The Curious Case of the Ejaculating Airman

I have a publishing-related question that I hope somebody may be able to answer.

In a nutshell, I'm interested in the possibility of republishing a small number of titles that are no longer in print but are still, I believe, in copyright. In the case of one, the author died in the 1950s and the publisher no longer exists, so how would I go about getting permission to print a new edition?

During the last few years, I've come across a small number of titles that are extremely popular and sell within hours of being listed, even when their condition is poor. Judging by the prices, the demand clearly exceeds the supply, so I wonder if a reissue would be justified.

If anyone reading this has a clue, I'd be grateful for any information. I know that it's easy enough to print e-book versions and paperbacks of out of copyright titles, but I'm baffled by the logistics of rights management.

I've noticed that publishers are wisely digitising their backlists, bringing many out of print titles back into circulation, although there are still big gaps (for example, why isn't J M Coetzee's Life and Times of Michael K available in Kindle format?).

I wonder if this Percy F Westerman Boy's Own adventure will ever be republished?

The War of the Wireless Waves is a tale of plucky chaps doing battle with swarthy 'super-bandits', who are after Britain's Z and ZZ rays. What's so special about these rays, you may ask? Apparently, they can knock-out an aeroplane's engine in mid-flight, sending it plummeting to the ground.

I haven't actually read the book, but a cursory glance reveals a fast-paced story that makes Biggles look like an old hippie.

Percy Westerman clearly knows how to tell a story, but he does have a slightly disturbing obsession with having his characters ejaculate at regular intervals:

These are just a few examples of the many ejaculations that occur in this book. I realise that ejaculate used to be such a lovely word, but even if its usage is a little more specific these days, I still wonder why Westerman eschewed old favourites like exclaimed. Nobody ejaculates in Trollope, so I'm not convinced that Westerman is simply using the argot of late-Victorian England.

A Percy F Westerman revival probably isn't on the cards, but he's still worth reading - quickly - to give an insight into the Britain of 90 years ago, when Z rays and ejaculations threatened the very fabric of Empire.