The Enid Blyton Society

I have been enjoying this excellent site thanks to Tony's tip off few months ago.

The ARMADA PAPERBACKSWebsite
This website is devoted to ARMADA BOOKS - English paperbacks for children first published in London in 1962.

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The 1972 illustration above was the version I first read.It was published back in 1972 for just 20p.Mind you,20p went quite a long way in those days!
It seems amazing that we still don't know the artist for this superb cover too.


Taking another look at Ian Regan's site I wondered why he did not include any Armada 'Barney Mystery' books with all the other titles listed?

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I like the cover but I'm not sure about those rocky outcrops in the background, thery make it look like they're in a foreign country or something! Yes I know we have rocky outcrops in England but the ones on this cover just reminded me of some kind of foreign wilderness like Valley of Adventure.
It would have been better with trees because they're in Ring O Bells Wood!

That was the cover I was familiar with as a child too - my sister owned the paperback, but I never actually read it in that version - I read it for the first time in the hardback edition many years later! I always loved the Armada covers - the artwork was superb and they gave a great feeling of anticipation before even opening the book. They did the job a cover should do - which is why I'm not keen on many of the modern-day covers. They don't invite you in as these did!

One thing that strikes me as looking odd in this cover illustration is the size of the well! It looks absolutely massive - much bigger and airier than I'd imagined!

It also looks extremely low to the ground. Dinah, on the left, is standing behind the wall/rim and it barely reaches her knees! I wouldn't be surprised if people had continually fallen into that well and drowned.

I agree that the well is odd - and that a wood would have been more appropriate than rocky outcrops. I find many of the old Armada covers appealing, but this isn't a favourite of mine. Nevertheless, it captures an exciting moment and does indeed "invite you in", as Rob put it.

I have also visited John's site thanks to Tony's tip off. I had many of the early Armada books, the first one I bought was Strangers At Snowfell by Malcolm Saville. I collected most of the Find Outers series as well. Most of the Peter Archer covers are brilliant.

I too love the Armada site. But then I love Armada paperbacks. That Ring o Bells cover is the one I had as a child. Looking back on it as an adult I too am amazed that more people did not fall down that well.

Interesting that the above cover seems to be very heavily based on it's predecessor - by Mary Gernat - so perhaps we shouldn't be quite so hard on the illustrator above for making the wall so low, or the well so big!

I was just browsing John Allsup's site and realised that I have a hardback copy of Cornish Cream by John Denton which was C8 in an Armada making it one of their earliest published books. I can't remember a thing about the story though, so a re-read is in order.

I have Cornish Cream by John Denton in the Armada edition but I haven't read it in 50 years so I can't remember anything about it either, John. It's on my 'to read' list too!