Swallows and Amazons series image of the English Lake District and added Arthur Ransome's name to the select list of classic British children's authors". The series remains popular today. It contributes to the tourist industry in the Lake District and Norfolk Broads areas of England, where many of the books are set. There are also several societies dedicated to the study and promotion of Ransome's work which are largely inspired by the series. The first one to be founded was the Arthur Ransome Club in Japan. There is also the British-based group, The Arthur Ransome Society, which has an international membership. The series begins
Swallows and Amazons Altounyan connections, changing the initial dedication of "Swallows and Amazons" and writing a new foreword which gave other sources. In 2003, the novel was listed at number 57 on the BBC's survey The Big Read. The artist chosen for the first edition of the book was Steven Spurrier, but 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