Swallows and Amazons Swallows and Amazons Swallows and Amazons is the first book in the "Swallows and Amazons" series by English author Arthur Ransome; it was first published in 1930, with the action taking place in the summer of 1929 in the Lake District. The book introduces central protagonists John, Susan, Titty and Roger Walker (Swallows) and their mother and baby sister (Bridget), as well as Nancy and Peggy Blackett (Amazons) and their uncle Jim, commonly referred to as Captain Flint. At the time, Ransome had been working as a journalist with the "Manchester Guardian", but decided to become a full-time author rather
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