With just two identifiable David Tayler roughs for PAN to go, this week we have G141 ‘The Reluctant Legionnaire’ by Michael Alexander. Michael Charles Alexander was born in London (20/11/1920 to 19/12/2004) the son of Rear-Admiral Charles Otway Alexander and the Dutch patrician Antonia van Geermans, making him half English and half Dutch. He was educated at Stowe and then Sandhurst. He distinguished himself during the Second World War but was captured behind enemy lines and sent to Colditz Castle. After the war Alexander pursued a varied career in publishing and business and authored several notable works including GP46 ‘The Privileged Nightmare’ jointly with Giles Romilly.

To tie in with the launch of the film of Mario Puzo’s book ‘The Godfather’ in 1970 PAN informed book sellers all about what display materials were available. This is a page from ‘The Bookseller’ magazine

Ralph Holmes Vernon Hunt was the nephew of Alan Bott and joined Pan Books as Sales Director, working his way up to Managing Director in 1969. He had previously worked at Hudson’s book shop in Birmingham and I had an email from blog reader Alun who worked there from 1973 to 1985 and remembers Vernon Hunt and said he was a nice chap. What always amuses me though is that Vernon Hunt was used as the model for James Bond and John Hadfield referred to him as a ‘virile adventurer of the book trade’ as in this letter! John Charles Heywood Hadfield (16/06/1907 to 10/10/1999) was an English writer and publisher, best known for his 1959 comic novel ‘Love on a Branch Line’

Looking at him in the photo below, third from left, I can’t really see it myself.

This week we have two roughs by David Tayler neither of which look like the finished cover for M33 ‘Annie’s Captain’ by Kathryn Hulme. PAN also published G302 ‘The Wild Place’ and G291 ‘The Nun’s Story’ by Hulme. ‘The Nun’s Story’ was made into a film in 1959 starring Audrey Hepburn and was the inspiration for the early PAN editions cover artwork by Sam ‘PEFF’ Peffer. Kathryn Cavarly Hulme (6/1/1900 60 25/8/1981) was an American novelist and memoirist.

While looking at my C S Forester covers I’m left wondering why PAN felt the need to change the one for ‘Plain Murder’ just a few years apart. As far as I can tell it wasn’t because there was going to be a complete relaunch of Forester titles with a new look as there seems to be only a couple and not really amongst my favourites. I think, if I had to chose, I prefer the earlier ‘Plain Murder’ from 1970

I’m often asked about the eclectic numbering system for PAN books and I explain, as I will now, it is all down to price as in this table I made. If anyone knows of any I missed please send me a message. If you are a completest then you need to watch our for examples as in the above which are identical apart from the 4th printing went up 6 pence from the 3rd. Just a letter on the spine was kept to show price when PAN switched to SBNs but dropped with the introduction of ISBNs.

This weeks David Tayler rough is for G168 ‘Zoo Quest to Guiana’ by David Attenborough. I was going to include this in the week of his 100th birthday but somehow it got missed. The rough is not that different from the finished cover apart from the background but interestingly the original artwork and printers proof differs from the final cover in not having the yellow flash.

After featuring Jooce Garrett last week he sent me a photo of Brian Sanders which he thought might have been used for the cover of ‘Dealer’s Move’ I sent it to Brian and he emailed back to say “Gosh I don’t even remember modelling for that.  I Certainly don’t have the original and am sure that Lizzie would not have allowed me to keep it had it been given to me. Did any of the Krays ever have moustache’s? I look more like a cross between Hitler and Stalin than one of the lads. The things we used to do for friends!” It’s possible that PAN didn’t actually publish a copy of this book although Macmillan did.

Having mentioned ‘Page and Screen’ by John Mabey I was looking through and picking out PAN editions to check against my copies. It was when I got to the TV tie-in for ‘Wings’ by Barry Thomas I noticed something I hadn’t previously. There were two titles and I had just put them side by side on the shell without noticing only one was published by PAN! The other was published by the BBC, the dilemma is now do I leave it there, probably not.

I’ve been communicating with artist and musician Jooce Garrett for the last few weeks and he has provided me with a lot of media which I’ve put on his page. Although Jooce currently resides and has his atelier in Switzerland he grew up in Birmingham and told he me often cycled from Handsworth to Hednesford, via Brownhills, to visit his uncle. As I may have mentioned I am involved with a group of old fogies who keep the disused railway line between Walsall and Lichfield open as a community greenway and this runs through Brownhills. This is not only a practical activity but also social as it gets us out the house (and into the pub) and although we were only runners up in the recent King’s Award for Voluntary Service it is always nice to be acknowledged. Jooce is currently in a couple of bands including the Killadillas. He kindly scanned his copy of ‘Sense and Sensibility’ for me as I’ve not found a copy of this particular edition plus Jooce doesn’t think ‘Pride and Prejudice’ was ever published with his cover artwork.

