Percy Francis Westerman (1876 – 22 February 1959) was an English author of children's literature, with a prolific output. Many of his books are adventure stories with military and naval themes.
Percy F. Westerman | |
---|---|
Born | 1876 Portsmouth, England |
Died | 22 February 1959 | (aged 82–83)
Occupation | Author |
Nationality | English |
Alma mater | Portsmouth Grammar School |
Genre | Children's literature |
Notable works | King of Kilba |
Spouse | Florence Wager (1900–death) |
Children | John F.C. Westerman (son) |
Biography
editHe was born in Portsmouth, England in 1876, and educated at Portsmouth Grammar School, before taking up a clerical appointment at Portsmouth Dockyard at the age of twenty. He married Florence Wager, of Portsmouth, in 1900. Always keen sailors, they spent part of their honeymoon sailing in the Solent. Their son, John F.C. Westerman, born in 1901, also wrote adventure books for boys.
At the age of 70 he was reluctantly forced by a fall to leave his houseboat for dry land, but he continued writing apace. He died at the age of 82, and his last book, Mistaken Identity, was published posthumously in 1959.
Writing career
editHis writing career allegedly began with a sixpence bet made with his wife that he could write a better story than the one he was reading to his son, who was at the time ill with chickenpox.
His first book for boys, A Lad of Grit, was published by Blackie and Son Limited in 1908. In the same year, Baden-Powell founded the Scouting movement, which strongly influenced many of Westerman's books – he was a particularly keen supporter of the Sea Scouts.
He published a further three books in 1911, which were so successful that he gave up his Admiralty appointment that year to become a full-time author. He lived on board a houseboat – a converted Thames barge – on the River Frome at Wareham in Dorset, where he wrote the majority of his books.
An early book, The Flying Submarine (published in 1912) may indicate Westerman's genre. This boys' adventure novel was about a mysterious man from a South American country. He was an inventor, who had discovered a new kind of lighter-than-air gas that he called "helia", which was much lighter than helium or hydrogen. He used helia in many inventions, including back-packs that could help a man float in the air or fly upwards, and in the remarkable titular submarine that could, when enough helia was used, fly! Eventually he used his flying submarine to win a war between his South American country and its belligerent neighbour.
It is highly likely that Westerman derived the idea for this super-weapon from Jules Verne's Terror, the speedboat, submarine, automobile, or aircraft superweapon invented by Verne's arch-hero Robur in Master of the World and The Clipper of the Clouds.
Similarly Westerman's South American conflict reflects the wars between Paraguay and Uruguay.
During the First World War, he was initially employed on coastal duties by the Royal Navy, but in 1918 he was commissioned, like W. E. Johns, in the Royal Flying Corps, as an instructor of navigation. During the Second World War he commanded the Arne platoon of the 7th Dorset Home Guard battalion (Wareham) from June 1940 until 26 December 1942. He wrote to Blackie of his service in the two wars that "neither appointment seriously interfered with my literary output."
During the 1930s Westerman was voted the most popular author of stories for boys. His books sold over one and a half million copies in his lifetime (total sales at his death were 1,599,000). He published at least 174 books, with 12 different firms.
Bibliography
editPublication dates as listed by the British Library. Many titles were reissued subsequently, some several times.
