Raymond Sheppard and the Crusader series - Part One

The Crusader series cover drawn by Sheppard

 The Crusader series, according to my guesses and more importantly the British Library, was published by Blackie & Son Ltd between 1951 and 1962. It was a standard series for Blackie who began business in the first decade of the 19th century and expanded their subscription magazine trade into educational publishing at the advent of the 1870 Education Act which was the first piece of legislation on education in Britain.

Algerian Adventure Frontispiece
"White robes, dark faces, glittering eyes were all round the two boys"
Arab men and boy(?) in fez attack two boys in narrow Algiers street

The series format is the same for all of those I own; 50pages with 4 illustrations in single colour as seen here with the same cover by Sheppard. Back covers have a smaller version of the front illustration and have a single number - see below. The covers are all card- not linen as was sometimes used on school books

Algerian Adventure p.13
“Don't move!” said Mr. Kerr
Mr. Kerr in dressing gown – gun in hand –
with boy in dressing gown face two men, one at a safe

Algerian Adventure p.32
Ken saw three figures move forward in the patch of moonlight
Bird's eye view of boy bound and gagged on donkey
led by man in robe and Arab man alongside

Algerian Adventure p.49
Another desperate push and he had Aboul at the well's edge
Boy pushes man wearing a fez into a well

This list of the Crusader series has been constructed from the actual books I own and the British Library records. However, these needed supplementing, and as my interest is Sheppard, I have italicised and put in square brackets those where I have not seen the Sheppard illustrations..yet! I have also listed the alternate numbers for various titles and I really can't see why Blackie had such a confusing system. The latest publication I have lists the title and numbers and clearly omits those not in print and therefore shows gaps in the run. I wish they had kept the numbering system the same throughout the run. Another hiccup for researchers! Also all dates are mostly taken from accession dates (the date the BL claims it received the book). I have only one some in which, unusually, a date exists but all these are approximate.  Anyway I publish the whole list for anyone interested.

The Jungle Company by Gordon Summers... Illustrated by Raymond Sheppard. London ; Glasgow : Blackie & Son, 1951. Crusader Series. no. 1

Highveld Mystery by Richard Burns... Illustrated by Raymond Sheppard. London ; Glasgow : Blackie & Son, 1952. Crusader Series. no. 2

Rustlers at the Bar-Two Ranch by Fay King... Illustrated by Raymond Sheppard. London ; Glasgow : Blackie & Son, 1952. Crusader Series. no. 3

The Riddle of Monk's Island by Thomas Francis Maher... Illustrated by Raymond Sheppard. London ; Glasgow : Blackie & Son, 1952. Crusader Series. no. 4

Men o' the Mists by John Hornby...Illustrated by Raymond Sheppard London ; Glasgow : Blackie & Son, 1951. Crusader Series. no. 5

The Deserted City by Fay King ...Illustrated by Raymond Sheppard London ; Glasgow : Blackie & Son, 1951. Crusader Series. no. 6

Avocet Island by John Hornby... Illustrated by Raymond Sheppard. London ; Glasgow : Blackie & Son, 1951. Crusader Series. no. 7

Alternative number - see below: The Mystery of Middle Tree Island Crusader Series. no. 7

River of Silver by Joseph Grace...[illustrated by Raymond Sheppard]. London ; Glasgow : Blackie & Son, 1951. Crusader Series. no. 8

Alternative number - see below: Algerian Adventure Crusader Series. no. 8

Fen laughs last by John Hornby. ... Illustrated by Raymond Sheppard.  London ; Glasgow : Blackie & Son, 1952. Crusader Series. no. 9

Alternative number - see below: Tiger Hunt Crusader Series. no. 9

The Mystery of Middle Tree Island by Isobel Knight ... Illustrated by Raymond Sheppard. London ; Glasgow : Blackie & Son, 1952. Crusader Series. no. 10

Alternative number - see below: The Mystery Skater of St. Michael's Crusader Series. no. 10

Algerian Adventure by Dorothy King... Illustrated by Raymond Sheppard. London ; Glasgow : Blackie & Son, 1952. Crusader Series. no. 11

Alternative number - see below: The Aztec temple Crusader series; no. 11

Alternative number - see below: Tiger Hunt Crusader series; no 11

Tiger Hunt by Percy Alfred Barons... Illustrated by Raymond Sheppard. London ; Glasgow : Blackie & Son, 1952. Crusader Series. no. 12.

