It is not, perhaps, the fact that Ransome was a spy that we find so incredible. Yet each time this story is told it provokes as much astonishment and disbelief as the last. Since 1991 a trickle of documents have leaked into the public realm confirming his work for MI6 and Lenin's high opinion of him as a source of intelligence. But why does this come as a surprise? Ransome's work for the Daily News and Manchester Guardian provoked whispered speculation in his own lifetime, and occasionally open controversy. Last week the National Archives ( ) released papers proving that England's best-behaved children's author was a spy and possibly a double agent during the Russian revolution that he wrote pro-Bolshevik articles for liberal newspapers and married Trotsky's private secretary.

Arthur Ransome's 'secret life' is apparently one of them. Secret Water John, Susan, Titty and Roger, the crew of the Swallow.There are some stories that go against the cultural grain so deeply that we refuse to believe them.

It's up to us, it's up to the ship, to see he doesn't.'Dick's birdwatching discovery turns the cruise of the Sea Bear into a desperate chase. Dark at teatime and sleeping indoors: nothing ever happens in the winter holidays.Coot Club Tom Dudgeon has cast off a motor cruiser from its moorings to protect a coot's nest, but now the cruiser is searching high and low for him - even offering a reward.Great Northern? 'I was wrong,' said Captain Flint. Winter Holiday 'Well,' said Nancy, 'You know what it's like. But immediately disaster strikes when the Swallows find themselves marooned ashore by the shipwreck of their boat. Swallowdale John, Susan, Titty and Roger return to the lake for another summer camping on their island with their old allies, Nancy and Peggy, otherwise known as the Amazon pirates. Peter Duck The Swallows and Amazons are sailing with Nancy and Peggy's Uncle Jim (better known as Captain Flint) when their hired deckhand tells them a tale of his younger days - a tale to set pulses racing and hopes shooting sky high. The Swallows and Amazons decide to battle it out, and so begins a summer of unforgettable discoveries and incredible adventures. But their days are disturbed by the Blackett sisters, the fierce Amazon pirates. There they camp under open skies, swim in clear water and go fishing for their dinner.

Description:- swallows and amazons The Walker children - also known as Captain John, Mate Susan, Able-Seaman Titty, and Ship's Boy Roger - set sail on the Swallow and head for Wild Cat Island. Arthur ransome swallows and amazons collection 12 books set includes titles:- Winter Holiday, Peter Duck, Swallows and Amazons, Swallowdale, Coot Club, Pigeon Post, Great Northern?, Missee Lee, The Big Six, We Didn't Mean to Go to Sea, Secret Water, The Picts and the Martyrs.

Arthur ransome series