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Biggles #72
Orchids for Biggles
Libro usado en buenas condiciones, por su antiguedad podria contener señales normales de uso
160 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1962
8 people are currently reading
47 people want to read
About the author
W.E. Johns
615 books114 followersInvariably known as Captain W.E. Johns, William Earl Johns was born in Bengeo, Hertfordshire, England. He was the son of Richard Eastman Johns, a tailor, and Elizabeth Johns (née Earl), the daughter of a master butcher. He had a younger brother, Russell Ernest Johns, who was born on 24 October 1895.
He went to Hertford Grammar School where he was no great scholar but he did develop into a crack shot with a rifle. This fired his early ambition to be a soldier. He also attended evening classes at the local art school.
In the summer of 1907 he was apprenticed to a county municipal surveyor where he remained for four years and then in 1912 he became a sanitary inspector in Swaffham, Norfolk. Soon after taking up this appointment, his father died of tuberculosis at the age of 47.
On 6 October 1914 he married Maude Penelope Hunt (1882–1961), the daughter of the Reverend John Hunt, the vicar at Little Dunham in Norfolk. The couple had one son, William Earl Carmichael Johns, who was born in March 1916.
With war looming he joined the Territorial Army as a Private in the King's Own Royal Regiment (Norfolk Yeomanry), a cavalry regiment. In August 1914 his regiment was mobilised and was in training and on home defence duties until September 1915 when they received embarkation orders for duty overseas.
He fought at Gallipoli and in the Suez Canal area and, after moving to the Machine gun Corps, he took part in the spring offensive in Salonika in April 1917. He contracted malaria and whilst in hospital he put in for a transfer to the Royal Flying Corps and on 26 September 1917, he was given a temporary commission as a Second Lieutenant and posted back to England to learn to fly, which he did at No. 1 School of Aeronautics at Reading, where he was taught by a Captain Ashton.
He was posted to No. 25 Flying Training School at Thetford where he had a charmed existence, once writing off three planes in three days. He moved to Yorkshire and was then posted to France and while on a bombing raid to Mannheim his plane was shot down and he was wounded. Captured by the Germans, he later escaped before being reincarcerated where he remained until the war ended.
He went to Hertford Grammar School where he was no great scholar but he did develop into a crack shot with a rifle. This fired his early ambition to be a soldier. He also attended evening classes at the local art school.
In the summer of 1907 he was apprenticed to a county municipal surveyor where he remained for four years and then in 1912 he became a sanitary inspector in Swaffham, Norfolk. Soon after taking up this appointment, his father died of tuberculosis at the age of 47.
On 6 October 1914 he married Maude Penelope Hunt (1882–1961), the daughter of the Reverend John Hunt, the vicar at Little Dunham in Norfolk. The couple had one son, William Earl Carmichael Johns, who was born in March 1916.
With war looming he joined the Territorial Army as a Private in the King's Own Royal Regiment (Norfolk Yeomanry), a cavalry regiment. In August 1914 his regiment was mobilised and was in training and on home defence duties until September 1915 when they received embarkation orders for duty overseas.
He fought at Gallipoli and in the Suez Canal area and, after moving to the Machine gun Corps, he took part in the spring offensive in Salonika in April 1917. He contracted malaria and whilst in hospital he put in for a transfer to the Royal Flying Corps and on 26 September 1917, he was given a temporary commission as a Second Lieutenant and posted back to England to learn to fly, which he did at No. 1 School of Aeronautics at Reading, where he was taught by a Captain Ashton.
He was posted to No. 25 Flying Training School at Thetford where he had a charmed existence, once writing off three planes in three days. He moved to Yorkshire and was then posted to France and while on a bombing raid to Mannheim his plane was shot down and he was wounded. Captured by the Germans, he later escaped before being reincarcerated where he remained until the war ended.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
July 7, 2024
I have avoided later Biggles adventures written in the sixties, because Biggles is essentially a wartime pilot. His metier is aerial combat during major conflicts and the troubled times immediately thereafter.
This story was published in 1962, late in the author’s career, number 75 of 99 Biggles titles, so the great man was still churning them out to the end; he died in 1968. The only one I’ve read published after Orchids for Biggles is Biggles and the Lost Sovereigns which I enjoyed as a kid when it was first published in 1964.
