Much has been written about the life of Arthur Ransome. Yet, until now, there has been no critical assessment of his legacy to English literature. Dr Hunt begins his study with the astonishing stream of writings Ransome produced in his twenties before the First World War - among them books on French literature, on the work of Poe and Wilde, on the pleasures of Bohemian life. For Hunt, three books culled from Ransome's Russian journalism reveal as much about their author as about the turmoil of revolution. These led to a ten-year association with the Manchester Guardian, where Ransome first published his classic fishing essays. Hunt examines the mature technique of the books for children. With the Swallows and Amazons series Ransome invented a new genre, whose sales were to reach many millions. A deep commitment to democracy and freedom (though never licence) is seen as the hallmark of their lasting quality. These books, together with Ransome's autobiography, continue to have a wide following among adults as well as children. Their author was honoured in 1990, long after his death, with the founding of the Arthur Ransome Society.