WINGS OF ROMANCE
First Published in book form in February 1939 - 220 pages
Originally published in THE THRILLER magazine in six
parts from 25th September 1937 to the 30th October 1937
Also published in FLYING
magazine in seven parts between 4th June 1938 (Vol. 1 Issue 10) and
16th July 1938 (Vol. 1 Issue 16)
The original first edition dust wrapper
showing the original price of 3/6 on the front flap
The original second edition dust
wrapper showing the now lower price of 2/6 on the spine.
The Latimer editon reprint dust wrapper
showing the price of 6 shillings on the front flap. I believe this was published on 16th
July 1951.
And finally - The original French
edition dust wrapper of “Wings of Romance” showing the title “Aventuriers de l’air”
which translates as “Air Adventurers”
(If you read the very last letter of
the book title as an “L” instead of an “R” it translates as “Garlic
Adventurers”!)
Steeley
is over in England from the United States whilst his wife has gone to tend to
her sister who is ill in New Zealand. With time on their hands, Steeley, Tubby
and Brian accept a job to travel to Prava, the capital of the Republic of
Carabonia in Central America. Their job is to reorganise the Carabonian Air
Force on the latest European lines. After meeting the corrupt President of
Carabonia, Pedro Ramoza, our heroes soon realise that they have been tricked
into coming to this country and they want to leave as soon as they can. This is
easier said than done. Travelling to the airfield at Campanella, they discover
the "air force" to consist of a few old wrecks. They meet Luke Rogers
a European mechanic, also tricked into coming to Carabonia. Rogers tells them
about the corrupt and evil President and how a Spaniard named Antonio Gonzales
is leading a rebellion against him. Rogers and a Scot called Alec McNash are
killed whilst trying to get away in an aircraft that could barely take off.
Later, our heroes and the evil looking band of locals at the airfield are
attacked by a Gipsy Moth aircraft and machine-gunned. Tubby sees the plane
suffer mechanical failure and suffer a forced landing in the distance. Taking a
car, Tubby sets off to see if the pilot has survived and at the end of his
journey he is astonished to find that the pilot is a beautiful girl. Her name
is Anita Gonzales, the daughter of Antonio. Tubby helps fix her plane and she
flies him to her home to meet with her father. Here Tubby meets Don Antonio and
pledges to fight on his side and attempt to rescue, Antonio's son, Ramon
Gonzales (Anita's brother). Ramon is a prisoner of President Ramoza. Anita
flies Tubby back to Campanella where he parachutes down to the airfield. Tubby
finds that Steeley and Brian have returned to the capital, Prava. He is taken
here by one of the local villains and finds himself locked in a cell with
Steeley and Brian. They are all being held prisoner. However, Tubby has with
him a hacksaw and a rope as he has come prepared to help Ramon escape. They are
soon out of their cell and able to free all the other prisoners including Ramon.
Ramon takes them to the house of a friend of his called Fernando Nuez to hide.
Soldiers' raid Nuez's house and he is killed as Steeley, Tubby and Ramon
escape. Returning to Campanella, our heroes fix up a plane to escape by air.
They get some way before being forced to land due to the aircraft's defects.
Here they are rescued by men sent by Don Antonio Gonzales who is eternally
grateful for the rescue of his son. Next morning Steeley flies in Anita's plane
to the United States to meet with his father-in-law who is a millionaire.
Gonzales is offering certain contracts if and when he becomes President, in
exchange for some assistance, particular aircraft. Tubby and Brian remain at
Gonzales hacienda. Over the next few days, Tubby attempts to train all the men
Gonzales can raise, so they can fight like a disciplined modern army. Getting
word that President Ramoza is on his way to the hacienda with a large force of
men, Tubby determines to take his small army and defend the pass through the
mountains. Here a major battle is fought after a little night time skirmish in
order to steal arms and ammunition. Just as Tubby's men are about to be
overwhelmed, two modern aircraft arrive. Steeley is back. Some low strafing
soon breaks the moral of the President's troops. The next step in the plan is
to fly 60 or 70 men to Prava and take the President's fortress of a palace
while his is not there. This is easily accomplished as the palace is only being
held by a handful of men who soon give up after being bombed. Reports come in
that Ramoza has been killed by his own men and Gonzales is declared President.
Tubby returns to Anita, as they have fallen in love with each other.
Wings of Romance
Subtitle - A "Steeley adventure"
Publication Details - originally published by George Newnes