It’s possible though that Johns was getting a little stale by this time; he was certainly economising. As a result Orchids for Biggles is the most disappointing Biggles adventure I know. Why? There’s no flying. And there’s no Ginger. And no Algy. A Biggles story without Ginger and Algy is much reduced: Ginger is the most interesting member of the gang apart from Biggles himself and Algy is a dour byword for dependable assurance. I missed them both.
No flying, I ask you. Well, technically there is a little. In the first six pages we have the amphibious aircraft ‘Gadfly’, taxiing (not flying) on the Rio Jurana in the Amazon basin in Peru near both the Brazilian and Bolivian borders, a location which is important to the plot. As usual Johns gets the geography right. After six pages Biggles and Bertie remain on terra firma until the last six pages And that’s it. If I read a Biggles book I want flying.
The rest of the time we get a dull search for a rogue nuclear scientist, who is a coward and not a man of integrity with the womenfolk, who is attempting to extort money from the British Government. Biggles needs to find the scientist and recover secret documents. It’s an exceedingly dull mosquito plagued time they have, slightly complicated by a Russian agent, called Bogosoff, an amusing name at least, and Bertie has an encounter with a giant anaconda, an example of the ‘monster’ which Johns regularly includes to imperil our heroes. In this case Bertie shortens the snake with a handy machete.
Orchids have nothing to do with anything. I debated whether to include the following: here’s a quote from an investigative conversation Biggles has with Maria, who may be able to help him. Biggles refers back to an incident at their hotel bar. The ‘friend’ is Bertie:
As usual Johns writing is well mannered, grammatical, readable and the plot is easy to follow. But no flying to speak of? And no Ginger? No Algy? I am bereft. I'll stick to the early tales.
This story was published in 1962, late in the author’s career, number 75 of 99 Biggles titles, so the great man was still churning them out to the end; he died in 1968. The only one I’ve read published after Orchids for Biggles is Biggles and the Lost Sovereigns which I enjoyed as a kid when it was first published in 1964.
It’s possible though that Johns was getting a little stale by this time; he was certainly economising. As a result Orchids for Biggles is the most disappointing Biggles adventure I know. Why? There’s no flying. And there’s no Ginger. And no Algy. A Biggles story without Ginger and Algy is much reduced: Ginger is the most interesting member of the gang apart from Biggles himself and Algy is a dour byword for dependable assurance. I missed them both.
No flying, I ask you. Well, technically there is a little. In the first six pages we have the amphibious aircraft ‘Gadfly’, taxiing (not flying) on the Rio Jurana in the Amazon basin in Peru near both the Brazilian and Bolivian borders, a location which is important to the plot. As usual Johns gets the geography right. After six pages Biggles and Bertie remain on terra firma until the last six pages And that’s it. If I read a Biggles book I want flying.
The rest of the time we get a dull search for a rogue nuclear scientist, who is a coward and not a man of integrity with the womenfolk, who is attempting to extort money from the British Government. Biggles needs to find the scientist and recover secret documents. It’s an exceedingly dull mosquito plagued time they have, slightly complicated by a Russian agent, called Bogosoff, an amusing name at least, and Bertie has an encounter with a giant anaconda, an example of the ‘monster’ which Johns regularly includes to imperil our heroes. In this case Bertie shortens the snake with a handy machete.
Orchids have nothing to do with anything. I debated whether to include the following: here’s a quote from an investigative conversation Biggles has with Maria, who may be able to help him. Biggles refers back to an incident at their hotel bar. The ‘friend’ is Bertie:
‘Sitting near me was a friend.’ Biggles smiled. ‘You sat on his lap – remember?’This statement surprised me. Biggles stories are almost completely devoid of relationships except for camaraderie and good fellowship, although women do occasionally appear, as in this case. Biggles remark about Bertie is maybe Johns telling us something about Bertie. I don’t mind and it has no bearing on the story.
Maria scowled. ‘He threw me away.’
‘He meant no offence. He is afraid of women.’
‘Why?’
‘I don’t know. Some men are like that…’ (p91)
As usual Johns writing is well mannered, grammatical, readable and the plot is easy to follow. But no flying to speak of? And no Ginger? No Algy? I am bereft. I'll stick to the early tales.
