PissWeakly Reviews: Biggles x 2 / Captain W.E. Johns

Thursday, December 28, 2017

Biggles x 2 / Captain W.E. Johns

Biggles in the Orient

by Captain W.E. Johns

... action, subadult

read in December 2017

... rated 6/10: read to pass the time

Classic Biggles adventure with non-PC stereotypes which make it so simple to follow the plot. British are good, all villains are Asian. One Asian is said to be honest, generous, as I read it he is almost "one of us"; he was murdered before the story begins. There is one British character who is responsible -- without realising it -- for several British deaths; he pays the price by being killed.

There's lots of flying in a variety of planes; very satisfying for fans of flying (eg me). There's heroism and death and injury. A surprising amount of death and injury -- until you remember that this is a war story.

Biggles struggles through the heat of Indian jungle -- yet he still wears his tie. Oh, and I do have a worry with the chocolate bars that -- despite the heat -- do not melt.

The central mystery is well developed. The story is somewhat dated. The characters are two-dimensional. Yet it's still an easy-to-read and enjoyable book.

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Biggles defies the Swastika

by Captain W.E. Johns

... action, subadult

read in December 2017

...rated 7/10: well worth reading

Biggles is in Norway when the Nazis invade... which leads to my favourite scene: Biggles wakes up at his usual time -- but the hotel maid does not bring his morning coffee! No need to boil your own kettle, no need to call room service, delivery of morning coffee is just part of the hotel service... I like it :-)

The rest of the story is equally unbelievable, with Biggles flying & driving all over Norway, fooling Nazis and Nazi sympathisers at every turn and delivering vital information to British High Command.

Biggles is a straightforward fighting pilot, he does not like spying but he follows orders. Despite his own reluctance, Biggles does admire the bravery and skill of the "professional" spy.

This is plenty of action and adventure -- and flying -- in a story based around actual events in WW2. Germans are, of course, villains though they are not all evil. Some Germans are simply fighting for their own country. Norwegians who betray Norway get less sympathy.

Okay, I am a fan of Biggles. I like his attitudes, I enjoy his adventures. The start of this story is a bit slow but overall, I find that this book is well worth reading.