Arthur Ransome

Advantages: Heart warming, endearing, beautiful descriptive writing
Disadvantages: Younger readers could struggle with long description and technical sailing terms

...Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome ~~~Setting~~~ Swallows and Amazons was written in 1930, an adventure story aimed at children and the first of a series of 12 novels for which their author is most well known. Set in the Lake District, it follows the adventures during one summer holiday of the Swallows (brothers and sisters John, Susan, Titty and Roger) as they camp on an island of adventure, make enemies and then friends with the Amazon pirates (Nancy and Peggy), solving mysteries and chasing thieves. It is a very tame, but very charming novel, seemingly enjoyed by children and adults alike. I bought and read it earlier this year after visiting a permanent exhibition on Arthur Ransome in the Museum of Lakeland Life in Kendal. It is so evocative of the Lake District that it is a pleasure to read for this alone. ~~~The Plot... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful

Advantages: A lovely story about how childhood should be spent
Disadvantages: None as far as I'm concerned

...This book, Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Ransome, has been considered a children's classic by many people. I have loved this book, and the sequels to it, for as long as I can remember. I first read it when I was about eight, and the book seems to have been written with the age range seven-to-twelve in mind. However, it is a lovely book to read at any age, I still enjoy it as much now as I did then. The book is set in 1929, an age when children were more innocent than they are nowadays, and when being a child seemed to be a lot safer. It centres around a family of children, John, Susan, Titty and Roger who are on holiday with their mother and younger sister at a farm in the Lake District. Having a father in the Navy and being around boats all their lives has given them a love of the water and the ability to handle a small sailing... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful

Advantages: Readable, well researched
Disadvantages: None.

..."The Winter King" is the first volume in Bernard Cornwell's Warlord Chronicles trilogy, the story is narrated by Derfel Cadarn, one of Arthur's warriors. The novel (as would be expected in a telling of Arthurian legend) cover romance, battles and sorcery: But in a unique way. The battles are gory (as is usual with Bernard Cornwell), the characters are ofter cruel and unfeeling, and the magic is never obvious but can always be explained. In summary, the series is the most readable and certainly the most realistic telling of the legend of Arthur and "The Winter King" is a powerful mixture of intrigue, magic and warfare.... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful