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.
Results 1 - 19 (of 19)
Biggles Takes a Holiday.
London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1949. [Modern Literature] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.190; [1]. Publisher's blue cloth lettered in red to upper board and spine, red pictorial motif to upper, illustrative dust-jacket with printed price of 6/- to front flap. Illustrative frontispiece and seven other coloured illustrated plates throughout..... 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 and the Black Raider. Another Adventure of Air Detective-Inspector Bigglesworth and his Air Police.
London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1953. [Adventure novel] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.192. Contains six boldly coloured plates, all by Leslie Stead, cartographic endpapers. Publisher's red cloth, original pictorial dust-wrapper. No inscriptions, a little soiling to rear e.p., jacket lightly used with shallow loss at crown, some dustiness, a...... More
Biggles in the South Seas.
London: Oxford University Press, 1940 [circa 1942]. [Children's Adventure] EARLY REPRINT. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.255 [1]. With a colour frontispiece and six other black and white illustrations by Howard. Publisher's tan cloth with brown titles to spine and upper, and brown decoration matching the First to upper only. With..... 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 Goes Alone A Biggles Adventure with a Difference
London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1962. [Children's] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (20 x 14cm), pp.156. Publisher's red cloth, titles in black to spine, dust-jacket with printed price of 8s 6d net. Colour frontispiece and 12 black and white line in-text illustrations. Edges marginally toned with a few marks, wrapper lightly handled with..... More
Biggles In the Underworld.
Leicester: Brockhampton Press, 1968. [Children's Adventure] FIRST EDITION. Octavo, pp.184. Publisher's hardcover in original dust-wrapper designed by Studio Stead, priced at 10/6 net. A lightly used copy with some minor rubbing and a few small nicks to crown of spine. No inscriptions or price-clipping. Shows well. A later Biggle title..... More
Biggles Investigates.
Leicester: Brockhampton Press, 1964. [Children's Adventure] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.184. With a colour frontispiece by Stead. Publisher's grey cloth with orange titles to spine. With the blue dust-jacket illustrated by Stead, priced at 8/6. A touch of spotting to edges, with some light wear to jacket extremities..... 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 Missing Millionaire.
London: Brockhampton Press. 1961. [Children's] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.170; [6]. Colour frontispiece by Leslie Stead. Publisher's yellow cloth, red titles to spine, dust-jacket with printed price of 8/6 net. Some marking to edges. Binding and jacket lightly rubbed to extremities, a little toned to spine. Very good..... 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 and the Poor Rich Boy. Another case from the records of Biggles and the Special Air Police.
Leicester: Brockhampton Press, 1961. [Boy's adventure novel] 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, priced at 8/6. A child's blue ink ownership to..... More
Biggles Investigates. And Other Stories of the Air Police.
Leicester: Brockhampton Press, 1964. [Children's Short Stories] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.184. Colour frontispiece by Leslie Stead. Publisher's grey cloth, red titles to spine, dust-jacket with printed price of 8/6. Wrapper very lightly handled to extremities, else a pristine copy. Fine. A collection of eight short Biggles stories..... More
Biggles of the Special Air Police. The Kingston Library.
London: The Thames Publishing Co., no date [circa 1956]. [Children's Adventures] EARLY REPRINT. Octavo (21 x 14cm), pp.247 1]. Publisher's red cloth with black titles to spine. With the colour-illustrated dust-jacket. Browning to low grade paper, with a little spotting also to edges and endpapers. Price-clipped jacket rubbed to edges..... More
Orchids for Biggles.
London: Brockhampton Press, 1962. [Boy's adventure novel] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.168; [1], advertisement. With colour frontispiece by Leslie Stead. Publisher's green cloth with titles and publisher's imprint in yellow to spine. Pictorial jacket priced 8s 6d. Simply a lovely fine copy. Biggles travels to Peru in pursuit..... More
Biggles Flies South.
London: Oxford University Press, 1938. [Children's Adventure] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.255 [1]. With a colour frontispiece by Leigh, and a sketch-map and six black and white illustrations by Nicolle. Publisher's tan cloth with brown titles and decoration to spine and upper. Top edge brown. School prize inscription..... More
Biggles And The Blue Moon.
London: Brockhampton Press, 1965. [Children's] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (20 x 14cm), pp.181; [3]. Publisher's black cloth, gilt titles to spine, dust-jacket designed by Leslie Stead with printed price of 10/6 net. Tiny pen mark to top edge. Dust-jacket lightly handled to extremities, but completely bright and unfaded. Fine. The title..... More
Biggles of the Camel Squadron.
London: John Hamilton Ltd., no date [c.1934]. [Aviation adventure] FINE LEATHER BINDING. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.254. With colour frontispiece and four black & white plates by Howard Leigh. Elegantly bound in half navy calf over matching cloth sides, spine gilt-titled in six compartments with traditional raised bands. Contents clean..... More
Comrades in Arms. Stories of 'Biggles' of the R.A.F., 'Worrals' of the W.A.A.F. and 'King' (Gimlet) of the Commandos.
London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1947. [Children's adventure story collectionl] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.227; [1], blank. With six green-tinted double spread illustrations by Stead, colour frontispiece and title page on pale green coated paper. Bound in publisher's blue cloth blocked in gilt, pictorial price-clipped dust-jacket. Lacks free endpaper..... More
Results 1 - 19 (of 19)