Susan is mate, in charge of stores, cooking, and the general well-being of the crew. John, the oldest, is the captain and usually in charge. The crew of the Swallow are the Walker siblings John, Susan, Titty, and Roger. See also List of characters in Arthur Ransome booksĪ number of the characters in the series were based at least loosely on people that Ransome knew from his vacations in the Lake District and Norfolk Broads. The children meet on an island on the lake, and have a series of adventures that weave imaginative tales of pirates and exploration into everyday life in inter-War, rural England. The Walkers are staying at a farm near a lake during the school holidays the Blacketts live in a house on the opposite shore. It tells the story of the Walker family children, who sail a dinghy named Swallow, and the Blackett family children, who sail a dinghy named Amazon. The series begins with Swallows and Amazons, published in 1930. There is also the British-based group, The Arthur Ransome Society, which has an international membership. The first was the Arthur Ransome Club in Japan. There are also several societies dedicated to the study and promotion of Ransome's work which are largely inspired by the series. It is part of the basis for a large tourist industry in the Lake District and Norfolk Broads, where many of the books are set. The series remains popular for its idyllic, yet often realistic, depiction of childhood and the interplay between youthful imagination and reality. The stories revolve around outdoor activities, especially sailing. The 12 books involve adventures by groups of children during school vacations, mostly in England and Scotland, between the two World Wars. The Swallows and Amazons series of children's books by Arthur Ransome is named after the title of the first book in the series. a gigantic saga of over a million words ( Christina Hardyment, CFT1)

( Arthur Ransome to Ernestine Evans, SFM 1931). My notion is to go on and on and build up a regular row of these books.

Arthur ransome author