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| Armada Paperback Edition |
Having since read the Newnes hardback, I can say that it is worth the additional cost as these stories are delightful. I find it disappointing that the Armada version was abridged, missing out 18 of the original stories.
Bill and Charles, make up Roger's Three Musketeers gang, with Toothy sometimes being part of their games. Jimmy, and his friend Bobby, look up to Roger's gang and always try to find a way into their current events. Sally, the girl next door has a liking for Roger, while Jimmy very much likes Sally! Then we have Archie and his gang, the Mouldies, always trying to get one up, and often failing, on Roger's gang. On the periphery is Araminta Palmer, a five-year-old, who wants to play with everyone, and sometimes does; but is mostly cast aside by all.
I enjoy that many of the stories are interlinked, with many of the locations reused in subsequent stories, such as the blitzed house and the quarry.
Some stories are Williamesque in topic, but in feel, they are very different. The kids tend to get along and there's a much friendlier atmosphere within the stories. For instance, his parents have time for Jimmy and actually seem to like him, whereas William's parents try to ignore William when they can. The story where Sandy, the dog, is adopted by the family is a heart-warming tale and shows that even Jimmy, the youngest of their family, is allowed to make an impact on events within that family. Some other differences include: When excited Jimmy stammers, he saves well, thinks of others (often buying them presents), and is often let off his misdemeanours (possibly due to his age).
The hardback and paperback are wonderfully illustrated by Lunt Roberts, who has the ability to bring life and action into each drawing.
The Cast
The main characters of this series are:
Jimmy Manning
Roger Manning
Mr Manning
Mrs Manning
Roger's Friends:
Charles
Bill (of a simple direct inquiring nature)
-both members of Roger's gang: The Three Musketeers
Toothy (who has a gold bar to correct his wild teeth)
Jimmy Friend:
Bobby Peaslake
Recurring Characters:
Archie Mould - Enemy and leading of the Mouldies
Sally - the girl next door (9 years old)
Araminta Palmer (5 years)
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| Hardback Edition |
Hardback, Paperback, and Audiobook Contents
Newnes First Edition (1949) Contents
1.1 Jimmy Turns the Tables
1.2 Miss Pettigrew's Parrot
1.3 The Mousse
1.4 Jimmy, Detective
1.5 Setting the Stage
1.6 The Smuggler Hunt
1.7 Sandy Make His Entrance
1.8 A Not So Clean Sweep
1.9 A Punitive Expedition
1.10 The Fancy-dress Costume
1.11 The Party
1.12 The Treat
1.13 Righting a Wrong
1.14 The Criminal
1.15 The Hostage
1.16 The Dream
1.17 The Hidden Treasure
1.18 The Black Market
1.19 Sandy Saves the Situation
1.20 A Problem Solved
1.21 A The Rehearsal
1.22 The Rescue that Failed
1.23 Archie Gets the Worst of it
1.24 Speeding the Parting Guest
1.25 On the Rocks
1.26 Jimmy's Gang
1.27 The Paper-Chase
1.28 A Present for Uncle Peter
1.29 Sandy Does his Turn
1.30 The Little Jade House
1.31 A Bid for Fame
1.32 The Fire Fighter
1.33 Christmas Eve
Armada Paperback Edition Contents
I initially read the Armada paperback version of this book, which beings with Sandy Does his Turn, a story out of chronological order. In that story, we have Sandy in his role of being Jimmy's dog before he had actually becomes Jimmy's dog. This is followed by Jimmy Turns the Tables, in which we get the first descriptions of Jimmy and the main characters. When I wrote my initial story reviews, I wrote that Jimmy Turns the Tables should really have been the opening story of this book. It wasn't until I realised that the original Newnes edition did have it as the first story. Not only that, but that the Armada book is missing 18 stories, making it less than half the original!
1.1 Sandy Does his Turn
1.2 Jimmy Turns the Tables
1.3 Miss Pettigrew's Parrot
1.4 The Mousse
1.5 Jimmy, Detective
1.6 Setting the Stage
1.7 The Smuggler Hunt
1.8 Sandy Make His Entrance
1.9 A Not So Clean Sweep
1.10 A Punitive Expedition
1.11 The Fancy-dress Costume
1.12 The Party
1.13 On the Rocks
1.14 Righting a Wrong
1.15 The Criminal
Just Jimmy Audiobook Edition
A fantastic performance by Martin Jarvis, who has updated the odd word here and there for modern audiences.The five stories, all from the original Jimmy book, are:
1. Setting the Stage
2. Miss Pettigrew's Parrot
3. The Hidden Treasure
4. Sandy Makes His Entrance
5. Christmas Eve.
While short, at around an hour running time, this audiobook is fantastic and worth a listen.
