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 series remainder of his books himself. In 1938, he drew his own pictures for "Swallows and Amazons" and "Swallowdale" to replace Webb's. Ransome's pictures were done in pen and ink with no colour, although colours have been added by some publishers in later editions. Typically, figures in the pictures are shown from the back, though there are some which show the faces of a few of the characters. Taqui Altounyan, the oldest of the children to whom the first edition of "Swallows and Amazons" was dedicated, recalls that "He shirked drawing faces and got over that difficulty with back views of