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Books with author Arthur%20Ransome

  • Swallows and Amazons

    Arthur Ransome

    Paperback (David R. Godine, Publisher, July 16, 2010)
    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.
  • Peter Duck: A Treasure Hunt in the Caribbees

    Arthur Ransome

    eBook (David R. Godine, Publisher, Jan. 1, 1987)
    For anyone who loves sailing and adventure, Arthur Ransome's classic Swallows and Amazons series stands alone. Originally published in the UK over a half century ago, these books are still eagerly read by children, despite their length and their decidedly British protagonists. We attribute their success to two facts: first, Ransome is a great storyteller and, second, he clearly writes from first-hand experience. Independence and initiative are qualities any child can understand and every volume in this collection celebrates these virtues.. The third book in Arthur Ransome's wonderful series for children, Peter Duck takes intrepid explorers John, Susan, Titty, and Roger Walker and fearsome Amazon pirates Nancy and Peggy Blackett onto the high seas. Under the command of the infamous Captain Flint (Nancy and Peggy's Uncle Jim), the children brave a real-life pirate and his cutthroat crew, fogy, sharks, and the ravenous crabs of Crab Island in the search of buried treasure.
  • Coot Club

    Arthur Ransome

    eBook (David R. Godine, Publisher, Nov. 30, 2018)
    It all started with a coot’s nest. Dorothy and Dick meet Tom Dodgeon, Port and Starboard, and three pirate salvagers — all members of the Coot Club Bird Protection Society. When one of the coot’s nests is disturbed by a shipful of “Hullabaloos” — rude holiday boaters — trouble begins. Frantic chases, calamitous boat collisions, and near drownings fill the pages of this exciting fifth addition to Ransome’s classic children’s series.For anyone who loves sailing and adventure, Arthur Ransome’s classic Swallows and Amazons series stands alone. Originally published in the UK over a half century ago, these books are still eagerly read by children, despite their length and their decidedly British protagonists. We attribute their success to two facts: first, Ransome is a great storyteller and, second, he clearly writes from first-hand experience. Independence and initiative are qualities any child can understand and every volume in this collection celebrates these virtues.
  • We Didn't Mean to Go to Sea

    Arthur Ransome

    eBook (David R. Godine, Publisher, Jan. 1, 1994)
    For anyone who loves sailing and adventure, Arthur Ransome's classic Swallows and Amazons series stands alone. Originally published in the UK over a half century ago, these books are still eagerly read by children, despite their length and their decidedly British protagonists. We attribute their success to two facts: first, Ransome is a skilled storyteller and, second, he writes from first-hand experience. Independence and initiative, virtues celebrated in each installment of this collection, are qualities any child can understand and every adult covets. In We Didn’t Mean to Go to Sea, the seventh adventure in the series (following Pigeon Post, winner of the Carnegie Medal), the Walker family awaits Commander Walker's return in Harwich. As usual, the children can't stay away from boats, leading to their discovery of young Jim Brading, skipper of the well-found sloop Goblin. But fun turns to high drama when the anchor drags, and the four young sailors find themselves drifting out to sea—sweeping across to Holland in the midst of a full gale! As in all of Ransome's books, the emphasis is on self-reliance, courage, and resourcefulness. We Didn't Mean to Go to Sea is a story to warm any mariner’s or young adventurer’s heart. Full of nautical lore and escapades, it will appeal to young armchair sailors and seasoned sailors alike.
  • Swallows and Amazons

    Arthur Ransome

    eBook (, Sept. 10, 2020)
    Swallows and Amazons is the first book in the Swallows and Amazons series by English author Arthur Ransome; it was first published on 1 December 1930, with the action taking place in the summer of 1929 in the Lake District. The book introduces the main protagonists John, Susan, Titty and Roger Walker (Swallows), their mother Mary, their baby sister (Bridget - nicknamed Vicky), as well as Nancy and Peggy Blackett (Amazons), their uncle Jim (James Turner), commonly referred to as Captain Flint and their widowed mother Molly Blackett.
  • Swallows and Amazons

