As far as I'm concerned, any Algy moment is a great Algy moment. He can light up a room just by walking into it.
Among my very very favorite scenes are: Algy sneering that he is the world champion of Snakes and Ladders in Swastika, rescuing Biggles in Von Stalhein's car in Swastika, Algy getting shot but bringing the plane in to land in Biggles in the Blue, Algy fearlessly facing down an old enemy in Biggles & Co., Algy in Goes to War complaining that he doesn't mind getting shot as long as the firing squad get on with it and not leave him waiting while their general reads his morning correspondence...I could go on for hours here.
Who does Algy have the best chemistry with? Undoubtedly Biggles. He and Bertie can produce some funny moments, and he and Ginger can bicker quite nicely, but it's always the conversations with Biggles that have me melting into a little puddle on the floor. Algy knows Biggles' head inside out, and the two of them are so alike in so many ways. In Little Green God Algy insists on parachuting down to check on what appears to be a person. When Biggles protests, Algy says simply that "[if we leave that person stranded], I shan't sleep tonight; nor, if I know anything, will you."
How can you not love someone like that?
What are your favorite Algy moments? What do you like most about him? Share the love in the comments below!
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Sopwith said "How can you not love someone like that?"
ReplyDeleteHow indeed - it is going to take me a while to assemble my Algy moments as, in addition to those you list, there are many many many more. Mainly with Biggles, it goes without saying.
Note, Soppy, Algy WITH Biggles NOT Biggles with HER.
Really, any Algy moment is usually a Biggles moment too :-))))
Another Algy moment(s) - The beginning of Biggles takes Charge. Algy's thoughts and feelings At La Sologne.
ReplyDeleteand of course, the dining room scene in Takes Charge when he 'outs' von Stahlein.
ReplyDeleteOh, yes, FB, Takes Charge is amazing: the whole first half of the book is all Algy moments. There was a period of several years after I left school when I was not reading the books, but the memory of that one was always in the back of my mind.
ReplyDeleteWell the very first one that springs to mind is in "Delivers the Goods" when Algy is being 'interviewed' by the Japanese general. Has to be one of my all-time favourite Algy moments! Or when Biggles first introduces Algy to Dickpa in "Cruise of the Condor", guess I've always kind of liked that scene!
ReplyDeleteAnd he part in "Flies East" when Biggles and Algy meet at the oasis and it really sinks for Algy in what Biggles is up against.
I could just keep going here, Algy is so amazing! <3
The moment in The Boob when he comes back into a dogfight with jammed guns is one worthy of mention as well--it was that more than anything else that started him and Biggles off on the road to lifelong friendship.
ReplyDeleteFails to Return has some lovely Algy moments, although that book was chiefly to highlight Bertie's abilities...
I was always disappointed that Gobi, which was wej's "Algy" book, wasn't really the brilliant Algy book I thought it would be. I was always miffed that Ginger was the one to go out and find the people, leaving Algy back at camp...again :(
Another Algy moment for me is the plane fight in 'Works It Out' when he's on his way to El Asil? to save Bertie. The fact that he did not take the easy way out first by clobbering the pilot on the back of the head is typical Algy.
ReplyDeleteI am just re-re-re-reading 'Sees it Through', a great story, the days when nobody was left behind to mind the plane. There are lots and lots of good Algy moments when he argues with Biggles, which he seems to do frequently. Those were the days when Biggles and Algy treated each other more like equals...
ReplyDeleteNice Ginger moments too when Biggles is at the end of his endurance and Algy is exhausted and Ginger goes to get them some food.
Their luck in Sees It Through is so bad that it makes me wonder if they had forgotten to take out the coin from Flies West. How is it possible for all three of them to fly out--separately--and ALL fail??
ReplyDeleteOr maybe the trouble was that they had taken the coin from Flies West!!!!!
ReplyDeleteI bet when wej was writing it he was grinning happily to himself...much in the same way I grin to myself as I write Biggles Married...
ReplyDeleteTalking of which.... ??????
ReplyDeleteNew chapter has been posted :)
ReplyDeleteI'm thinking of adding 'Foreign Legionnaire' to my favourites. It is a long time since I read it and I had forgotten what a good action-packed story it is, to say nothing of the concluding chapters where Biggles and EVS temporarily combine forces to fight a common enemy.
ReplyDeleteBut what I really like about it, and I can't think how, but I had forgotten, is that in much of the book Algy is worrying about Biggles. He worries that Biggles is putting his life in too much danger.
Algy says "Must you really go?" Then again later, he asks if Biggles is really going. And even later, when he and Bertie can't get hold of a plane, Algy decides that if necessary he will pinch one the next morning...
Amazingly Raymond saves the day :-)
I also love the end when Biggles introduces EVS to Raymond and winks at Algy when EVS bows (a gentleman, was taught good manners...)
I LOVE how Algy says he will pinch a plane if he has to to save Biggles. Frankly, I wouldn't be surprised if Algy pinched a whole squadron if Biggles was really in danger!
ReplyDeleteI have just finished reading In Australia - I am working my way through the Air Police books. There is a good Algy moment.
ReplyDeleteAlgy is in charge because Biggles has gone on a 2000 mile round trip to see some brass hat [he is tired when he gets back - serves him right for not taking somebody with him to share the flying!].
Not only does Algy organise a rescue of a man out of a crocodile-infested river, he does it by a brilliant piece of flying. It just so happens that the rescued chap is a pilot and he is [quite rightly] impressed: "That spot of flying was pretty to watch".
Yes, SA, reminding me of that bit has put 'Australia' on my next re-read list. We know Algy is brilliant but it's always nice when someone else says so.
ReplyDeleteAlgy must do quite a lot of stunt flying. I think Biggles takes flyign too seriously to do it, but Algy would enjoy having a laugh.
ReplyDelete