No. | Title | Subtitle | Publisher | Place | Year | Illustrator | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | A Lad of Grit | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1908 | Edward S. Hodgson | Project Gutenberg | |
2 | The Young Cavalier | C. Arthur Pearson | London | 1909 | Gordon Browne | Project Gutenberg | |
3 | The Winning of the Golden Spurs | James Nisbet and Co. | London | 1911 | [note 1][1]Project Gutenberg | ||
4 | The Quest of the "Golden Hope" | A seventeenth century story of adventure | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1912 | Frank E. Wiles | Project Gutenberg |
5 | The Flying Submarine | James Nisbet and Co. | London | 1912 | Faded Page | ||
6 | Captured at Tripoli | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1912 | Charles M. Sheldon | Project Gutenberg | |
7 | The Sea Monarch | Adam and Charles Black | London | 1912 | Edward S. Hodgson | [note 2]Project Gutenberg | |
8 | The Scouts of Seal Island | Adam and Charles Black | London | 1913 | Ernest Prater | Project Gutenberg | |
9 | The Rival Submarines | S. W. Partridge and Co. | London | 1913 | C. Fleming Williams | Project Gutenberg | |
10 | The Stolen Cruiser | Jarrold and Sons | London | 1913 | Project Gutenberg | ||
11 | When East Meets West | A story of the yellow peril | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1913 | C. M. Padday | |
12 | Under King Henry's Banners | A story of the days of Agincourt | Pilgrim Press | London | 1913 | John Campbell | [note 3][2]Project Gutenberg |
13 | The Log of a Snob | Chapman and Hall | London | 1914 | W. Edward Wigfull | [note 4] | |
14 | The Sea-Girt Fortress | A story of Heligoland | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1914 | W. E. Wigfull | Project Gutenberg |
15 | The Sea Scouts of the "Petrel" | Adam and Charles Black | London | 1914 | |||
16 | 'Gainst the Might of Spain | A story of the days of the Great Armada | Pilgrim Press | London | 1914 | ||
17 | Building the Empire | A story of the North-West Frontier | Jarrold and Sons | London | 1914 | ||
18 | The Dreadnought of the Air | S. W. Partridge and Co. | London | 1914 | Project Gutenberg | ||
19 | The Dispatch-Riders | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1915 | Project Gutenberg | ||
20 | The Nameless Island | A story of some modern Robinson Crusoes | C. Arthur Pearson | London | 1915 | Project Gutenberg | |
21 | The Fight for Constantinople | A story of the Gallipoli Peninsula | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1915 | Project Gutenberg | |
22 | A Sub. of the R.N.R.[3] | S. W. Partridge and Co. | London | 1915 | Project Gutenberg | ||
23 | Rounding up the Raider | A naval story of the Great War | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1916 | Edward S. Hodgson | Project Gutenberg |
24 | The Secret Battleplane[3] | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1916 | Ernest Prater | Project Gutenberg | |
25 | The Treasure of the "San Philipo" | Religious Tract Society / Boy's Own Paper | London | 1916 | Project Gutenberg | ||
26 | A Watch-dog of the North Sea | S. W. Partridge and Co. | London | 1916 | C. M. Padday | Project Gutenberg | |
27 | Deeds of Pluck and Daring in the Great War | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1917 | |||
28 | To the Fore with the Tanks![3] | S. W. Partridge and Co. | London | 1918 | Project Gutenberg | ||
29 | Under the White Ensign | A naval story of the Great War | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1918 | Edward S. Hodgson | Project Gutenberg |
30 | The Fritz-Strafers | S. W. Partridge and Co. | London | 1918 | [note 5]Project Gutenberg | ||
31 | Billy Barcroft, R.N.A.S.[3] | A story of the Great War | S. W. Partridge and Co. | London | 1918 | Project Gutenberg | |
32 | A Lively Bit of the Front | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1918 | Project Gutenberg | ||
33 | The Secret Channel and Other Stories of the Great War | Adam and Charles Black | London | 1918 | Edward S. Hodgson | ||
34 | The Submarine Hunters[4] | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1918 | Edward S. Hodgson | Project Gutenberg | |
35 | With Beatty off Jutland | A romance of the great sea fight | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1918 | Project Gutenberg | |
36 | Wilmshurst of the Frontier Force[5] | A story of the conquest of German East Africa | S. W. Partridge and Co. | London | 1918 | Ernest Prater[3] | Project Gutenberg |
37 | A Sub. And a Submarine | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1919 | Edward S. Hodgson | Faded Page / Project Gutenberg | |
38 | Winning his Wings | A story of the R.A.F. | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1919 | Project Gutenberg | |
39 | The Thick of the Fray at Zeebrugge: April 1918 | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1919 | W. Edward Wigfull | Project Gutenberg | |
40 | Midst Arctic Perils | C. Arthur Pearson | London | 1919 | Project Gutenberg | ||
41 | The Airship "Golden Hind"[3] | S. W. Partridge and Co. | London | 1920 | Project Gutenberg | ||
42 | The Mystery Ship | A naval story of the Great War | S. W. Partridge and Co. | London | 1920 | Project Gutenberg | |
43 | The Salving of the "Fusi Yama" | A post-war story of the sea | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1920 | Edward S. Hodgson | Project Gutenberg |
44 | Sea Scouts All | How the "Olivette" was won | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1920 | Project Gutenberg | |
45 | Sea Scouts Abroad | Further adventures of the "Olivette" | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1921 | Project Gutenberg | |
