Swallows and Amazons facts for kids
First edition dust jacket cover 1930
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| Author | Arthur Ransome |
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| Illustrator | 1st edition was not illustrated, later editions illustrated by Clifford Webb and later Arthur Ransome |
| Cover artist | Steven Spurrier |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Series | Swallows and Amazons series |
| Genre | Children's, adventure novel |
| Publisher | Jonathan Cape |
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Publication date
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21 July 1930 |
| OCLC | 5973192 |
| Followed by | Swallowdale |
Swallows and Amazons is an exciting adventure novel for children. It was written by the English author Arthur Ransome. The book was first published on July 21, 1930.
The story takes place in the summer of 1929. It is set in the beautiful Lake District in England. The book introduces two groups of children. The first group is the Walker family, known as the "Swallows." They are John, Susan, Titty, and Roger. Their baby sister, Bridget, is nicknamed Vicky. The second group is the Blackett family, called the "Amazons." They are Nancy and Peggy. Their uncle, James Turner, is known as Captain Flint. This book is the first in the popular Swallows and Amazons series. The next book is Swallowdale.
Arthur Ransome was a journalist before he became a full-time writer. He loved sailing and taught his friends' children how to sail. This experience gave him the idea for Swallows and Amazons. He even bought two small boats, Swallow and Mavis. Mavis is now on display at the Ruskin Museum.
Contents
What the Story is About
The book tells about the outdoor adventures of two families of children. They enjoy sailing, camping, fishing, and exploring. They even pretend to be pirates!
The Walker children (John, Susan, Titty, and Roger) are on holiday. They are staying at a farm near a lake in the Lake District. They sail a borrowed boat called Swallow. They soon meet the Blackett children (Nancy and Peggy). The Blacketts sail a boat named Amazon.
The Walkers set up their camp on an island in the lake. The Blacketts live in their house nearby. When the children meet, they decide to team up. Their goal is to have adventures and play games.
Their main "enemy" is the Blacketts' uncle, Jim Turner. They call him "Captain Flint" after a character in Treasure Island. Uncle Jim is usually friendly. But he is busy writing his memoirs. This makes him seem a bit grumpy.
One day, the Blacketts set off a firework on his houseboat. But the Walkers get the blame! Captain Flint refuses to listen to them. He won't even hear their warning about burglars in the area.
To decide who is the best leader, the two groups have a contest. They try to capture each other's boat. The Walkers make a risky trip across the lake at night. John gets a warning from his mother for this daring act.
The Walkers still win the contest. Titty is the hero. She captures the Amazon when the Blacketts visit Wild Cat Island. That same night, Titty hears strange voices. They are coming from another island, Cormorant Island.
In the morning, they discover Captain Flint's houseboat has been robbed. He blames the Walkers again. But he finally realizes his mistake. He feels bad for being distant all summer.
The Swallows, Amazons, and Captain Flint investigate Cormorant Island. But they cannot find his missing trunk.
The next day, they have a pretend battle. Captain Flint is "tried" for his "crimes." He is even made to "walk the plank" on his own houseboat!
After the battle, they have a big feast. They agree that on their last holiday day, Titty and Roger will go back to Cormorant Island. The others will go fishing. Titty finds the trunk! It contains Captain Flint's memoirs. As a reward, Titty gets Captain Flint's green parrot.
The story is set in August 1929. It shows many parts of daily life in the Lake District. This includes farmers and charcoal burners. The children enjoy simple foods like corned beef and ginger beer. They pretend these are "pemmican" and "grog." Life on the island also reminds them of the story of Robinson Crusoe.
Main Characters
Here are the main characters you will meet in the book:
- John Walker – He is the oldest of the Walker children. He is the captain of the Swallow boat.
- Susan Walker – She is the second oldest Walker child. She is the mate of the Swallow.
- Titty Walker – She is an able seaman on the Swallow. Her name was a real nickname for a child named Mavis Altounyan. In some TV shows, her name was changed to Kitty or Tatty.
- Roger Walker – He is the youngest of the sailing Walkers. He is the ship's boy of the Swallow.
- Bridget Walker – She is the youngest Walker child. She is nicknamed "Vicky" because she looks like pictures of Queen Victoria. She is the ship's baby of the Swallow.
- Nancy Blackett (Ruth) – She is the captain of the Amazon boat.
- Peggy Blackett (Margaret) – She is Nancy's younger sister. She is the mate of the Amazon.
- James Turner – He is Nancy and Peggy's uncle. The children call him "Captain Flint."
Where the Story Happens
Arthur Ransome said that every place in his book is real. You can find them in the Lake District. But he mixed and matched different locations. For example, the lake in the book is like Windermere. But the land around it is more like Coniston.
Wild Cat Island, where the children camp, is a mix of Peel Island in Coniston and Blake Holme in Windermere.
Holly Howe is the farmhouse where the Swallows stay. It is based on a real place called Bank Ground Farm. This farm was even shown in the 1974 film.
The main town on the lake is called Rio by the children. It is based on the towns of Bowness-on-Windermere and Windermere on Lake Windermere. The big mountain near the lake is called Kanchenjunga by the children. It is based on the "Old Man of Coniston" mountain.
Illustrations in the Book
The first edition of Swallows and Amazons did not have any pictures inside. The artist chosen, Steven Spurrier, drew the cover. Later, Clifford Webb drew pictures for the second edition. But Arthur Ransome decided to draw his own pictures for all his books. So, Webb's drawings were replaced in later editions.
Other Versions of the Story
Swallows and Amazons has been made into radio shows, TV series, and movies.
Radio Shows
In 1936, the BBC aired Swallows and Amazons as a story with dialogue. It was part of "The Children's Hour." Later, in 1947, it was read in fifteen episodes by Derek McCulloch, also known as Uncle Mac.
Television Series
The BBC made a TV show called Swallows and Amazons in 1963. John Paul played Captain Flint. Susan George played Kitty (Titty's renamed character).
Movies
There have been two movies based on the book:
- A film was released in 1974. It was directed by Claude Whatham. Virginia McKenna played Mrs. Walker. Ronald Fraser played Uncle Jim. The Swallows were played by Sophie Neville (Titty), Zanna Hamilton (Susan), Simon West (John), and Stephen Grendon (Roger).
- A more recent film came out in 2016. It was directed by Philippa Lowthorpe. The movie starred Andrew Scott, Rafe Spall, Kelly Macdonald, Jessica Hynes, and Harry Enfield.
Other Adaptations
In 1999, BBC Radio 4 broadcast a radio play. It was adapted by David Wood. Jean Anderson narrated as an older Titty.
A musical version of Swallows and Amazons was also created. It first played in Bristol in 2010. Then it moved to London's West End in 2011. The music was written by Neil Hannon. Adults played the children in this show.
Images for kids
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First edition dust jacket cover 1930
