[Complete set of the Swallows and Amazons novels:] by RANSOME, Arthur - 1930-47: Swallows and Amazons; Swallowdale; Peter Duck; Winter Holiday; Coot Club; Pigeon Post; We Didn't Mean To Go To Sea; Secret Water; The Big Six; Missee Lee; The Picts and The Martyrs; Great Northern?

London: Jonathan Cape,, 1930-47. The Complete Swallows and Amazons First editions, first impressions. Complete first edition sets of Ransome's Swallows and Amazons sailing adventures novels are rare. The first book was published in an edition of only 2,000 copies (compared with the last book which of which the first issue probably numbered 11,000 copies). Wayne G. Hammond records that "Swallows and Amazons sold slowly at first, taking two years to earns its advance of £100..." Nevertheless, in 1948 "the house journal of Jonathan Cape announced that the one millionth copy, of the total copies printed of the twelve books in the 'Swallows and Amazons' series, would soon be on sale". The first film adaptation of Swallows and Amazons was released in 1974 including Virginia McKenna in the cast. A second adaptation was released in 2016 starring Andrew Scott and Harry Enfield. A musical version of the book was premiered by the National Theatre in 2010. 12 volumes, octavo. Original green cloth, lettering to spines in gilt, illustrated endpapers. Erratum slip present (Coot Club). With dust jackets. Maps drawn by Stephen Spurrier, illustrations to text by Clifford Webb and the author. Bookplate to half-title (We Didn't Mean To Go To Sea) and ownership stamp to verso of front free endpaper (Great Northern?) An excellent and attractive set. Cloth slightly sunned (Swallows & Amazons and Swallowdale), occasional foxing and browning, spine slightly leaning (Swallowdale), minor split to front hinge (Pigeon Post), otherwise very good. Occasional toning to spines of dust jackets, some light restoration (Swallowdale, Peter Duck, Coot Club and Pigeon Post), occasional light foxing (Winter Holiday) and price-clipped with other minor loss (We Didn't Mean To Go To Sea), all with occasional foxing and extremities slightly frayed; else very good and attractive jackets. Hammond A25a; A26a; A27a; A28a; A29a; A30a; A31a; A32a; A33a; A34a; A35a; A36a.