Doctor Who – The Complete History, Volume 13 (Issue 8). The Complete History book series is an
impressive, ambitious Hachette / Panini partwork which covers all the Doctor
Who stories that had been broadcast to that point; each volume is a proper cloth-bound hardcover
book, 25cm x 19.5cm, with heavy laminated covers, usually 144 or 160 pages long
(though this one clocks in at 128 pages).
Volumes were issued fortnightly, starting in 2015 (this one is copyright
2015). Each volume covers (usually)
three or four stories. The sections for
each story give a full synopsis of the story, episode by episode, followed by
detailed notes on pre-production and inception, production, post production,
broadcast, reception, and “afterlife” – a format familiar to readers of Doctor
Who Magazine, as the material here is revised and expanded from the deep-dive
single-story archival features which appear regularly in that publication. Each story features superb, book-cover-worthy
artwork at the start.
This volume covers three later Second Doctor / Patrick
Troughton stories: The Mind Robber, The Invasion, and The Krotons. The Invasion is a bit of a milestone, an
8-episode Cybermen epic that introduces UNIT, Corporal Benton and re-introduces
the now-promoted Brigadier; it also
features a brilliant turn by Kevin Stoney as Tobias Vaughn. The book is in excellent condition, unread,
with no blemishes.
I’m not getting any younger so it’s time to start moving some of my large collection of assorted geekery to new homes. All being well I should have a few more of these books listed just now; please feel free to have a look, and (eBay’s postage system willing) save some postage on any combined wins.