[Complete Set of First Editions of 'Swallows and Amazons'.]

very rare first edition set in jackets

A rare, complete first edition set in original dust-jackets of Arthur Ransome's classic Swallows and Amazons series.

Arthur Ransome (1884 -1967) wrote on many subjects, including reporting to the British Government on the Russian Revolution. However, he is most famous for this series of children's books, which follow a number of resourceful boys and girls as they sail, camp, and have adventures, both real and imaginary. In these, Ransome celebrated the outdoor activities he loved and the places in England, especially the Lake District, dearest to his heart. The sixth book in the series, Pigeon Post (1936), won the first Carnegie Medal for excellence in children's literature; however, its successor, We Didn't Mean to Go to Sea (1937), is widely considered Ransome's masterpiece. (Encyclopaedia Britannica)

A complete set of first edition, first impressions of the twelve 'Swallows and Amazons' stories, all in publisher's cloth boards and dust-jackets, twelve volumes in total, comprising;

Swallows and Amazons, 1930, illustrations and map endpapers by Stephen Spurrier, contemporary gift inscription on half title page, mild thumb mark to bottom left-hand corner of title-page, otherwise leaves generally clean, very good; publisher's cloth gilt, slight sunning to spine, more pronounced at head and foot, wraparound pictorial dust-jacket by Steven Spurrier with correct price of 7s 6d intact, small part loss at head of spine, a few nicks, small part losses and small closed tears, a little toning and light spotting, dust-soiling and spotting to edges of closed text block, else generally a very nice example of a rare title in first edition, in a presentable dust-jacket; considering the rarity, still classified as very good;

Swallowdale, 1931, illustrations and map endpapers by Clifford Webb, small, unobtrusive contemporary ownership signature to top margin on front free end paper, else no other names, leaves generally clean, very good; publisher's cloth gilt, slight sunning to part of spine, light dust-soiling and spotting to edges of closed text block, pictorial dust-jacket by Clifford Webb with 7s 6d price intact, small part loss and closed tear at upper corner of rear panel/spine edge, internal repair at foot of spine backed with a piece of laid down paper (not recent), some spotting, toning, general wear at edges, complete and presentable, very good;

Peter Duck, 1932, illustrations and map endpapers by Arthur Ransome, contemporary gift inscription on half title, some light spotting to leaves at front and rear else leaves generally clean, very good; publisher's cloth gilt, slightly bumped at corners and head & foot of spine, spine a little sunned, light dust-soiling and minor spotting to edges of closed text block, pictorial dust-jacket by Clifford Webb with 7s 6d price intact, some closed tears and small losses at head and foot of spine edges and front and rear flap edges, not affecting text, toning, else generally very good;

Winter Holiday, 1933, illustrations and map end papers by Arthur Ransome, internally no previous owner names or inscriptions, leaves clean, very good-plus; publisher's cloth gilt (square, tight, cloth bright), dust-soiling to top edge of text block, else bright, pictorial dust-jacket by Arthur Ransome with 7s 6d price intact, small part loss at upper corner of rear panel/head of spine, spine somewhat browned, rear panel with toning, else a good to very good example;

Coot Club, 1934, illustrations and map end papers by Arthur Ransome, internally no previous owner names or inscriptions, leaves clean, very good; publisher's cloth gilt, slightly bumped at lower corners, light dust-soiling to top edge of text block, else tight and bright, pictorial dust-jacket by Arthur Ransome with 7s 6d price intact, small part loss head of spine but no loss of text, a few small, neat repair to verso, some toning, else generally very good;

Pigeon Post, 1936, illustrations and map end papers by Arthur Ransome, internally no previous owner names or inscriptions, leaves clean, very good; publisher's cloth gilt, a little sunned at head and foot of spine, light dust-soiling and spotting to edges of closed text-block, else generally very good, pictorial dust-jacket by Arthur Ransome with 7s 6d price intact, professional restoration to head and foot of spine, some toning, and closed tears inside front flap, else very good;

We Didn't Mean to Go to Sea, 1937, illustrations and map end papers by Arthur Ransome, contemporary gift inscription on half title, leaves clean, near-fine, publisher's cloth gilt, (square, tight, bright), pictorial dust-jacket by Arthur Ransome with 7s 6d price intact, two closed tears to verso, slight toning to spine, light dust-soiling and a few spots to rear panel, else a very good example;

Secret Water, 1939, illustrations and map end papers by Arthur Ransome, contemporary gift inscription on half title, leaves clean, near-fine; publisher's cloth gilt, generally very good, square and tight, pictorial dust-jacket by Arthur Ransome with 7s 6d price intact, spine browned, a little chipped and worn at head and foot of spine, tips of front and rear inside flaps, a little toning to rear panel, else very good;

The Big Six, 1940, illustrations and map end papers by Arthur Ransome, internally no previous owner names or inscriptions, leaves clean, slight rippling to upper, outer corner of text block, possibly a printing flaw since no outward appearance of such, otherwise very good; publisher's cloth gilt, a little bumped at corners, else square, tight and bright; pictorial dust-jacket by Arthur Ransome with 7s 6d price intact, spine somewhat browned with a little wear to head and foot and extremities, rear panel a bit toned, else generally very good;

Missee Lee, 1941, illustrations and map end papers by Arthur Ransome, internally no previous owner names or inscriptions, leaves clean, near-fine; publisher's cloth gilt, very small nick at head of spine, very slightly bumped lower corners, else square and tight, cloth bright, pictorial dust-jacket by Arthur Ransome, 8/6 net sticker, chipped at head and foot of spine, spine browned, one or two small closed tears, else generally very good;

The Picts and the Martyrs, 1943, illustrations and map end papers by Arthur Ransome, internally no previous owner names or inscriptions, leaves clean save for a couple of minor, marginal spots, otherwise very good-plus; publisher's cloth gilt, very slightly bumped at head of spine and lower corners, else square, tight and bright, pictorial dust-jacket by Arthur Ransome with 8s 6d price intact, spine browned, some toning to rear panel and along top edge, some very small nicks/chips to extremities, else generally a very good example;

Great Northern?, 1947, illustrations and map end papers by Arthur Ransome, internally no previous owner names or inscriptions, leaves clean, very good; publisher's cloth gilt, spine cocked, a little bumped/rubbed at corners, very mild spotting to closed-text block edges, else very good, pictorial dust-jacket by Arthur Ransome with 9s price intact, some small part losses head and foot spine, tips of inside front and rear flips, a few neat repairs to verso, spine a little browned and worn at extremities, otherwise very good;

The twelve volumes housed in four very handsome full morocco gilt custom-made solander boxes, each velvet lined, spines with raised bands bordered in gilt, green leather gilt-title labels to spines and front covers.covers.