THE Biggles AIR DETECTIVE OMNIBUS.

UK,8vo HB+dw/dj,1st edn,2nd imp.[The omnibus first published 1956.The stories within: 'Sergeant Bigglesworth,C.I.D.' in 1947,'Biggles' Second Case' in 1948, 'Another Job For Biggles' in 1951 and 'Biggles Works It Out',also in 1951 and all originally published by same publisher Hodder & Stoughton.] VG/GOOD.No owner inscrptn but a handwritten inked alpha-numerical notation and no price-clip (12s 6d.) to dw/dj.Slightly grubbed,minimally marked with some dw/djs' internal stains bleeding through to dw/djs' exterior,to colour pictorial artwork by STEAD,illustrated front panel of dw/dj,with orange,yellow and white lettering,grubbed rear panel with publisher's b/w advert for 57 other 'Biggles' titles; with some shelf-wear,creasing and rubbing - with minimal loss - and some minimal tears/nicks to edges and corners present.Both head+foot of spine/ backstrip of dw/dj chipped,rubbed and creased and a vertical slightly oblique-angled 1/2" cut/puncture near the centre of spine/backstrip with concomitant puncture to boards' spine/backstrip.Top edges dust-soiled and aged/toned,fore-edges brighter and cleaner with less ageing but some grubbing marks; contents bright,tight,clean,solid and sound - some minimal,sporadic grubbing marks to some pages' edges but generally foxing free to text body.No intentional dog-ear reading creases to pages' corners,though could be an accidental bottom corner crease to pp551/2 - the only noted one - and otherwise appears unread - apart from my own collation.Bright,crisp,clean,sharp-cornered,publisher's original plain red cloth boards with bright,crisp,stamped black ink letters to front and to spine/backstrip and clean plain white front endpaper and pastedown,rear endpapers and pastedown with some minimal thumbing/grubbing marks. UK,8vo HB+dw/dj,1st edn,2nd imp,5-640pp [paginated] includes author's foreword,contents list/table,4 complete stories with 18,18,15 and 16 chapters respectively,20 full-page b/w line illustrations by STEAD, interspersed throughout the text and the book,plus [unpaginated] half- title+title pages,and separator title pages for each story.Described hard but fairly and honestly and in detail - reads worse than as is,book in better state than the dw/dj admittedly - but still an acceptable stop-gap acquisition for any BIGGLES collector or fan. Want more Captain W.E JOHNS or Captain W[illiam] E[arle] JOHNS - please use either spelling.Then,please search my MODERN FIRSTS and also my CHILDRENS/ILLUSTRATED catalogues for other or similar titles. Leslie Leonard Stead (1899 - 1966.) Often worked as STEAD.He trained under the artist and designer Eugene Haskin,who was one of Hodder & Stoughton's illustrators.His own association with Hodder & Stoughton began in March 1916,and he later illustrated many of the 'Biggles', 'Worrals' and 'Gimlet' books written by Captain W.E. JOHNS and published by both Hodder & Stoughton and the Brockhampton Press.He specialised in figures in action (generally treating settings and props in a cursory fashion),and worked in black and white (pen or brush),halftone (crayon or pen and wash),and full colour.He served in the Army (probably ARP),1943-46. Since April 2013,again in March 2015,and in this year too,the UK Post Office has altered it's Pricing in Proportion template,altering it's prices, weight allowances,dimensions and lowered it's qualifying compensation rates too!
So,please contact rpaxtonden@blueyonder.co.uk ,for correct shipping/P+p quotes - particularly ALL overseas buyers - BEFORE ordering through the order page!