    Arthur Ransome

    Hardcover (Harry N. Abrams, Feb. 12, 2019)
    The first title in Arthur Ransome's classic series, Swallows and Amazons was originally published in 1930 and remains to this day an intrepid story of sailing, exploration, and friendship for children, grownups, and anyone captivated by a world of adventure and imagination. Set in England’s Lake District in 1929, the story follows the Walker family―including siblings John, Susan, Titty, and Roger―who set sail for Wild Cat Island in their dinghy. Upon arriving, the friends are besieged by Amazon pirates, Nancy and Peggy, who claim ownership of the land. Luckily, the Swallows and Amazons soon call a truce and set off together on wild escapades, camping under open skies, swimming, fishing, and exploring. But when a mysterious man on a houseboat accuses them of a crime they did not commit, the Swallows and the Amazons must work together to clear their names―and find the real culprit. Drawing on the good old-fashioned storytelling of Robinson Crusoe and showcasing the qualities of independence and initiative in his characters, Arthur Ransome has written a timeless adventure story that still resonates with children today, nearly ninety years after its original publication. This deluxe hardcover edition of this charming tale will find a treasured spot in many home libraries as well as transport children to a real-life Neverland, a fantastical place where they can roam freely without an adult in sight.
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  • Swallowdale

    Ransome Arthur

    eBook
    Returning to Wild Cat Island for their second summer holiday by the Lake, the Swallows find the Amazons and Captain Flint suffering from "native trouble". Great Aunt Maria has come to stay, and she is a stickler for "proper" behaviour; demanding that the Amazon pirates act like "young ladies", and restricting their time.Despite this, Nancy and Peggy escape the Great Aunt and arrange a rendezvous, but on the way the Swallow hits Pike Rock and sinks. All are saved and the boat salvaged, but she needs repairing, so camping on the island is impossible. "Captain" John of the Swallows learns some valuable life lessons about following his instincts while commanding a ship, and has time to reflect on the accident while he fashions a new mast for Swallow. Fortunately an alternative appears to replace camping on Wildcat, as Roger and Titty find a beautiful hidden valley, Swallowdale, up on the moors above the lake.
  • Pigeon Post

    Arthur Ransome

    eBook (David R. Godine, Publisher, Nov. 30, 2018)
    For anyone who loves sailing and adventure, Arthur Ransome’s classic Swallows and Amazons series stands alone. Originally published in the UK over a half century ago, these books are still eagerly read by children, despite their length and their decidedly British protagonists. We attribute their success to two facts: first, Ransome is a great storyteller and, second, he clearly writes from first-hand experience. Independence and initiative are qualities any child can understand and every volume in this collection celebrates these virtues.The crew’s on holiday for their sixth adventure, and they turn their energies to mining for gold, aided by pigeon messengers Homer, Sophocles, and Sappho. The adventurers comb the nearby hills for a fabled lost claim, 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. Full of the dangers and dark adventures of old mines and forgotten claims, Pigeon Post has an irresistible appeal to the persistent explorer in every child.
  • Winter Holiday: Swallows and Amazons

    Arthur Ransome

    eBook (, Dec. 8, 2018)
    The fourth book in Arthur Ransome's classic series for children, Winter Holiday takes intrepid explorers John, Susan, Titty, and Roger Walker, and fearsome Amazon pirates Nancy and Peggy Blackett to the North Pole. Joined by budding novelist Dorethes Callum and her scientist brother Dick, the children plan an "Arctic" expedition. But unforseen events separate the travelers and disaster nearly strikes in the exciting climax of their race to the Pole.
  • Swallowdale

    Arthur Ransome

    Paperback (Wildside Press, Jan. 1, 2009)
    The second installment in the "Swallows and Amazons" children's book series focuses on camping adventures.
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  • Swallows and Amazons

    Arthur Ransome

    eBook (David R. Godine, Publisher, Sept. 1, 2012)
    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.
  • The Firebird and Other Russian Fairy Tales

    Arthur Ransome

    Paperback (Dover Publications, Dec. 13, 2004)
    Choice collection of nine classic tales — gathered by British author on his journeys to Russia in the early twentieth century — tells of magical beasts, daring young men, frightful giants, wicked witches, and beguiling creatures of the sea. A delight for fairy tale fans of all ages.
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