Alternative number - see below: Lion's Gold .Crusader Series. no. 12

Alternative number - see above: Algerian Adventure Crusader Series. no. 12

The Mystery Skater of St. Michael's by Ena Grayson... Illustrated by Will Nickless. London ; Glasgow : Blackie & Son, 1955. Crusader Series. no. 13

Alternative number - see below: Ghost Canyon . Crusader Series. no. 13

The Aztec temple by Andrew Wood... illustrated by Will Nickless. London ; Glasgow : Blackie & Son, 1955. Crusader series ; no. 14

Alternative number - see below: The Ivory Poachers. Crusader Series. no. 14

Lion's Gold by Geoffrey Field... Illustrated by Will Nickless.  London ; Glasgow : Blackie & Son, 1955. Crusader Series. no. 15

Alternative number - see below: Dangerous Journey Crusader Series. no. 15

Ghost Canyon by John Kennett... Illustrated by Will Nickless. London ; Glasgow : Blackie & Son, 1955. Crusader Series. no. 16

Alternative number - see below: Sahara Adventure Crusader Series. no. 16

The Stowaway by George Bell... Illustrated by Raymond Sheppard. London ; Glasgow : Blackie & Son, 1955. Crusader Series. no. 17

Alternative number - see below: Mystery on Majorca Crusader Series. no. 17

The Ivory Poachers by Geoffrey Field... [illustrated by Raymond Sheppard]. London ; Glasgow : Blackie & Son, 1955. Crusader Series. no. 18.

Alternative number - see below: Dundi Shah - Beloved Prince Crusader Series. no. 18

Dangerous Journey by John Kennett... Illustrated by Raymond Sheppard. London ; Glasgow : Blackie & Son, 1955. Crusader Series. no. 19

Alternative number - see below: Ponies for Sale Crusader Series. no. 19

Sahara Adventure by George Bell.... Illustrated by Raymond Sheppard.  London ; Glasgow : Blackie & Son, 1955. Crusader Series. no. 20

Alternative number - see below: Space Platform 1 Crusader Series. no. 20

Mystery on Majorca by Joan Mary Bate... Illustrated by Will Nickless. London ; Glasgow : Blackie & Son, 1959. Crusader Series. no. 21

Alternative number - details: Jungle Picnic by Anne M. Westwood illustrated by Will Nickless London ; Glasgow : Blackie & Son, 1960  Crusader Series. no. 21

Dundi Shah-Beloved Prince by Anne McDougall Westwood... Illustrated by Will Nickless. London ; Glasgow : Blackie & Son, 1959. Crusader Series. no. 22

Alternative number - see below: The Flower of the Forest Crusader Series. no. 22

Ponies for Sale by Alan Charles Jenkins... Illustrated by Will Nickless. London ; Glasgow : Blackie & Son, 1959. Crusader Series. no. 23

Alternative number - see below: Pamela in Paris Crusader Series. no. 23

The Ranch Riders by Cecily M. Rutley... Illustrated by Will Nickless. London ; Glasgow : Blackie & Son, 1959. Crusader Series. no. 24

Alternative number - details: Malayan Adventure by David Bingley  Illustrated by John Gardner London ; Glasgow : Blackie & Son, 1962 Crusader Series no. 24

Space Platform 1 by Harry Hardisty... Illustrated by Douglas Relf. London ; Glasgow : Blackie & Son, 1959. Crusader Series. no. 25

Alternative number - details: David and Silver Moon by Richard George Milne Illustrated by John Gardner  London ; Glasgow : Blackie & Son, 1962 Crusader Series. no. 25

The Pearl of Anaru by Michael North...Illustrated by John Gardner. London ; Glasgow : Blackie & Son, 1962.Crusader Series no..26

Alternative number - see above: Jungle Picnic Crusader Series. no. 26

The Flower of the Forest by Cecily M. Rutley... Illustrated by Will Nickless. London ; Glasgow : Blackie & Son, 1959. Crusader Series. no. 27

Pamela in Paris by Janette Henderson Blair... Illustrated by Roger Payne. London ; Glasgow : Blackie & Son, 1959. Crusader Series. no. 28

Malayan Adventure Crusader Series no. 29

David and Silver Moon Crusader Series. no. 30

The Pearl of Anaru Crusader Series. no. 31

Return to Fakena by Michael North...Illustrated by John Gardner London ; Glasgow : Blackie & Son, 1962. Crusader Series. no. 32