Swallows and Amazons

Synopsis: To John, Susan, Titty and Roger, simply being allowed to use the boat Swallow to go camping on the island is adventure enough. But soon they find themselves under attack from the fierce Amazon pirates, Nancy and Peggy. And so begins a summer of battles, alliances, exploration and discovery.

Review: This was one of the few books that passed me by in childhood, I'm not quite sure why but I wish I'd read it then because I found it hard to disengage my adult brain. I was all the time thinking .. 'they shouldn't really be left to fend for themselves .. what on earth is their mother thinking? ... surely that's not safe .. what if they drown? ... oh crikey they've got matches' etc etc etc. When they went to meet with the charcoal burners and one of the men took them inside his tent I was nearly having a fit. Also my adult self couldn't quite get over how well behaved these children were and how well they got on together, no squabbling or punching to speak of, they were all very responsible and little Roger, who was seven, seemed to take it all in his stride when he was told that he wasn't quite old enough to do such and such or go so and so, surely he should have been prostrate on the floor, beetroot faced, kicking and screaming? Once, after learning that he couldn't go on a particular jaunt, he was told that he could lend them his torch and apparently that was just as good! These children weren't born they were sent directly from heaven. And so was the mother, she fell in with all their games, was happy to speak in gobbledygook (her being a native and all) and didn't moan at them once about catching chills or ruining clothes (though, she wasn't negligent .. she seemed to trust to their own good sense.)

Perhaps it's not so much that I've grown up, perhaps it's that times have changed and maybe the world was a much more simpler, safer place back when Arthur wrote these stories (1930's.) Certainly his stories are very reminiscent of Enid's who was writing at around the same time. Sensible children, enjoying the outdoor life with an adventure or two thrown in and lashings and lashings of food. It was only every time I came to the name 'Titty' that I became ten again .. I can't imagine that it was ever a good idea to name her that but if it was, it certainly isn't now. I was happier to call them by their crew names ... Captain John, Master Mate (Susan) Able-Seaman (Titty) and Ship's Boy (Roger).

I've only ever been to the Lake District once but it was glorious and it stuck in my memory so it was easy to visualise the landscape in which these stories is set. The four siblings set sail for 'Wild Cat Island' where they are to spend a few days camping but straight away notice that the island shows signs of previous habitation. Naturally this makes them a bit wary and they've every right to be because it's not long before they have their first confrontation with the crew of the Amazon ... the indomitable Captain Nancy Blackett and her sister Peggy. I loved Nancy, she seemed to immerse herself in the role of pirate whole heartedly and her speech was littered with salty expressions such as ... 'hang on to the mainsheet you son of a sea-cook' ... 'we've done them fairly brown' and lots of timber shivering and calling people 'galoot's'. She and Peggy seemed like such good fun and though the Swallows and Amazons are sworn enemies to start with (and war is declared) they soon become allies in their quest to lay siege to Captain Flint (who is really Nancy and Peggy's Uncle Jim.)

I absolutely adored all the little illustrations and maps, they really bought the story to life. I wasn't a very outdoorsy sort of child, far too frightened of my own shadow for that but these books are just perfect for encouraging children to explore the great outdoors and take part in pursuits such as sailing, camping, hiking and fishing .. far better than sitting in front of a computer/TV screen. Whether todays children would find the stories too tame and dated I don't know, they seem to be still enjoying The Famous Five which is encouraging.

The more I read of the story, the more I enjoyed it but I wish I had read it as a child.