My only tiny quibble is that the reader, Gareth Armstrong, who does an excellent job, gives the Blackett girls Cumbrian accents, which is just plain wrong. That's an hour or two saved! All of the Audible versions of Ransome's books are a delight. When they promise to learn 'Casabianca', how is the Great Aunt to know that they'd learnt it at school and are already word-perfect. The Blacketts are determined not to be entirely left out, though, and plan ways to spend time with the others. Nancy and Peggy, meanwhile, are expected to wear frocks and recite verse, and even Captain Flint is roped in to behave like a proper grown-up and not a pirate.

John gets busy on repairs to Swallow while the other three, Susan, Titty and Roger go off on what we'd now call a 'wild camping' trip, with the parrot.

Disaster strikes right at the beginning of their Lakeland holiday, when Swallow is shipwrecked and a Great Aunt arrives to demand that Nancy and Peggy dance attendance on her during her visit. Swallowdale is the second adventure for the Walker and Blackett children (and not forgetting Captain Flint and the parrot, of course). I've loved the Swallows and Amazons books since childhood and now I've discovered that the only thing which was lacking then was having an audio version so that they can be part of my day whatever I'm doing. In 1936 he won the first ever Carnegie Medal for the sixth book in the Swallows & Amazons series, Pigeon Post. He used many of these holiday settings for his children's stories, notably the much-loved Swallows and Amazons, a book that sits comfortably in the category of ‘timeless classic’. As a child he enjoyed active, outdoor holidays: sailing, camping and exploring the countryside. Born in Leeds in 1884, it was his father, a nature-loving history professor, who inspired his love of the outdoors and nurtured a passion for fishing. It follows the Walker family and friends through a shipwreck, a camp on the mainland, a secret valley and cave, and a thrilling mountain hike.Īrthur Ransome was a prolific writer of children's books. Swallowdale (originally published in 1931) is the second title in Arthur Ransome's classic series. Such longevity is not only due to Ransome’s unparalleled gift of storytelling, but also his championing of qualities such as independence and initiative virtues that appeal to every generation, whether young or old. Originally published over a half-century ago, the twelve books are still eagerly read by children and adults alike – by all those captivated by the world of adventure and imagination. For anyone who loves sailing and adventure, Arthur Ransome's classic Swallows and Amazons series stands alone.

Swallowdale arthur ransome