46 | The Third Officer | A present-day pirate story | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1921 | Edward S. Hodgson | Project Gutenberg |
47 | Sea Scouts Up-Channel | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1922 | Project Gutenberg | ||
48 | The Wireless Officer | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1922 | Project Gutenberg | ||
49 | The War of the Wireless Waves | Oxford University Press & Humphrey Milford | London | 1923 | |||
50 | The Pirate Submarine | James Nisbet and Co. | London | 1923 | Project Gutenberg | ||
51 | A Cadet of the Mercantile Marine | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1923 | W. Edward Wigfull | ||
52 | Clipped Wings | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1923 | Edward S. Hodgson | Project Gutenberg | |
53 | The Mystery of Stockmere School | S. W. Partridge and Co. | London | 1924 | |||
54 | Sinclair's Luck | A story of adventure in East Africa | S. W. Partridge and Co. | London | 1924 | ||
55 | Captain Cain | James Nisbet and Co. | London | 1924 | Faded Page | ||
56 | The Good Ship "Golden Effort" | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1924 | |||
57 | The Treasure of the Sacred Lake | C. Arthur Pearson | London | 1924 | |||
58 | Unconquered Wings | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1924 | |||
59 | Clinton's Quest | C. Arthur Pearson | London | 1925 | |||
60 | East in the "Golden Gain" | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1925 | R F Hilder | ||
61 | The Boys of the "Puffin" | S. W. Partridge and Co. | London | 1925 | |||
62 | The Buccaneers of Boya | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1925 | Faded Page | ||
63 | The Sea Scouts of the "Kestrel" | Seeley, Service and Co. | London | 1926 | Faded Page | ||
64 | Annesley's Double | Adam and Charles Black | London | 1926 | Faded Page | ||
65 | King of Kilba | Ward, Lock & Co. | London and Melbourne | 1926 | |||
66 | The Luck of the "Golden Dawn" | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1926 | |||
67 | The Riddle of the Air | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1926 | R F Hilder | ||
68 | The Terror of the Seas | Ward, Lock & Co. | London and Melbourne | 1927 | |||
69 | Mystery Island | Oxford University Press & Humphrey Milford | London | 1927 | Faded Page | ||
70 | Captain Blundell's Treasure | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1927 | |||
71 | Chums of the "Golden Vanity" | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1927 | R F Hilder | Faded Page | |
72 | In the Clutches of the Dyaks | S. W. Partridge and Co. | London | 1927 | Faded Page | ||
73 | The Junior Cadet | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1928 | [note 6] | ||
74 | On the Wings of the Wind | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1928 | |||
75 | A Shanghai Adventure | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1928 | |||
76 | Pat Stobart in the "Golden Dawn" | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1929 | |||
77 | Rivals of the Reef | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1929 | |||
78 | Captain Starlight | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1929 | |||
79 | Captain Sang | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1930 | |||
80 | Leslie Dexter, Cadet | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1930 | |||
81 | A Mystery of the Broads | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1930 | |||
82 | The Secret of the Plateau | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1931 | |||
83 | The Senior Cadet | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1931 | |||
84 | In Defiance of the Ban | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1931 | Faded Page | ||
85 | The Amir's Ruby | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1932 | Faded Page | ||
86 | 'All Hands to the Boats' | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1932 | |||
87 | Captain Fosdyke's Gold | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1932 | Edward S. Hodgson | ||
88 | King for a Month | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1933 | |||
89 | Rocks Ahead! | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1933 | |||
90 | The White Arab | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1933 | |||
91 | The Disappearing Dhow | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1933 | Faded Page | ||
92 | Chasing the "Pleiad" | The Mystery of the S.S. Aracluta | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1933 | ||
93 | Tales of the Sea | R. Tuck and Sons | London | 1934 | Terence T. Cuneo | [note 7] | |
94 | The Westow Talisman | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1934 | |||
95 | Andy-All-Alone | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1934 | |||
96 | The Black Hawk | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1934 | |||
97 | Standish of the Air Police | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1935 | |||
98 | Sleuths of the Air | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1935 | Faded Page | ||
99 | On Board the "Golden Effort" | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1935 | |||
100 | The Call of the Sea | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1935 | |||
101 | The Red Pirate | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1935 | Rowland Hilder | ||
102 | Tireless Wings | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1936 | Comerford Watson | ||