Another cover David Tayler produced a rough for but which wasn’t used was for X97 ‘Of Whales and Men’ by R B Robinson. This was only published once by PAN in 1961 and they went with different artwork by Pat Owen.

The above clipping appeared In the Daily Mirror on the 14th November 1971 which mentions the trilogy of Elizabeth I books by Margaret Irwin. Having recently received my copy of ‘Page and Screen’ by John Mabey I looked to see if they were in it, which they were, but spotted a mistake. I contacted John to let him know and he thanked me and asked me to see if I  had any titles he may have missed so thinking cap on.

The clipping also mentions a couple of titles from popular PAN series including ‘Hitchcock’ and ‘Horror’

This weeks David Taylor roughs are for ‘The Gun’ by C S Forester’ There are four of them with one being very close to the finished cover which was used on at least seven PAN editions plus another by Simon Publishing. Cecil Louis Troughton Smith (27/08/1899 to 02/04/1966) was an English novelist probably best known for writing tales of naval warfare, such as the twelve book Horatio Hornblower series depicting a Royal Navy officer during the Napoleonic Wars of which PAN published four titles. Forester was born in Cairo and died in California but with a blue plaque in Dulwich!

Last week I asked for guesses as to what a couple of David Tayler roughs might be for. After a few suggestions I think Alan Lewis and colleague win as I’m now 99.9% sure it was an unused idea for ‘Ice Cold in Alex’ by Christopher Landon. He suggested the second drawing was definitely a scene from the film and after looking at it I agree. I’ve added a still from the film to the page for G200 as back up to the suggestion. PAN published it twice with the first edition having a cover by Sam ‘PEFF’ Peffer but I’m not sure of the later one.

Now having got the last missing title people say ‘What next?’ Well apart from later PANs, catalogues, artwork, advertising and display material I do occasionally dabble in others publishers offerings. I recently featured the complete Agatha Christie ‘foxtail’ titles from Fontana with cover artwork by Martin Baker and now  I’m including what was listed as ‘The Corgi SF Collectors Library’ plus a few earlier titles with covers I like. Maybe a page of ‘Anticipation’ covers from Fleuve Noir might be coming up.

This week we have two David Tayler roughs which look very familiar but I can’t come up with a title or titles. I though they might be for a Nevil Shute but now I don’t think so. I’m still wondering if they are for two books or variants for just one. Can anyone help?

PAN published a wide variety of titles including those devoted to animal care. I picked up a copy of ‘Fraser’s Horse Book’ signed by Alistair Fraser, joint author along with Frank Manolson. This made me look to see if they had written anything else PAN published and I have come up with one for Fraser and another two for Manolson. I ordered a copy of one of them and after waiting three weeks I asked where it was and got the reply that when packing, it didn’t meet their high standard. I’ve not had that for a long time and I interpret it as either they can’t find it or decided it was being sold too cheaply but it would have been nice for them to contact me to let me know instead of the other way around. Now left trying to find another copy at a price I’m happy to pay.

Back in 2018 I mentioned Vladimir Koziakin and his Mazes Books of which PAN published a few. At the time I couldn’t find out if he was still with us but now the internet tells me ‘Vladimir Nicholas Koziakin (1943–1990) was an American graphic artist and author who pioneered the craze for thematic, illustrated maze books during the 1970s and 1980s. Working as a broadcast designer by day, he turned a personal drawing hobby into a highly successful publishing career, selling millions of puzzle books worldwide’

Just a quick note to say “Thank you” to all those who sent me messages of congratulations on obtaining the final title that I was missing from the 2,391 published by PAN between 1947 and 1969 before PAN switched to using SBNs. I’m hoping 2,391 titles is correct as I made a spreadsheet and entered all the numbers I knew of and this is what it came to. Sometimes there were duplicate numbers with different titles and some numbers were skipped so I can’t be 100% certain which just adds to the fun of the chase. There are still variants and covers I’ve not got and I’m always looking for artwork, catalogues, advertising and any ephemera  so if you can help please comment or email.

