So long, called the harbourmaster. Dont run into Missee Lee!

The Swallows, Amazons and Captain Flint dont pay much heed to the harbourmasters friendly warning as they set off for China. They are on a round-the-world voyage aboard theWild Catand its been plain sailing for a hundred ports. But when Gibber, the ships monkey, accidentally sinks their faithful boat things take a serious turn for the worse. Separated, captured, miles from home, the Swallows and Amazons are about to meet their fate and the pirate who holds it: the legendary Missee Lee...

In the 'Backstory' you can learn to decipher Nancy's Morse code and find out about the real life inspirations for Missee Lee

Vintage Childrens Classics is a twenty-first century classics list aimed at 8-12 year olds and the adults in their lives. Discover timeless favourites fromThe Jungle BookandAlices Adventures in Wonderlandto modern classics such asThe Boy in the Striped PyjamasandThe Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.

Arthur Ransome was born in Leeds in 1884 and went to school at Rugby. He was in Russia in 1917, and witnessed the Revolution, which he reported for the Manchester Guardian.

After escaping to Scandinavia, he settled in the Lake District with his Russian wife where, in 1929, he wrote Swallows and Amazons. And so began a writing career which has produced some of the real children's treasures of all time. In 1936 he won the first ever Carnegie Medal for his book, Pigeon Post.

Ransome died in 1967. He and his wife Evgenia lie buried in the churchyard of St Paul's Church, Rusland, in the southern Lake District.