When Biggles’ opposite number and old friend in the French Surete, Marcel Brissac, joins the French Foreign Legion, Biggles is intrigued as to why. After thinking it through, Biggles concludes that Marcel is onto an international gang with a financial interest in war. Various Countries are at war with each other and when there is a chance of peace, an incident usually occurs to thwart the peace process. The international gang is behind such incidents. The only lead is the knowledge that the gang encourages French Foreign Legionnaires to desert and join them. Biggles and Ginger join Marcel in the Legion, and find he is under suspicion. Eventually, Biggles and Ginger are approached to desert due to their flying experience. The first attempt goes wrong but eventually they do desert and so follow a trail that they hope will lead them to the people in charge. The trail leads to the Valley of the Tartars, where a secret squadron is carrying out acts of aggression. Here they discover the gang’s latest recruit is a certain Erich Von Stalhein. With the help of a lone madman waging a one-man war against the gang and a surprise attack by Kurds, Biggles foils their plans. Air Commodore Raymond gets to meet Von Stalhein for the first time.
First Edition. No dustjacket. (name on fep) pp. 190, colour plates. A very nice copy! #220522