After the closure of The Magnet in May 1940 due to wartime paper shortages, author Charles Hamilton was contractually barred by the publisher, Amalgamated Press, from continuing to write Greyfriars stories.

[2][3] Bunter is his usual self: untruthful, shirking on prep, avoiding games, and stealing food from the studies of others, but for Mr Quelch the final straw comes when Bunter falls asleep in a History lesson.

He warns Bunter that unless he improves in every way as a student in the few remaining weeks of the term then he will write to Mr Bunter advising him that he is wasting his money in sending Billy to Greyfriars School.

Billy Bunter is determined to turn things around at school and become a model student - but, while the spirit is willing the flesh is weak!

But after Quelch's encounter with a violent footpad will things come right for Bunter?