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Swallows and Amazons
- Swallows and Amazons Series, Book 1
- Narrated by: Gareth Armstrong
- Length: 8 hrs and 40 mins
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Swallows and Amazons
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Summary
For anyone who loves sailing and adventure, Arthur Ransome's classic Swallows and Amazons series stands alone. Originally published over a half-century ago, the twelve books are still eagerly read by children and adults alike – by all those captivated by the world of adventure and imagination. Such longevity is not only due to Ransome’s unparalleled gift of storytelling, but also his championing of qualities such as independence and initiative; virtues that appeal to every generation, whether young or old. Swallows and Amazons, the book that started it all in 1930, introduces the Walker family, the camp on Wild Cat Island, the able-bodied catboat Swallow, and the two intrepid Amazons, plucky Nancy and Peggy Blackett.
Arthur Ransome was a prolific writer of children's books. Born in Leeds in 1884, it was his father, a nature-loving history professor, who inspired his love of the outdoors and nurtured a passion for fishing. As a child he enjoyed active, outdoor holidays: sailing, camping and exploring the countryside. He used many of these holiday settings for his children's stories, notably the much-loved Swallows and Amazons, a book that sits comfortably in the category of ‘timeless classic’. In 1936 he won the first ever Carnegie Medal for the sixth book in the Swallows & Amazons series, Pigeon Post.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- L MCQ
- 31-10-16
Swallows and amazons
I did not like how they said the story in a normal voices no exitment but it's a good book 4 stars
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- NICK
- 10-01-21
Such Fun!
What an adventure! No make-believe here! This is real! Imagination, what it’s all about! Six children, a lake, an island.Don’t we all thrill to the possibilities? Haven’t we all been there, in one way or another?A classic, because timeless. Oh yes, Daddy’s away at sea, there is a nurse and there’s a schoolroom back home, with hints of going away to board in the new term. It doesn’t
matter, because the fun’s the thing for us all. I am overwhelmed by their sailing skills; there’s an adult pirate who willingly walks the plank; buried treasure, and drama on the high seas. Wouldn’t you join in? And the butter and eggs and milk, fresh from the farm; and fruit cake and pie. And a great storm as well. Come on!
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Dan C.
- 08-01-19
Terrible Narration!
I love this book, so when I saw this as an audio book I had to get it. Later when I first listened to it I thought it was fine, but later when I listened to it again I could point out several mistakes. The Narrator (Gareth Armstrong) sometimes mistakes words and different terms, and in the later stories (I have some of them too) he changes names. I am really annoyed by some of the voices, John's is really annoyingly thick, Susan's is to mother like, and Titty's is very childish. Roger's is alright and I like the Amazon's voices. I don't think that Gareth Armstrong should ruin anymore stories for anyone. People like particular things and they most certainly don't like different terms in a story that they already have read, especially ones they like.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- John
- 11-07-19
A childhood classic and still, surprisingly good t
I grew up with the Swallows & Amazons stories. It was about the only fiction I would read, preferring mainly comics like "The Eagle". Now 50 years later I've found this edition on Audible. OK, yes the story and the character's names have aged a bit. But I was genuinely surprised at how much I still enjoyed the story. Well worth a listen!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 16-02-17
My boys demand more.
Normally hardened fans of violence and outer space my kids loved this. They demanded the next book straight away.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Sarah Liddle
- 19-06-20
A childhood favourite
It was great to revisit this childhood favourite many years on... Brought back so many memories.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 28-02-22
Even better than reading it!
Loved it! I kept smiling at bits I remembered and at bits I'd forgotten.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Roberta Reads
- 22-04-19
Excellent fun
I enjoyed this so much more than I did as a child. A wonderful snapshot into an idyllic childhood. The performance is spot on. So enjoyable.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Jan
- 23-04-17
Rightly a classic
Three cheers for a great performance of a true classic. Hurrah! Swallows and Amazons forever!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Andrea
- 29-02-20
Loved it
It took a little while to settle into this book - as you can imagine it is quite old fashioned.
But once we got going, it most definitely captured my daughters imagination
Highly recommended
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