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Arthur Ransome

Author,Illustrator,Editor,Translator,Compiler

(1884 - 1967)

Image of Arthur Ransome

Arthur Michell Ransome (January 18, 1884 – June 3, 1967) was an English author and journalist. He is best known for writing the Swallows and Amazons series of children’s books about the school-holiday adventures of children, mostly in the Lake District and the Norfolk Broads. Many of the books involve sailing; fishing and camping are other common subjects. The books remain popular and Swallows and Amazons is the basis for a tourist industry around Windermere and Coniston Water, the two lakes Ransome adapted as his fictional North Country lake.



Bibliography

Pigeon Post (1937)

pigeonpostransomelippincott.jpg book cover

The Swallows, Amazons and D’s are prospecting for gold on High Topps, hoping to persuade Captain Flint to stay home as he returns from a South American gold prospecting trip.

Author(s): Arthur Ransome
Illustrator(s): Arthur Ransome
Mary Shepard

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Racundra’s First Cruise (1923)

racundrasfirstcruiseransomehuebsch.jpg book cover

A account of the author’s cruise in the Baltic on a small two masted yacht with his wife (former secretary to Lenin) and a local seaman, the prototype of Peter Duck. Read online at Hathitrust.

Author(s): Arthur Ransome
Illustrator(s): Photographs
Arthur Ransome

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Racundra’s First Cruise (1923)

racundrasfirstcruiseransomeunwin.jpg book cover

A account of the author’s cruise in the Baltic on a small two masted yacht with his wife (former secretary to Lenin) and a local seaman, the prototype of Peter Duck.

Read online at archive.org

Author(s): Arthur Ransome
Illustrator(s): Photographs
Arthur Ransome

Details »

Racundra’s First Cruise (1948)

racundrasfirstcruiseransomecape.jpg book cover

A account of the author’s cruise in the Baltic on a small two masted yacht with his wife (former secretary to Lenin) and a local seaman, the prototype of Peter Duck.

Author(s): Arthur Ransome
Illustrator(s): Photographs
Arthur Ransome

Details »

Secret Water (1939)

secretwaterransomecape.jpg book cover

The Swallows are set down on an island in a tidal estuary to explore and map it.

Read online at archive.org

Author(s): Arthur Ransome
Illustrator(s): Arthur Ransome

Details »

Secret Water (1940)

secretwaterransomemacmillan.jpg book cover

The Swallows are set down on an island in a tidal estuary to explore and map it.

Author(s): Arthur Ransome
Illustrator(s): Anonymous
Arthur Ransome

Details »

Swallowdale (1931)

swallowdaleransomewebbcape.jpg book cover

The Swallows return to the lake for the summer holidays but on their third day disaster strikes and they are marooned on shore.

Author(s): Arthur Ransome
Illustrator(s): Clifford Webb

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Swallowdale (1932)

swallowdaleransomelilppincott.jpg book cover

The Swallows return to the lake for the summer holidays but on their third day disaster strikes and they are marooned on shore.

Author(s): Arthur Ransome
Illustrator(s): Helene Carter

Details »

Swallowdale (1938)

swallowdaleransomecape2nd.jpg book cover

The Swallows return to the lake for the summer holidays but on their third day disaster strikes and they are marooned on shore.

Read online at archive.org. 

Author(s): Arthur Ransome
Illustrator(s): Arthur Ransome

Details »

Swallows and Amazons (1930)

swallowsandamazonsransomecapefirst.gif book cover

The four Swallows receive permission from their sailor father to sail by themselves on one of the English lakes in a telegram: ‘BETTER DROWNED THAN DUFFERS IF NOT DUFFERS WONT DROWN.’

Author(s): Arthur Ransome
Illustrator(s): Steven Spurrier

Details »

Swallows and Amazons (1931)

swallowsandamazonsransomecapewebb.jpg book cover

The four Swallows receive permission from their sailor father to sail by themselves on one of the English lakes in a telegram: ‘BETTER DROWNED THAN DUFFERS IF NOT DUFFERS WONT DROWN.’

Author(s): Arthur Ransome
Illustrator(s): Clifford Webb

Details »

Swallows and Amazons (1931)

swallowsandamazonsransomelippincott.jpg book cover

The four Swallows receive permission from their sailor father to sail by themselves on one of the English lakes in a telegram: ‘BETTER DROWNED THAN DUFFERS IF NOT DUFFERS WONT DROWN.’

Read online at archive.org. 

Author(s): Arthur Ransome
Illustrator(s): Helene Carter

Details »

Swallows and Amazons (1938)

swallowsandamazonsransomecape3rd.jpg book cover

The four Swallows receive permission from their sailor father to sail by themselves on one of the English lakes in a telegram: ‘BETTER DROWNED THAN DUFFERS IF NOT DUFFERS WONT DROWN.’

Author(s): Arthur Ransome
Illustrator(s): Arthur Ransome
Clifford Webb

Details »

The Swallows and the Amazons (1997)

Swallows and Amazons Ransome Spurrier 1997 book cover

This is a transcription of the original manuscript of Swallows and Amazons along with the original illustrations by Steven Spurrier which, aside from the dust jacket, were not used in the first edition as Ransome objected to them.

Author(s): Arthur Ransome
Illustrator(s): Steven Spurrier

Details »

We Didn’t Mean to Go to Sea (1937)

wedidntmeantogotosearansomecape.jpg book cover

The Swallows are invited to sail in Goblin with Jim Brady. When a fog comes up and the skipper doesn’t return and the rising tide starts the anchor to dragging, suddenly they find themselves outside Harwich Harbor, passing the Beach End buoy and well out in the North Sea.

 

Author(s): Arthur Ransome
Illustrator(s): Arthur Ransome

Details »

We Didn’t Mean to Go to Sea (1938)

wedidntmeantogotosearansomelippincott.jpg book cover

The Swallows are invited to sail in Goblin with Jim Brady. When a fog comes up and the skipper doesn’t return and the rising tide starts the anchor to dragging, suddenly they find themselves outside Harwich Harbor, passing the Beach End buoy and well out in the North Sea.

Read online at archive.org

Author(s): Arthur Ransome
Illustrator(s): Arthur Ransome
Unknown

Details »

Winter Holiday (1933)

winterholidayransomecape.jpg book cover

Dick and Dorothea are spending the winter holidays by the lake where they meet the Swallows and Amazons. Thanks to Nancy’s mumps their vacation is extended as the lake freezes over.

Read online at archive.org

Author(s): Arthur Ransome
Illustrator(s): Arthur Ransome

Details »

Winter Holiday (1934)

Winter Holiday ransome cart book cover

Dick and Dorothea are spending the winter holidays by the lake where they meet the Swallows and Amazons. Thanks to Nancy’s mumps their vacation is extended as the lake freezes over.

Author(s): Arthur Ransome
Illustrator(s): Helene Carter
Arthur Ransome

Details »