103 | Captain Flick | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1936 | Edward S. Hodgson | ||
104 | His First Ship | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1936 | |||
105 | Midshipman Raxworthy | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1936 | Edward S. Hodgson | Faded Page | |
106 | Ringed by Fire | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1936 | |||
107 | The Pearl Fishers and Other Stories | R. Tuck and Sons | London | 1936 | [note 8] | ||
108 | Winged Might | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1937 | |||
109 | Under Fire in Spain | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1937 | Ernest Prater | ||
110 | The Last of the Buccaneers | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1937 | |||
111 | Haunted Harbour | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1937 | |||
112 | His Unfinished Voyage | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1937 | |||
113 | Midshipman Webb's Treasure | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1937 | D. L. Mays | ||
114 | Cadet Alan Carr | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1938 | D. L. Mays | ||
115 | Standish Gets his Man | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1938 | W. Edward Wigfull | Faded Page | |
116 | Standish Loses his Man | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1939 | W. Edward Wigfull | ||
117 | In Eastern Seas | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1939 | |||
118 | The Bulldog Breed | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1939 | E. Boye Uden | ||
119 | At Grips with the Swastika | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1940 | Leo Bates | ||
120 | Eagles' Talons | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1940 | |||
121 | In Dangerous Waters | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1940 | |||
122 | Standish Pulls it Off | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1940 | |||
123 | When the Allies Swept the Seas | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1940 | J. C. B. Knight | Faded Page | |
124 | The War – and Alan Carr | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1940 | E. Boye Uden | ||
125 | War Cargo | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1941 | |||
126 | Sea Scouts at Dunkirk | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1941 | |||
127 | Standish Holds On | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1941 | |||
128 | Fighting for Freedom | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1941 | |||
129 | Alan Carr in the Near East | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1942 | |||
130 | Destroyer's Luck | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1942 | |||
131 | Secret Flight | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1942 | |||
132 | On Guard for England | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1942 | J. C. B. Knight | ||
133 | A Real Boy's Book | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1942 | [note 9] | ||
134 | With the Commandos | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1943 | Salomon Van Abbé | ||
135 | Sub-Lieutenant John Cloche | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1943 | H. Pym | ||
136 | Alan Carr in the Arctic | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1943 | E. Boye Uden | ||
137 | Combined Operations | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1944 | Salomon Van Abbé | Faded Page | |
138 | 'Engage the Enemy Closely' | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1944 | Terence T. Cuneo | ||
139 | Secret Convoy | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1944 | Terence T. Cuneo | ||
140 | Alan Carr in Command | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1945 | Terence T. Cuneo | ||
141 | One of the Many | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1945 | Ellis Silas | ||
142 | 'Operations Successfully Executed' | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1945 | S. Drigin | ||
143 | By Luck and by Pluck | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1946 | Terence T. Cuneo | ||
144 | Return to Base | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1946 | Leslie A. Wilcox | ||
145 | Squadron Leader | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1946 | Terence T. Cuneo | ||
146 | Unfettered Might | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1947 | S. Jezzard | ||
147 | Trapped in the Jungle | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1947 | A. S. Forrest | ||
148 | The Phantom Submarine | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1947 | J. C. B. Knight | ||
149 | The "Golden Gleaner" | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1948 | M Mackinlay | ||
150 | First Over | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1948 | Ellis Silas | ||
151 | The Mystery of the Key | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1948 | Ellis Silas | ||
152 | Missing, Believed Lost | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1949 | Will Nickless | ||
153 | Contraband | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1949 | A. Barclay | ||
154 | Beyond the Burma Road | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1949 | Victor J. Bertoglio | ||
155 | Sabarinda Island | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1950 | A. Barclay | ||
156 | The Mystery of Nix Hall | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1950 | D. C. Eyles | ||
157 | By Sea and Air | Midshipman Doughty and Forced Landing | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1950 | ||
