Swallows and Amazons
11 primary works • 13 total works
Book 1
Friendship, resourcefulness, adventures! Here's the classic tale of two families of children who band together against a common foe: an uncle who claims he's too busy for his nieces.
The Walker children (John, Susan, Titty and Roger) are on school holiday in the Lake District and are sailing a borrowed catboat named "Swallow," when they meet the Blackett children (Nancy and Peggy), who sail the boat, "Amazon." The children camp together on Wild Cat Island where a plot is hatched against the Blackett's Uncle Jim who is too busy writing his memoirs to be disturbed.
Fireworks--literally--ensue along with a dangerous contest, a run-in with houseboat burglars, and the theft of Uncle Jim's manuscript. How all this is resolved makes for an exciting and very satisfying story. Uncle Jim ends up apologizing for missing his nieces' adventures all summer--thankfully, readers won't miss a thing.
Arthur Ransome's Swallows and Amazons series has stood the test of time. More than just great stories, each one celebrates independence and initiative with a colorful, large cast of characters. Like the entire series that follows, this book is for children or grownups, anyone captivated by a world of adventure and imagination, exploring and setting sail.
Book 2
'Ahoy! Ahoy! Swallows! Ahoy!'
Have you ever sailed in a boat or built a camp? Have you caught trout and cooked it yourself? The four Swallows, John, Susan, Titty and Roger return to the lake full of such plans and they can't wait to meet up with Nancy and Peggy, the Amazon Pirates. When the Swallow is shipwrecked and the Amazon's fearsome Great-Aunt makes decides to make a visit their summer seems ruined. Then they discover a wonderful hidden valley and things take a turn for the better...
Book 3
Book 4
Book 5
Someone is wrecking wild birds' nesting places on the lake and selling eggs to out-of-town collectors. It's the Coot Club Bird Protection Society to the rescue!
Dick and Dorothea Callum came to the Norfolk Broads during the Easter holidays, eager to learn to sail. There, they run into the Coot Club--children who protect the local birds from thoughtless tourists.
Trouble begins when a coot's nest is disturbed by a ship full of "Hullabaloos"--rude holiday boaters. The children try to convince the "Hullabaloos" to moor their noisy boat somewhere else. This fails and frantic chases, calamitous boat collisions, daring rescues (including by a dog, William the pug), and rewards ensue!
Friendship and resourcefulness, dangers and excitement: Arthur Ransome's Swallows and Amazons series has stood the test of time. More than just great stories, each one celebrates independence and initiative with a colorful, large cast of characters. Coot Club (originally published in 1934) was ahead of its time in its concern for protecting wildlife. It is the fifth title in the Swallows and Amazons series, books for children or grownups, anyone captivated by a world of adventure, exploration, and imagination.
Book 7
Book 8
On an uncharted island, the Swallows discover mysterious footprints of a very large animal and a dangerous enemy as well, another group of children known as "The Eels." Thankfully, the Amazons are on their way!
The Swallows and their father, Navy Commander Ted Walker, planned a camping trip but father was called away on naval business. Instead of camping, Father sets them a challenge: use a dingy to explore and create a map of low-lying islands until he can return.
As the children explore the inlets, coves, mudflats, and estuaries, they end up in a friendly "war" with The Eels just as Bridget, Titty, and Roger are trapped in the middle of a ford by a rising tide.
Friendship, family, resourcefulness, and sailing, too: Arthur Ransome's Swallows and Amazons series has stood the test of time. More than just great stories, each one celebrates independence and initiative with a colorful, large cast of characters. Secret Water (originally published in 1939) is the eighth title in the Swallows and Amazons series, books for children or grownups, anyone captivated by a world of adventure and imagination, exploring and setting sail.
Book 9
There's a crime wave on the lake! All evidence points to three boatbuilders' sons. They claim to be innocent but, as accusations mount, their families' livelihood is threatened. It's up to the three boys, and three other members of the Coot Club Bird Protection Society, to solve the mystery and clear their name.
Joe, Bill, and Pete live to sail in the Norfolk Broads but now they are under suspicion of setting boats adrift and stealing from ship builders. When the Ds (Dorothea and Dick) arrive, hoping to enjoy a holiday with their friends of the Coot Club, it seems to them that a plot is afoot. Someone is trying to drive Joe, Bill, and Pete away in disgrace for crimes they didn't commit.
Friendship and resourcefulness, dangers and excitement: Arthur Ransome's Swallows and Amazons series has stood the test of time. More than just great stories, each one celebrates independence and initiative with a colorful, large cast of characters. The Big Six (originally published in 1940) is the ninth title in the Swallows and Amazons series, books for children or grownups, anyone captivated by a world of adventure, exploration, and imagination.
Book 10
The Swallows and Amazons are on a cruise around the world when their ship is sunk by a storm in the South China Sea. They escape with their lives only to be taken prisoner by Missee Lee, leader of the Three Island pirates.
The original cast of Swallows and Amazons is sailing under the command of Captain Flint in the South China Sea when Gibbet, their pet monkey, grabs the captain's cigar and drops it in the fuel tank. In minutes, the ship is ablaze (and doomed), and our seven luckless protagonists are adrift in two small boats. They make their way to land, only to find themselves the captives of one of the last remaining pirates operating off the China Coast. But Missee Lee, as it turns out, is no ordinary pirate; her father had sent her off to Cambridge University to prepare her for a life as a teacher. But when her father takes ill and dies, she finds herself struggling to hold together the Three Island Confederation he had created, and to be recognized as his legitimate heir and ruler of the Island Kingdom.
Ransome is, as always, the consummate storyteller. The Observer called this, "his best yet . . . a book to buy, to read, and to read again, not once but many times." The Guardian put Missee Lee "in a class by itself."
Friendship and resourcefulness, dangers and excitement: Arthur Ransome's Swallows and Amazons series has stood the test of time. More than just great stories, each one celebrates independence and initiative with a colorful, large cast of characters. Missee Lee (originally published in 1941) is the tenth title in the Swallows and Amazons series, books for children or grownups, anyone captivated by a world of adventure, exploration, and imagination.
Book 11
Book 12
The Swallows, Amazons, and friends search for gold in the Lake District Hills--camping out, evading dangers, and staying in touch via homing pigeon.
Nancy and Peggy Blackett receive a letter from their Uncle Jim who's on his way home after failing to find treasure in South America. When they hear a tale about a lost gold mine in the Lake District hills, Nancy and Peggy decide to find the mine as a surprise for their uncle. The children comb the nearby hills, while being shadowed by a mysterious figure they dub "squashy hat." Undeterred by drought, sudden brushfires, and the continuing presence of Squashy Hat, the young prospectors persevere in their quest--with surprising results (aided by Dick's knowledge of chemistry).
Friendship and resourcefulness, dangers and rescues: Arthur Ransome's Swallows and Amazons series has stood the test of time. More than just great stories, each one celebrates independence and initiative with a colorful, large cast of characters. Pigeon Post (originally published in 1936) is the sixth title in the Swallows and Amazons series, books for children or grownups, anyone captivated by a world of adventure, exploration, and imagination.