I’ve been exposed to enough British media to have noticed references to Biggles and Ginger, but not enough to know what they’re all about. I gather from context that they are characters in a book or series of books for boys, and that they are pilots of some sort, but that’s the most I’ve been able to infer.
Who are these guys? What do they do? When were the books written? Are they still popular today? Perhaps most importantly, are they secretly gay or what? (Sorry about that last one – I once saw an English sitcom episode where characters were arguing the question.)
There was also a sort ofo “sister” series of books by JOhns, intended for a young female readership. I am not sure if they ever matched the success of Biggles though.
[quote]
…She may have been devised by Johns as a propaganda heroine to entice young girls into the forces during World War 2 but she quickly evolved into a distinct personality who, though she clearly shares some of the same ideals as Biggles, Algy, Ginger and Bertie, has her own remarkable view of the world. The extra dimension is that she is a woman in a world completely dominated by men. Moreover, these are men engaged in a desperate war of survival. From the very start she is the underdog, the one who must battle not just the various enemies that cross her path but also with the uncomprehending and preoccupied higher command on her own side. The modern adjective to describe her would be “feisty”. Some of her attitudes would strike a chord with those engaged in the more rational aspects of the women’s struggle for equality during the last two decades. However, whether you are a male or female reader, you can’t help being on her side. W.E.Johns said of his creation: “She undertook some remarkable missions, but none (although for security reasons this couldn’t be divulged at the time) more desperate than were actually being made by girls in the same Service” (The First Biggles Omnibus).
