James Bigglesworth, nicknamed “Biggles” by his friends, is a pilot, adventurer, and the hero of a long-running series of adventure books for young readers by Captain W.E. Johns (1893–1968).
Biggles first appeared in the short story “The White Fokker,” which appeared in the first issue of Popular Flying magazine in 1932. Johns continued to write Biggles stories and novels until his death in 1968—a 36-year run. The series eventually included nearly a hundred volumes, both novels as well as short story collections (carefully assembled so the short stories shared common settings and times). The series spanned both World Wars, which created a number of inconsistencies due to the unavoidable aging of Biggles and his friends. Later editions were edited in line with changing norms of acceptabilit
