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From Amazon.co.uk
It is the wholesome story of four young children, John, Susan, Titty and Roger, who set out in their boat (the Swallow of the title) to an island of adventure. All seems well until they encounter their enemy. At first they are angry at the invasion of their peaceful haven by these Amazon pirates, Nancy and Peggy, who claim ownership of the land. But in time a truce is called and the Swallows and Amazons become firm friends. Camping under open skies, swimming in clear water, fishing, exploring and making discoveries is the stuff of dreams which serves to make this so charming a tale. The author manages to capture the innocence of a time when all this was real and possible. Swallows and Amazons will transport children to a fantastical place where they can play safely and roam freely, without an adult in sight. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.
Amazon.co.uk Review
It is the wholesome story of four young children, John, Susan, Titty and Roger, who set out in their boat (the Swallow of the title) to an island of adventure. All seems well until they encounter their enemy. At first they are angry at the invasion of their peaceful haven by these Amazon pirates, Nancy and Peggy, who claim ownership of the land. But in time a truce is called and the Swallows and Amazons become firm friends. Camping under open skies, swimming in clear water, fishing, exploring and making discoveries is the stuff of dreams which serves to make this so charming a tale. The author manages to capture the innocence of a time when all this was real and possible. Swallows and Amazons will transport children to a fantastical place where they can play safely and roam freely, without an adult in sight. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Customer Reviews
"Swallows & Amazons" is now derided by many for being dated, dull and politically incorrect.
However it proved to this reader that books were A GOOD THING. To a seven year old, the book gathers you in and makes you care about and identify with the characters. This was the first proper book I ever read and understood.
Of course the writing is dated. Of course children can't roam as free as John, Susan, Titty and Roger do any more. Yes, there's no real story as such - but it DOESN'T MATTER.
I challenge anybody with open mind to read the first 50 or so pages of this book and not care about the participants and carry on entranced to the end. And the good news....there's plenty more in the series to read.
Last year, for the first time, I was ecstatic to be able to visit "the" Lake and actually landed on "the" Island. I was 34 years old at the time.
Swallows and Amazons has gripped this reader for nearly 30 years. Even now, every few months or so, I dust down a treasured copy of one of the series and read on.
My father introduced them to me when I was young and now at the age of 42 with 3 small chidren I am hoping to do the same for them (am also hoping that my eldest might as a result of reading it might fixate on a sailing dinghy rather than a pony...).
If you are like me and have precious little time, then buy the Gabriel Woolf narated version on CD. Almost brought me to tears with the beauty of the prose and Woolf's faultless interpretation.
But whatever you do buy the book for the children otherwise they will miss out on the fantastic illustrations and the simple joy of creating the world of the Swallows and the Amazons for themselves.
I felt very doubtful as I ploughed through the first page (how long does it take for a small boy to cross a field?!) but as the seconds ticked by I gradually slipped deeper and deeper into the world of the Swallows and the Amazons, a world of wild forests, lakes, snake-charming savages, robbery, warfare, piracy, and exploration. At one o'clock in the morning I was up to my waist in cold water with Titty, quietly scrambling into the enemy ship 'Amazon' with my heart thudding dizzily in my chest. "Quickly, quickly!" I urged her silently, my fingers gripping the pages just as tightly as her fingers gripped the oars. When my parents came home Mum was not pleased to discover me still curled up on the sofa at three a.m, eyes wide open, desperate to prolong my camping trip on Wild Cat Island. Dad just smiled; 'Swallows and Amazons' had been a childhood favourite of his, too.
I developed an obsession with the whole series, even going so far as to adopt the language and mannerisms of Captain Nancy Blackett. ("You tame galoot!" is still one of my favourite insults, and I'm now eighteen!) The synopsis for 'Swallows and Amazons' may sound boring in comparison to Rowlingesque fantasy - six kids go away to camp on an island - but Ransome's glorious imagination has turned this most ordinary of events into an exciting adventure story that is still capable of captivating children (and the odd university student...) sixty years further on. My copies still have houseroom on my overcrowded bookshelves, their faded covers and well-thumbed pages telling everyone who enters my room how much I love them. They rarely make 'em like this any more...
Swallows And Amazons
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