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James Bigglesworth, nicknamed "Biggles", is a fictional pilot and adventurer, the title character and main hero of the ''Biggles'' series of youth-oriented adventure books written by W. E. Johns (1893–1968). Biggles first appeared in the story "The White Fokker", published in the first issue of ''Popular Flying'' magazine, in 1932. The first collection of Biggles stories, ''The Camels Are Coming'', was published that same year. The series was continued until the author's death in 1968, eventually spanning nearly a hundred volumes – including novels and short story collections – most, but not all, of the latter with a common setting and time frame. ==Biggles and his creator== Biggles first appears as a teenaged "scout" (fighter) pilot in the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) during World War I. He has joined the RFC in 1916 at the age of 17, having conveniently "lost" his birth certificate. Biggles represents a particularly "British" hero, combining professionalism with a gentlemanly air. Under the stress of combat he develops from a slightly hysterical youth prone to practical jokes to a calm, confident, competent leader. He is occasionally given "special" (secret) missions by the shadowy figure of Colonel (initially Major) Raymond (Wing Commander/Air Commodore in later books, reflecting the creation of the Royal Air Force with its own ranks), who is already involved with the intelligence side of operations. Biggles is accompanied by his cousin Algernon ('Algy') Lacey and his mechanic Flight Sergeant Smyth, who are to accompany Biggles on his adventures after the war; added to the team in 1935 is the teenager Ginger Hebblethwaite. W.E. Johns was a First World War pilot, although his own career did not parallel that of Biggles particularly closely. The author's initial war service was with the infantry, fighting at Gallipoli and on the Macedonian front. He was commissioned, seconded into the RFC in September 1917 and posted back to England for flight training, serving in England as a flying instructor until August 1918 when he transferred to the Western Front. On 16 September 1918 his De Havilland DH4 was shot down on a bombing raid. His observer, Lieutenant Amey, was killed (in two of the stories in ''Biggles Learns to Fly'' observers flying with Biggles are killed or badly wounded) but Johns survived to be taken prisoner of war.〔 Johns remained with the RAF until 1927, although his final rank was Flying Officer (equivalent to Lieutenant in the RFC) rather than the "Captain" of his pen name. While the purpose of the Biggles stories was to entertain adolescent boys, in the First World War stories, Johns paid attention to historical detail and helped recreate the primitive days of early air combat, when pilots often died in their first combat and before devices such as respirators and parachutes had become practical. Various models on which the Biggles character might have been based have been suggested, including rugby player and WWI flying ace Cyril Lowe, fighter pilot Albert Ball and air commodore Arthur Bigsworth.〔(Link between 'Bigsworth' and 'Bigglesworth' suggested )〕 Johns stated that the character was a composite of many individuals in the RFC (including him).〔 The bulk of the Biggles books are set after World War I and after Johns' flying career was over. Biggles has an unusually lengthy career, flying a number of aircraft representative of the history of British military aviation, from Sopwith Camels during World War I, Hawker Hurricanes and Supermarine Spitfires in World War II, right up to the Hawker Hunter jet fighter in a postwar adventure ''Biggles in the Terai''. In these later books geographic and historical accuracy is rather less evident and the sometimes rather grim detail of the first stories is moderated, in deference to the increasing popularity of the Biggles books with a younger audience than the older adolescents at which they were initially targeted. The books were popular and were eventually translated into Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Flemish, German, Hungarian, Icelandic, Italian, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish and Swedish.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Biggles」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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