February 20, 2024
Niet het beste boek uit de reeks. De zo geliefde vliegtuigen van zowel de auteur als hoofdrolspeler Biggles spelen maar een miniem klein rolletje. De jonge lezers (van de ietwat oudere mag toch wel verwachten dat ze er al wat van weten, nietwaar) worden ook een beetje op het verkeerde been gezet, wanneer de auteur een allereerste pagina wijdt aan het onderwerp der orchideeën. En dat blijkt in het begin inderdaad even een belangrijk thema maar vormt verder enkel maar, weliswaar bijzonder mooie, bladvulling.
Muskieten die zijn alomtegenwoordig en onontkoombaar terwijl slangen, krokodillen, piranhas en sidderalen ook op de achtergrond aanwezig zijn. Kortom, de tropen en dan speciaal de echte jungle, zijn geen lachertje en niet bestemd voor doetjes. Toeristen blijven er beter weg. Biggles en Lizzie hebben echter geen keuze: er moet iemand opgespoord worden en die iemand wil liever verborgen blijven. Weinig comfort en veel ontberingen en gevaar, dat is zowat de rode draad doorheen het verhaal. Zoals gewoonlijk heeft Johns zich goed gedocumenteerd en maakt geen fouten tegen de couleur locale. Het snobistische (een teken des tijds waar verder niets achter gezocht moet worden) uit zich ook bij de schrijver en via hem bij Biggles natuurlijk wanneer ze uitgebreid de tijd nemen om hun superioriteit aan te tonen en minachtend neer te kijken op een Engelsman die zich helemaal heeft aangepast aan de tropen en volledig is in geïntegreerd met de plaatselijke bevolking. Uiteindelijk zal meermaals blijken dat ze aan hem hun leven en behouden terugkeer naar de Engelse beschaving te danken zullen hebben.
Het raadsel waar Biggles voor geplaatst ziet is een race tegen de tijd om iemand te vinden. Maar hoe vindt je iemand die daar thuis hoort, niet gevonden wil worden en je mag je vooral niet verdacht maken of hem opschrikken door openlijk achter hem te vragen?
Zoals zo vaak zal toeval hen te hulp schieten. We origineel in een Biggles verhaal is de strijd tussen twee jaloerse vrouwen, een strijd die op leven en dood zal uitgevochten worden.
Lizzie tegen de ananconda verdient en krijgt een hoofdstuk apart.
Verder is het een herkenbaar spannend Biggles verhaal met weer een unieke insteek en plot dat zich weer eens ergens op de aardbol afspeelt waar de gewone man liever niet wil komen. Natuurlijk in een tijd waar de technologie not niet ver stond ten opzichte van vandaag, er van multimedia geen sprake was en een telegram of een radioboodschap de enige vorm van verre communicatie was, buiten kranten en het schrijven van een gewone brief.
Nostalgisch, spannend, veel aktie, goeie dialogen, goed beschreven karakters... kortom een boek dat in het ondertussen steeds langere rijtje Biggels avonturen past zonder er echt bovenuit te steken.
Muskieten die zijn alomtegenwoordig en onontkoombaar terwijl slangen, krokodillen, piranhas en sidderalen ook op de achtergrond aanwezig zijn. Kortom, de tropen en dan speciaal de echte jungle, zijn geen lachertje en niet bestemd voor doetjes. Toeristen blijven er beter weg. Biggles en Lizzie hebben echter geen keuze: er moet iemand opgespoord worden en die iemand wil liever verborgen blijven. Weinig comfort en veel ontberingen en gevaar, dat is zowat de rode draad doorheen het verhaal. Zoals gewoonlijk heeft Johns zich goed gedocumenteerd en maakt geen fouten tegen de couleur locale. Het snobistische (een teken des tijds waar verder niets achter gezocht moet worden) uit zich ook bij de schrijver en via hem bij Biggles natuurlijk wanneer ze uitgebreid de tijd nemen om hun superioriteit aan te tonen en minachtend neer te kijken op een Engelsman die zich helemaal heeft aangepast aan de tropen en volledig is in geïntegreerd met de plaatselijke bevolking. Uiteindelijk zal meermaals blijken dat ze aan hem hun leven en behouden terugkeer naar de Engelse beschaving te danken zullen hebben.
