‘Swallows and Amazons’ is the first book in the Swallows and Amazons series by Arthur Ransome. It was published in 1930 and the story is set in the Lake District in August 1929, during the last fortnight of the summer holidays.
The Walker children (John, Susan, Titty and Roger) sail a borrowed dinghy named Swallow, and the Blackett children (Nancy and Peggy), sail a dinghy named Amazon.
The Walkers are staying at Holly Howe (a farm near the lake) during the school holidays, and want to camp on an island in the lake; the Blacketts live in a house (Beckfoot) nearby. When the children meet, they agree to join forces against a common enemy – the Blacketts’ uncle Jim Turner.
The children meet on the island which they call Wild Cat Island, and have a series of adventures involving sailing, camping, and exploring the island. The story includes a good deal of everyday Lake District life of the farmers and the charcoal burners working in the woods.
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