These are the idyllic adventures of the Walker and Blackett families (the Swallows and the Amazons) in the Lake District and the Norfolk Broads during the summer holidays. The Swallows are four brothers and sisters and they are given permission by their mother to camp on a small island in the middle of a lake. Unbeknown to them, the Amazons are already there as self-styled pirates! These are Nancy and Peggy Blackett, two tomboys. It is the story of how their rivalry turns to friendship as they share many an adventure together involving pirates, grub, natives, fishing, and sailing. Arthur Ransome was born in 1884 in Leeds, became a journalist with a special interest in the Russian Revolution, and died in 1967. This is a delightful children's fantasy.