Swallows and Amazons
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| First edition dust jacket cover 1930 | |
| Author | Arthur Ransome |
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| Cover Artist | Steven Spurrier |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Series | Swallows and Amazons series |
| Genre(s) | Childrens, Adventure Novel |
| Publisher | Jonathan Cape |
| Released | 1 December 1930 |
| Media Type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
| Pages | 352 pp |
| ISBN | ISBN 0-224-60631-X |
| Followed by | Swallowdale |
Swallows and Amazons is the first book in the Swallows and Amazons series by Arthur Ransome and was published in 1930. It is set in the Lake District between the two World Wars.
At the time Ransome had been working as a journalist with the Manchester Guardian, but decided to become a full-time author rather than go abroad as a foreign correspondent. He continued to write part-time for the press.
The book seems to have been inspired by a summer spent by Ransome teaching the children of his friends, the Altounyans, to sail. Three of the Altounyan children's names are adopted directly for the the Walker family. Ransome and Edward Altounyan bought two small dinghies called Swallow and Mavis. Ransome kept Swallow until he sold it a number of years later, while Mavis remained in the Altounyan family and is now on permanent display in the Windermere Steamboats and Museum.
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[edit] Illustrations
The artist chosen for the first edition of the book was Steven Spurrier, however Ransome objected to his style and so the first edition did not have any illustrations. Spurrier's drawing for the dust jacket had to be used. The second edition contained drawings by Clifford Webb but after Ransome successfully illustrated Peter Duck himself, he decided to do his own drawings for all the books including those already published and Webb's drawings were replaced in later editions.
[edit] Plot summary
It tells the story of the Walker children (John, Susan, Titty and Roger), who sail a borrowed dinghy named Swallow, and the Blackett children (Nancy and Peggy), who sail a dinghy named Amazon. The Walkers are staying at a farm near a lake during the school holidays and want to camp on an island in the lake; the Blacketts live in a house nearby. The children meet on the island, and have a series of adventures, revolving around sailing, fishing, exploration and piracy. The story includes a good deal of everyday Lakeland life from the farmers to charcoal burners working in the woods. Captain Flint, the Blackett's uncle James Turner, appears in some ways to be modelled on Ransome himself.
See also List of characters in Arthur Ransome books
[edit] Characters in "Swallows and Amazons"
- John Walker – Eldest of the Walkers and Captain of the Swallow
- Susan Walker – Second eldest of the Walkers and Mate of the Swallow
- Titty Walker – Able Seaman of the Swallow
- Roger Walker – Youngest of the Walkers and Ship's boy of the Swallow
- Nancy Blackett (Real name Ruth Blackett) – Captain of the Amazon
- Peggy Blackett – Nancy's younger sister and Mate of the Amazon
- James Turner – Nancy & Peggy's uncle. Also known to the children as Captain Flint
[edit] Film, TV or theatrical adaptations
In 1962, the BBC produced an adaptation of Swallows and Amazons.
In 1974, EMI adapted the story of Swallows and Amazons for the big screen. Directed by Claude Whatham and produced by Richard Pilbrow the film starred Virginia McKenna and Ronald Fraser in the main adult roles and Simon West, Sophie Neville, Zanna Hamilton & Stephen Grendon as some of the children. This has been made available on video, both in VHS and DVD, in the UK, but is not readily available in the US and elsewhere.
[edit] Release details
- 1930, UK, Jonathan Cape (ISBN ?), Pub date 1 December 1930, hardback (First edition, unillustrated)
- 1931, UK, Jonathan Cape (ISBN ?), Pub date ? ? 1931, hardback (First "Clifford Webb" illustrated edition)
- 1938, UK, Jonathan Cape (ISBN ?), Pub date ? ? 1938, hardback (First "Ransome" illustrated edition)
- 1958, USA, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins (ISBN 0-397-30015-8), Pub date ? June 1958, hardback
- 1995, UK, ISIS Audio Books (ISBN 1-85695-974-0), Pub date ? August 1995, audio book cassette (unabridged)
- 1999, UK, Jonathan Cape (ISBN 0-224-60631-X), Pub date ? ? 1999, hardback
- 2001, UK, Red Fox Classics (ISBN 0-09-950391-3), Pub date 5 April 2001, paperback
- 2001, UK, Red Fox (ISBN 0-09-942733-8), Pub date 5 October 2001, paperback
- 2005, UK, Gabriel Woolf (ISBN 0-9550529-0-4), Pub date ? July 2005, audio book CD
| Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Ransome | |
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Swallows and Amazons | Swallowdale | Peter Duck | Winter Holiday | Coot Club | Pigeon Post | We Didn't Mean To Go To Sea | Secret Water | The Big Six | Missee Lee | The Picts And The Martyrs | Great Northern? | Coots in the North |
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| Characters | Places |
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British Children's and Young Adults' Literature (1900-1949) |
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