158 | Desolation Island | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1950 | W. Gale | ||
159 | Held to Ransom | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1951 | Ellis Silas | ||
160 | The Isle of Mystery | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1951 | |||
161 | Working their Passage | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1951 | Ellis Silas | ||
162 | Sabotage! | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1952 | Ellis Silas | ||
163 | Round the World in the "Golden Gleaner" | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1952 | Jack Matthew | Faded Page | |
164 | Dangerous Cargo | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1952 | |||
165 | Bob Strickland's Log | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1953 | Jack Matthew | ||
166 | The Missing Diplomat | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1953 | R. G. Campbell | ||
167 | Rolling down to Rio'' | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1953 | R. G. Campbell | ||
168 | Wrested from the Deep | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1954 | Robert Johnston | ||
169 | A Midshipman of the Fleet | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1954 | P. A. Jobson | ||
170 | The Ju–Ju Hand | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1954 | |||
171 | The "Dark Secret" | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1954 | Victor J. Bertoglio | ||
172 | 'Sea Scouts Alert!' | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1955 | G. Graham | ||
173 | Daventry's Quest | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1955 | P. A. Jobson | ||
174 | The Lure of the Lagoon | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1955 | E. Kearon | ||
175 | Held in the Frozen North | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1956 | Edward Osmond | ||
176 | The Mystery of the Sempione | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1957 | P.B. Batchelor | ||
177 | Jack Craddock's Commission | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1958 | Edward Osmond | ||
178 | Mistaken Identity | Blackie and Son Ltd. | London and Glasgow | 1959 | Robert Johnston |
Series
editHis publishing house S. W. Partridge included Westerman in a series entitled 'The Great Adventure Series' along with Rowland Walker, author of Oscar Danby, V.C.[3]
Example illustrations of Westerman's books
editWesterman's books were illustrated, as was the norm with books intended for the juvenile market. Typically they had from four to six full-page illustration, although some had more. The Sea Monarch, which had originally been serialised in The Captain in 1911, had 12 full page illustrations.[6] The Project Gutenberg edition of the book has eight more illustrations (not full pages size), as the book was scanned from Volume XXV of The Captain rather than from the book published by A. C. Black.[7]
Illustrations for Westerman's first book
editIllustrations by Edward S. Hodgson for A Lad of Grit: A Story of Adventure on Land and Sea in Restoration Times (1908). This was the first book by Westerman and the first of seventeen of his books to be illustrated by Hodgson. By courtesy of Project Gutenberg.
-
No.-1
-
No.-2
-
No.-3
-
No.-4
Illustrations for one of Westerman's First World War stories
editIllustrations by Edward S. Hodgson for Winning his Wings: A story of the R. A. F. (1920) by Westerman. This was another story by Westerman set in the First World War. It was one of seventeen books by Westerman illustrated by Hodgson. By courtesy of Project Gutenberg.
-
No.-1
-
No.-2
-
No.-3
-
No.-4
-
No.-5
-
No.-6
See also
editNotes
edit- ^ 'The Winning of the Golden Spurs was first searialised in Young England in 1910. The book was illustrated but the name of the illustrator was not stated. However, they were said to be an artist of established reputation.
- ^ This story was first serialised in Volume XXV of The Captain from April to September 1911.
- ^ Under King Henry's Banners was reviewed by the Westminster Gazette on 16 December 1913.
- ^ This was the first of over twenty book by Westerman which Wigfull illustrated.
- ^ Reissued as The Keepers of the Narrow Seas, 1931
- ^ Reissued as Norman goes to Sea, 1934
- ^ with C. Gilson et al.
- ^ With Major John Thomas Gorman et al.
- ^ with others
References
edit- ^ "Christmas Books: A Parcel of Annuals". Westminster Gazette (Saturday 10 December 1910): 17. 10 December 1910. Retrieved 28 July 2020 – via The British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Christmas and other Gift Books". Westminster Gazette (Tuesday 16 December 1913): 5. 16 December 1913. Retrieved 28 July 2020 – via The British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ a b c d e f g Wilmshurst of the Frontier Force, pp. 2–5.
- ^ The Submarine Hunters at Gutenberg
- ^ Wilmshurst of the Frontier Force at Gutenberg
- ^ "A. & C. Black Advertisement: Beautiful Books for Boys & Girls". Pall Mall Gazette (Tuesday 5 November 1912): 9. 5 November 1912. Retrieved 28 July 2020 – via The British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ Westerman, Percy F. (29 September 2018). The Sea Monarch. Retrieved 28 July 2020 – via Project Gutenberg.
Sources
edit- J.F.C. and Percy Westerman
- Obituary of Mr. Percy F. Westerman, The Times (London). 25 February 1959.
External links
edit- Works by Percy F. Westerman at Project Gutenberg
- Works by Percy Francis Westerman at Faded Page (Canada)
- Works by or about Percy F. Westerman at the Internet Archive
- westermanyarns
- Percy F. Westerman at Library of Congress, with 5 library catalogue records