Swallows and Amazons Arthur Ransome 1937 Jonathan Cape Illustrated Edition
 
Swallows and Amazons
By Arthur Ransome
Illustrated by Charlie Webb
Published by Jonathan Cape, London and Toronto, December 1937
 
Bibliographic Details
 
This charming vintage edition of Swallows and Amazons was published by Jonathan Cape in December 1937. It is a reprint of the classic adventure novel first published in 1930, with the newly illustrated edition first issued in 1931.
 
Printed in Great Britain by J. and J. Gray, Edinburgh, on paper made by John Dickinson and Co. Ltd., and bound by A. W. Bain and Co. Ltd.
 
Includes a frontispiece, illustrated title page, and illustrated endpapers with maps by Charlie Webb. All illustrations and plates are present and accounted for.
 
Physical Description
 
Format: Hardback
Binding: Original green cloth over boards
Lettering: Gilt titles to spine and front board, with a small gilt emblem on the spine
Dimensions: Approx. 20.5 × 14.2 × 3.5 cm
Pagination: 350 pages
Weight: Approx. 679 g
 
Exterior Condition
 
Bound in green cloth, this copy remains intact and robust, with light surface marks, gentle rubbing to the edges, and soft bumping to the corners. The gilt titles are clear and bright. There is no dust jacket.
 
Interior Condition
 
Features illustrated pastedowns and endpapers with maps.
 
The pages are lightly tanned with faint foxing to the edges visible when closed, and occasional light foxing or small marks throughout. Heavier marks on outer edge of page 9, not obscuring text (see photo).
 
A handful of pages show tiny edge rips (including at some inner margins), but none affect the text or illustrations.
 
There is a very light and partial crack in the gutter between page 148 and its facing plate, and another faint crack near page 243; however, the binding remains strong and all pages are secure.
 
There is no pen or pencil inscription, and the pages are clean and neat overall, with only minimal creasing to a few leaves.
 
All 350 pages are present and complete.
 
Historical and Collectible Context
 
First published in 1930, Swallows and Amazons launched Arthur Ransome’s celebrated children’s adventure series, set in the Lake District and beloved for its spirit of independence and imaginative play.
 
By 1937, the book had become a British classic, and this illustrated reprint by Jonathan Cape represents an early collectible issue, retaining the charm of the 1930s design and production, including high-quality paper and gilt cloth binding.
The 1937 printing sits between the early illustrated editions and the later post-war reissues, making it a desirable mid-1930s example for collectors of Ransome or vintage children’s literature.