Published by Jonathan Cape, London; 1930. 8vo. 350pp. First edition, first impression. Condition: Very Good/ Very Good.
Bound in original blue cloth boards with title in gilt to the front board and spine. The binding is square and tight with some bumping to the corners and spine ends. There is some fading to the spine and a little sunning to the top edge and a spot on the spine just below the author's name. Otherwise, the binding is clean and smart with no marks or damage. Inside, the pages are clean and bright with toning to the edges, but otherwise free from marks or blemishes. There is a neat ownership inscription to the ffep.
This beautiful classic is housed in its original, first issue dust jacket, illustrated by Steven Spurrier, unclipped and in equally lovely condition - a particularly rare find for this title! There is some darkening to the spine and top edge, and minor shelf wear to the edges, with a little chipping to the spine ends and corners. There is a small closed tear to the top front edge of the spine and a small hole in the spine, just below the title. That said, the jacket is in unusually lovely condition for this title and looks very smart indeed. It is housed within a mylar sleeve to protect it from any further wear.
In all, this is an exceptionally lovely and rare find, especially in as clean condition as this, with only a couple of other examples currently available. This hard-to-find children's classic is Ransome's adventure novel, set in the Lake District in the summer of 1929, and was inspired by a summer spent by Ransome teaching his friends' children to sail, and is the first book in his Swallows and Amazons series. The book follows the adventures of two families holidaying in the Lake District, the Walker children and their dinghy, 'Swallow', and the Blackett children and their dinghy, 'Amazon'. The tale was well received by both critics and readers, with its magic being found in the relatability of the story, allowing children to dream of their own summer adventures. The novel has been adapted on several occasions, to radio, tv, and film, most recently in 2016. This is a rare opportunity to add this beautiful children's classic to your collection. It is truly a book to cherish.