Het raadsel waar Biggles voor geplaatst ziet is een race tegen de tijd om iemand te vinden. Maar hoe vindt je iemand die daar thuis hoort, niet gevonden wil worden en je mag je vooral niet verdacht maken of hem opschrikken door openlijk achter hem te vragen?
Zoals zo vaak zal toeval hen te hulp schieten. We origineel in een Biggles verhaal is de strijd tussen twee jaloerse vrouwen, een strijd die op leven en dood zal uitgevochten worden.
Lizzie tegen de ananconda verdient en krijgt een hoofdstuk apart.
Verder is het een herkenbaar spannend Biggles verhaal met weer een unieke insteek en plot dat zich weer eens ergens op de aardbol afspeelt waar de gewone man liever niet wil komen. Natuurlijk in een tijd waar de technologie not niet ver stond ten opzichte van vandaag, er van multimedia geen sprake was en een telegram of een radioboodschap de enige vorm van verre communicatie was, buiten kranten en het schrijven van een gewone brief.
Nostalgisch, spannend, veel aktie, goeie dialogen, goed beschreven karakters... kortom een boek dat in het ondertussen steeds langere rijtje Biggels avonturen past zonder er echt bovenuit te steken.
April 8, 2025
This being Biggles' 72nd outing, long after WW2, this story is set almost entirely in the jungles of South America. Biggles and Bertie Lissie are sent in an amphibious plane called the Gadfly to recover some documents from a blackmailer before they fall into enemy hands. Despite the title, there isn't much to do with orchids at all, that being a cover story for his mission. The ending and the dialogue throughout is very Biggles in style, but the general thread of this (quite short) story reads rather more like 1960s Maigret or similar, with peacetime Biggles not quite having the same tone as wartime Biggles and somehow the Spanish-speaking locals can all converse quite well with Biggles & Bertie, despite their rather eloquent English. Even so, this is still a fairly brisk and enjoyable read, especially for younger readers and Biggles fans. 3.25/5
February 21, 2026
No Ginger or Algy in this one although perhaps it was for the best. Two suspicious Brits hanging about in a remote jungle town was bad enough; four would have made even the intendente raise an eyebrow. As an aside, and in case it's not obvious, I want to point out that Biggles speaks Spanish to the locals (except for José). Biggles had little Spanish in the earlier books but by the 60s he'd learned it. Clever boy.
December 22, 2025
I am reviewing the series as a whole, rather than the books individually
The Biggles series is great adventure fiction: we get high stakes, aerial action (in most of the books), and a hero who is endlessly loyal, competent, and calm under pressure.
I love the dogfights, recon missions, and wartime scenarios.
Where the series falls short is character depth. Some attitudes and simplifications reflect the period in which the books were written. There are very definitely dated elements, but considering the era the books were written - overall the series performs well. More than a few of the stories defy plausibility, but who doesn't love to curl up with a good adventure book or 10?
“Never say die.”
The Biggles series is great adventure fiction: we get high stakes, aerial action (in most of the books), and a hero who is endlessly loyal, competent, and calm under pressure.
I love the dogfights, recon missions, and wartime scenarios.
Where the series falls short is character depth. Some attitudes and simplifications reflect the period in which the books were written. There are very definitely dated elements, but considering the era the books were written - overall the series performs well. More than a few of the stories defy plausibility, but who doesn't love to curl up with a good adventure book or 10?
“Never say die.”
June 28, 2016
In dit verhaal gaan Biggles en Bertie op jacht naar ene Neckler, die atoom-geheimen heeft gestolen van de Britse regering, en deze nu probeert te verkopen voor 1 miljoen. Onnodig om te zeggen dat de Britten hier weinig voor voelen, en Biggles verzoeken om deze man op te sporen en de papieren mee terug te nemen.
Hun pogingen worden bemoeilijkt door de moord op de receptioniste van het hotel, die af en toe eens post ophaalde voor Neckler.
Hun pogingen worden bemoeilijkt door de moord op de receptioniste van het hotel, die af en toe eens post ophaalde voor Neckler.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews