Customer Reviews

Pigeon Post (Godine Storyteller)

5 star:		(9)
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In this sixth `S & A' adventure, summer has come once more, and the Swallows are back in the Lake District, together with the two D's, on another holiday with their boating friends, the Amazon pirates. This time, the children desert the lake and take instead to the High Topps, prospecting for gold.

While adult readers will be unable to do other than admire the children's enthusiasm (sufficiently infectious to draw most young readers into it wholesale), they will probably have a feeling of impending disaster from quite early on, in this book. The Amazons' impetuous natures, combined with the others' general inexperience and limited knowledge of mining and its chemistry, lead them all (except, perhaps, the more sensible Susan!) into more scrapes, as well as rather more dangerous situations, than usual.

This leads to a different (but no less absorbing) desire to keep reading this tale than that likely to affect the more naïve younger reader. Both young and old are, nevertheless, likely to spend much of the time on tenterhooks during this book, as the young prospectors explore old mine workings, try their hand at charcoal burning and build and operate a blast furnace in their camp, out on the tinder-dry fells! For once, one can only feel something of a sense of relief that times have changed since 1936, when this was written! One can't help feeling - and being grateful for the fact - that modern children would not be terribly interested in repeating some of the activities undertaken here.

In summary, then, "Pigeon Post" is every bit as exciting (and at times far more nerve-wracking) and educational as the other books in this series: another winner from Arthur Ransome.

This was the first of Ransome's "Swallows & Amazons" series that I ever read, and it's still my favorite. We find the Swallows (the four Walkers), the Amazons (Captain Nancy Blackett and sister-Mate Peggy), and the D's (Dick and Dorothea Callum) headquartering at Beckfoot, the old Blackett house, while impatiently waiting for Captain Flint (the Amazons' Uncle Jim) to return from South America. "His mine wasn't any good," says Nancy, and she decides to fill in the time by searching for gold up on the high fells above the lake, following hints given by Slater Bob, a local miner. Complicating the program is the distance from Beckfoot to the target area and the fact that the Lake Country is seeing its driest summer in memory--and the presence of the mysterious lanky man the explorers call "Squashy Hat," who seems to be looking for the same thing they are. The book takes its title from the three homing pigeons the Blacketts own and resolve to use to keep Mrs. Blackett informed of their adventures while they camp nearer to the moors. The countryside is splendidly drawn, the children are unique individuals well sketched, their adventures and inventions are so thoroughly described that an American child could probably duplicate them, and there are thrills galore when the fells catch fire. What's more, the eight actually find...but that would be telling! Read it for yourself and find out.

Like most children's books of its period, this one is equally enjoyable by adults and would make a splendid family read-aloud. Highly recommended.

The summer after the snowy adventures in WINTER HOLIDAY and the D's learning to sail in COOT CLUB, the three sets of children (the Swallows, the Amazons, and the D's) converge on the lake again for their vacation. (By the chronology of the series, it's summer of 1932.)

However, there's complications. Only one boat, so they can't all sail. Camping is difficult because Mrs. Blackett is distracted with redecorating, and also because it's an especially dry summer there and the locals are paranoid of fires.

Making the best of it, they hear rumors of gold in them thar hills from a local miner, and decide to prospect themselves while Uncle Jim is on his way back from a failed mining expedition in South America. They soon find a lanky stranger, dubbed "Squashy Hat," seems to be prospecting himself, and they view him as a dangerous competitor.

The kids face all sorts of challenges, from camping near a farm whose owner won't let them cook for themselves and insists they sleep near the house....to dealing with the pigeons of the title that keep them in touch with the Amazon's mum....to finding the possible gold mine....to very real dangers, including a cave-in in an abandoned mine to a runaway brush fire.

All the usual delights of the S&A series are here...the joys of camping and exploring, added to the information about pigeons (and Dick's invention of an alarm) and information about prospecting and mining (which few kids are likely to try today, but you never know if there's a junior metallurgist lurking in your brood). Also some environmental content in the snarky view of tourists who carelessly start a fire that nearly kills the heroes.

Good fun, might inspire your younguns. Heck, it's inspired this adult to investigate a gold mine said to be nearby....

Next in the series: WE DIDN'T MEAN TO GO TO SEA.

Undoubtedly the best of Arthur Ransome's 10 book Swallows and Amazons series. Suspense, intruige and natural disasters keep children and adults alike on their toes throughout. The plausibility of the story adds an exciting dimension to the plot. Ransome's superb ability to develop distinct personalities for his characters is one of the most enjoyable aspects of his writing, and Pigeon Post is perhaps his best example of this.

Ransome, well known in England but less so in America, wrote a series of books of children vacationing in England. I have yet to meet a reader of about 10 and up who doesn't fall in love with John, Roger, Titty, Susan, Nancy (true name ruth, but pirates are ruthless and she is an Amazon pirate, so had to find a ruthless name), Peggy, and their friends. These are wholesome books for children without suffering the lack of interest of many wholesome books, and are also highly enjoyable for adults. My children have read them many times, and I myself, starting at about age 12, have read the whole series more times than I can count. The whole series is highly recommended; start with Swallows and Amazons if you can, but start anywhere, and enjoy. 11

This book is one of my many favorites in the series. It still holds the same imagination and romance, but the characters begin to face more dangerous and sometimes threatening problems.
Near the beginning, confusion arises that is not to be solved until the end of the book; Captain Flint sends a letter telling the Swallows, Amazons, and D's (Nancy, Peggy, John, Susan, Titty, Roger, Dick, and Dorthea) that he is sending Timothy to the Amazon's house. He does not mention who Timothy is, and so they somehow assume that he is an animal. Then, they decide to mine for gold. Camping in the High Topps, they discover a man, christen him "Squashy Hat", and decide he is an enemy. Roger makes a discovery that leads to days of hard work and several surprises and disasters.

The Swallows, Amazons and D's have regrouped and are now looking for gold in the high hills west of Mrs. Blackett's farm. But with the drought drying up all the water from possible camp sites, fires occuring all the time and a rival gold miner on the high hills it isn't going to be easy. Another masterpeice from Authur Ransome and I recommend it for any child who's dreamed of having adventures.

Arthur Ransome continues the story of the swallows and amazons in this wonderful book. Once again we find ourselves lost in the world of adventure that Ransome created. Pigeon Post follows the explorers in their search for a lost gold mine. Braving danger in the mines, and a mysterious stranger dogging their heels, our adventurers continue to enthrall the readers of this informative and entertaining series for children [and adults] of all ages

I read this fun book to my seven year old and had to restrain from reading ahead and finishing it on my own. The level of adventure and imagination the children in the book get into is inspiring for our children and us grown-ups alike. A good choice for any elementary aged child's library