They are set in the accurately drawn Norfolk Broads, notably the small village of Horning and its watery surroundings. Two of the books feature the Callums without the Swallows or Amazons: Coot Club and The Big Six. Dick aspires to be a scientist, Dorothea a writer. Winter Holiday (1933) has them meet Dick and Dorothea Callum ('the Ds'), siblings of a similar age also visiting the area. In subsequent adventures, the children change roles and become explorers or miners. They clash on an island in the lake, make friends, and have a series of adventures that weave tales of pirates and exploration into everyday life in rural England. The Walkers see themselves as explorers, while the Blacketts declare themselves pirates. The Walker children from London, staying at a lakeside farm in the school holidays, sail a dinghy named Swallow, while the local Blackett girls, living on the opposite shore, have one named Amazon.

The series begins with Swallows and Amazons, published in 1930. The British-based Arthur Ransome Society has an international membership. The earliest was the Arthur Ransome Club in Japan. There are several societies for studying and promoting Ransome's work, notably this series.

Literary critic Peter Hunt believes it 'changed British literature, affected a whole generation's view of holidays, helped to create the national image of the English Lake District and added Arthur Ransome's name to the select list of classic British children's authors.' The series remains popular and inspires visits to the Lake District and Norfolk Broads, where many of the books are set. They revolve around outdoor activities, especially sailing. Set in the interwar period, the novels involve group adventures by children, mainly in the school holidays and mainly in England. The Swallows and Amazons series is a series of twelve children's adventure novels by English author Arthur Ransome.

Arthur ransome books