Following on from the above post where I mention there are still a lot of variants out there, I heard from Joe McLaughlin in Thorneside, Australia to say he had noticed I did not have the Australian Special Edition of ‘On Her Majesty’s Secret Service’ and would I like a copy? Well how could I say no to his very generous offer and I have now scanned it in and added it to the page. Thank you Joe and I’m amazed at how fast it got here.

I picked up up a pack on line of what I thought were printer’s proofs but which turned out to be over 200 promo cards so was a bit disappointed but a few were of covers I have not got.  One example was for ‘Casino’ by Peter Baker which I’ve looked for but I’ve only turned up a copy in Indonesia. I don’t think I’m that desperate to go for that as it’s not really that interesting a cover. PAN also published ‘Cruise’ with a cover by Hans Helweg (which Pulp International erroneously attributed to Robert McGinnis, I have emailed them) which I saw in Hans studio. Both Baker titles I have are just ‘T’ and a SBN which means they cost 6/0 (30p in todays money)

‘Teddy Edward’ features is a series of books by Patrick and Mollie Matthews. PAN Piccolo published four titles based on the 1973 BBC TV programmes of which there were thirteen episodes. These were narrated by TV newsreader Richard Baker who also told the stories on records. There were annuals, stuffed toys, jig-saw puzzles and numerous other examples of merchandising. Patrick Matthews (1914–1996) worked as a writer, photographer, and cinematographer. He also served as a director for Condé Nast and managing director of Vogue Studios. Mollie Matthews (1919–2001), born Winifred Mary Berry, initially worked as a personal assistant to the head of the British Military Mission to France before marrying Patrick in 1951.

This weeks David Tayler rough is for 1960 edition of ‘The Cardinal’ by Henry Morton Robinson. PAN published three editions of this title, the later two having artwork by another PAN stalwart, Glenn Steward. Robinson (07/09/1898 to 13/01/1961) was an American novelist born in Boston and graduated from Columbia College in 1923 after serving in the US Navy during the First World War. He was an instructor in English at Columbia University, and a senior editor at ‘Reader’s Digest’ He wrote thirteen novels of which PAN only published the one. On December 23, 1960, he fell asleep in a hot bath after taking a sedative. Three weeks later, on January 13, 1961, he died in New York of complications from the resulting second  and third degree burns.

Looking at old newspaper and magazine articles I noticed this one in ‘The Bookseller’ for the 18th April 1959. Now wondering why there was a problem, was it a specific title published that caused the demand?

Yippee, it’s taken a long time but here it is at last!

For the last few years I have been hunting for X705 ‘Junior Crosswords Book 3’ and now thanks to the generosity of Elly and PAN’s archive team giving me a copy, I hope I have finally complete the collection of pre SBN editions. I think there are 2,391 titles with one of PANs numbers that were used before SBNs and ISBNs. I now have at least one edition starting at just number, then GP, followed by G, X, M and various other letter prefixes to indicate price. I also have all the PAN Piper titles which start with a double letter prefix.

It great to have it on the shelf as its space has been kept by a 4th printing with a SBN as a place filler.

People say “What are you going to do now you have them all?” well don’t worry there is still plenty of material out there including cover and printing variants, artwork, catalogues, advertising and associated ephemera plus later titles of course.

Thanks to Rog Peyton who spotted a mistake, not one of mine I hasten to add, but in the Signal toothpaste flyer. It listed PAN books due to be published in June but got the numbers wrong. They are listed as ‘G’ but in fact were actually ‘X’ I have checked with Elly, the PAN archivist, and she confirms they have no listing for any title with a number past G717. I see that elusive X705 is in there as G718! In the catalogue for June 1967 they have the numbers right.

I caught a trailer for Alan Carr’s TV programme ‘Chatty Man’ I’ve not been watching it but something caught my eye. There was a clip of an adult Alan Carr next to someone playing him as a teenager and it was the book he was reading. It is the 13th printing of ‘Dumb Witness’ from 1978 with an ISBN. PAN also published ‘Dumb Witness’ as number 82.

Last year we bought annual passes to the gold award winning Black Country Living Museum and realised they were nearly up so we fitted in a visit. We were glad we did as last month the reconstructed library opened. The historic Woodside Library from Dudley has been rebuilt brick-by-brick at the Black Country Living Museum. It opened on March 18th, 2026 as a centerpiece of its new 1940s-1960s high street development. Originally built in 1894, the restored library features over 6,500 books chosen from the 60,000 donated and reflects post-war community life and I was wondering if they might have something …….. and I wasn’t disappointed.