GurusReads

Reading Order

Swallows And Amazonsseries.seoTitleShort

Start with Swallows and Amazons and continue through all 12 books in the listed reading order.

12 books
Published 1930 to 1947
Status: Likely complete

Start Here

Swallows and Amazons

Start with Swallows and Amazons

Book 1 by Arthur Ransome • Published 1930

During a summer at an English lake, the Walker children sail the dinghy Swallow, befriend local sisters Nancy and Peggy with their boat Amazon, and turn camping on Wild Cat Island into a full-scale pirate campaign aga...

Complete List

Swallows And Amazons reading order

Ends with Great Northern? A Scottish Adventure of Swallows & Amazons

  1. 1
    Swallows and Amazons

    Book 1:Swallows and Amazons

    Arthur Ransome • 1930 • 1 recommendation

    During a summer at an English lake, the Walker children sail the dinghy Swallow, befriend local sisters Nancy and Peggy with their boat Amazon, and turn camping on Wild Cat Island into a full-scale pirate campaign aga...

  2. 2
    Swallowdale

    Book 2:Swallowdale

    Arthur Ransome • 1931

    Back at the lake for a second summer, the Swallows and Amazons lose their beloved dinghy in an accident and are forced to explore ashore, discovering a hidden valley they name Swallowdale while outwitting the fearsome...

  3. 3
    Peter Duck

    Book 3:Peter Duck

    Arthur Ransome • 1932

    On board Captain Flint's schooner Wild Cat, the Swallows and Amazons join old sailor Peter Duck on a treasure hunt to distant Crab Island, racing a villainous rival crew through storms, sharks and earthquakes in a ful...

  4. 4
    Winter Holiday

    Book 4:Winter Holiday

    Arthur Ransome • 1933

    Stranded at the lake over a frozen winter, the Swallows and Amazons befriend new arrivals Dick and Dorothea and turn the ice into an Arctic expedition, building igloos, sledges and signal posts until a blizzard and a...

  5. 5
    Coot Club

    Book 5:Coot Club

    Arthur Ransome • 1934

    On the Norfolk Broads at Easter, Dick and Dorothea learn to sail with Tom Dudgeon and his Coot Club friends, who patrol the rivers to protect nesting water birds and find themselves pursued by a noisy party of holiday...

  6. 6
    Pigeon Post

    Book 6:Pigeon Post

    Arthur Ransome • 1936

    During a hot, dry summer in the Lake District, the Swallows, Amazons and Ds camp high on the fells to search for a lost mineral vein, relying on homing pigeons for messages while dealing with water shortages, rival pr...

  7. 7
    We Didn't Mean to Go to Sea

    Book 7:We Didn't Mean to Go to Sea

    Arthur Ransome • 1937

    While staying on the River Orwell, the four Swallows help moor the cutter Goblin and are invited for a short sail, but fog, a dragging anchor and rising wind carry them unexpectedly into the North Sea, where their sea...

  8. 8
    Secret Water

    Book 8:Secret Water

    Arthur Ransome • 1939

    Marooned with a dinghy in the maze of tidal creeks known as Secret Water, the Swallows and Amazons turn their stay into a surveying expedition, mapping islands, keeping a log and negotiating truces and rivalries with...

  9. 9
    The Big Six

    Book 9:The Big Six

    Arthur Ransome • 1940

    Back on the Norfolk Broads, Dick and Dorothea join Tom and the Death and Glories to investigate a string of boats mysteriously cast adrift, forming the 'Big Six' detective club and using notebooks, cameras and quiet o...

  10. 10
    Missee Lee

    Book 10:Missee Lee

    Arthur Ransome • 1941

    On a round the world voyage in the Wild Cat, the Swallows, Amazons and Captain Flint are shipwrecked off the South China coast and captured by the Three Island pirates, where the scholarly Missee Lee, their unexpected...

  11. 11
    The Picts & the Martyrs or Not Welcome at All

    Book 11:The Picts & the Martyrs or Not Welcome at All

    Arthur Ransome • 1943

    When the Amazons' formidable Great Aunt descends on Beckfoot, Dick and Dorothea hide in a stone hut in the woods as secret 'Picts' while Nancy and Peggy endure being turned into respectable 'Martyrs', all four jugglin...

  12. 12
    Great Northern? A Scottish Adventure of Swallows & Amazons

    Book 12:Great Northern? A Scottish Adventure of Swallows & Amazons

    Arthur Ransome • 1947

    On a cruise in the Outer Hebrides with Captain Flint, the Swallows, Amazons and Ds discover what may be the nest of a very rare diver, then clash with an unscrupulous egg collector as they race to protect the birds wi...

Guru Endorsements

Thought Leaders Who Read This Series

Quick Answers

Swallows And Amazons FAQ

What is the best order to read the Swallows And Amazons series?

The recommended reading order is the numbered order shown on this page, starting with Swallows and Amazons.

How many books are in the Swallows And Amazons series?

There are 12 books currently listed in the Swallows And Amazons series on GurusReads.

Where should I start with the Swallows And Amazons series?

New readers should start with Swallows and Amazons, the first book in the reading order.

Is the Swallows And Amazons series complete?

Based on the publication years we have, the series appears likely complete and spans releases from 1930 to 1947.