Books to help you find out more about the author, his books and the boats, people and places behind them
If you are interested in finding out more about Arthur Ransome, his books and the boats, people and places which inspired him, there are a number of books which have been published to help you do just this. They are listed below with ISBN and publisher details, together with the year of publication. (A year in brackets indicates the year in which that title was first published.)
Not of all those mentioned may be available except from a second-hand bookstore, an online bookseller such as Abebooks or Amazon Marketplace or an online auction site, such as eBay.
Some of the books listed below are available from the TARS Stall.
| Arthur Ransome & Captain Flint’s Trunk by Christina HardymentISBN: 0-7112-2692-0Frances Lincoln Limited, 2007 (1984) | |
| Arthur Ransome and the world of the Swallows & Amazons by Roger WardaleISBN: 0-9535035-4-2Great Northern Books, 2000 | |
| Arthur Ransome’s East Anglia by Roger WardaleISBN: 0-946148-57-0Poppyland Publishing, 2001 (1988) | |
| Discovering Swallows & Ransomes by John BerryISBN: 1-85058-814-7Sigma Leisure, 2004 | |
| In the Footsteps of the Swallows and Amazons by Clare Kendall-PriceISBN: 0-95211-86-02Wild Cat Publishing, 1993 | |
| In Search of Swallows & Amazons: Arthur Ransome’s Lakeland by Roger WardaleISBN: 1-85058-839-2Sigma Leisure, 2006 (1996) | |
| The Life of Arthur Ransome by Hugh BroganISBN: 0-224-02010-2Jonathan Cape, 1984 | |
| Nancy Blackett: Under Sail with Arthur Ransome by Roger WardaleISBN: 0-224-03754-4Jonathan Cape, 1991 | |
| Signalling from Mars: The Letters of Arthur Ransome edited by Hugh BroganISBN: 0-224-04261-0Jonathan Cape, 1997 The World of Arthur Ransome by Christima Hardyment ISBN: 978-0-7112-3297-6 Frances Lincoln 2012 | |
| Good Little Ship: Arthur Ransome, Nancy Blackett and the Goblin by Peter Willis : Foreword Libby Purves ISBN-13: 978-1907206429 Lodestar Books 2017 |
Popular links in the Arthur Ransome section of this site include: [covered elsewhere]
An outline bibliography of his published works.
Biography of Arthur Ransome on this site.
Hugh Brogan’s Biography
Information about museum and archive resources relating to Arthur Ransome
Timeline of Arthur Ransome’s life
AR’s sailing life
Roger Altounyan (Ship’s Boy)
One of our members, Robert Slinn, has given a talk about Roger Altounyan, the Ship’s Boy and discoverer of Intal and the Spinhaler (the chemical and delivery equipment which has saved the lives of countless asthmatics).
Roger Altounyan was a man of many talents and a pioneering spirit. He was educated in England and spent many holidays at his family home in the Lake District. It was there, in 1927, that he inspired Arthur Ransome’s famous novel, “Swallows and Amazons.” Despite the outbreak of World War II, Roger continued his education, eventually studying medicine at Cambridge and Middlesex Hospital. After working in his family hospital in Syria, he returned to England where he made a significant contribution to the field of bronchial asthma research discovering Intal and inventing the Spinhaler. He even used himself as a test subject in his quest for a cure! In his free time, he was an avid sailor and wine-maker, and he had a passion for helping others. Throughout his life, Roger remained a curious and insightful person, always seeking ways to improve the lives of those around him.
You can acces this talk on Youtube here.
The BBC also produced a short film about Roger Altounyan which can be watched below.