. Bruising and very..... More
Biggles Goes to School. The Story of Biggles' Early Life and School Days
London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1951. [Children's adventure novel] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.193; [1], blank. With sepia illustrations by Leslie Stead. Publisher's red cloth blocked in black, dust-jacket also illustrated by Stead Very good indeed in price clipped jacket. More
Biggles Hunts Big Game.
London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1948. [Children's adventure novel] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.211; [1], advertisement. With sepia illustrations by Leslie Stead. Publisher's red cloth blocked in black, dust-jacket also illustrated by Stead, priced at 6s. Bookshop ticket to pastedown. A little spotting and marking, jacket rather fresh with..... More
Biggles Hunts Big Game. A Story of Sergeant Bigglesworth C.ID. and his Special Air Police.
London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1948. [Children's adventure novel] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.211; [1], advertisement. With sepia illustrations by Leslie Stead. Publisher's red cloth blocked in black, dust-jacket also illustrated by Stead, priced at 6s. Both book and jacket lightly handled; some edge wear, rear panel dusty, rubbed..... More
Biggles Scores A Bull. An Adventure of Biggles and the Air Police.
London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1965. [Children's Adventure] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.160. Publisher's red cloth with gilt titles to spine. With the dust-jacket designed by Studio Stead. Blue ink gift inscription to front free endpaper dated 1967. Browned and spotted to top edge. Very light wear to slightly..... More
Gimlet Comes Home. Another Adventure of King of the Commandos and his Three Musketeers 'Copper' Colson, 'Trapper' Troublay and 'Cub' Peters.
London: University of London Press, 1946. FIRST EDITION. Octavo, pp.186. Orange cloth decorated and trimmed in black in pictorial wrapper correctly priced at 6s. Some dustiness and acceptable wear; jacket with a few nicks, some soiling to spine. Shows well. More
King of the Commandos. A Story of Combined Operations.
Bickley: University of London Press, Ltd., 1943. [Wartime adventure] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.192. Publisher's red cloth, titled in black to spine and upper, pictorial dust-jacket designed by Stead, with printed price of 5/- net. Colour frontispiece and ten black and white in-text illustrations by Stead. Ownership to..... More
Biggles in the South Seas. Illustrated by Norman Howard.
London: Oxford University Press, 1940. Early paperback; Oxford 'Pyramid' printing. Publisher's grey paper wraps, titles printed in green to spine and upper. An uncommon early printing with text and illustrations (including the colour frontispiece) as per the first edition hardback book. Internally fine, boards are fine, spine a little rolled..... More
Biggles and The Black Peril.
London: Regent Classics / Thames Publishing Co., no date [circa 1950s]. [Aviation adventure] Octavo (21 x 14cm), pp.246. Publisher's red cloth boards blocked in black, illustrated dust-wrapper. A few marks to page edges, some toning, jacket with a few small nicks, sunned to spine. Very good. This edition being one..... More