Peter Duck

Swallows and Amazons #3

by Arthur Ransome

The third book in Arthur Ransome's wonderful series for children, Peter Duck takes intrepid explorers John, Susan, Titty, and Roger Walker and fearsome Amazon pirates Nancy and Peggy Blackett onto the high seas. Under the command of the infamous Captain Flint (Nancy and Peggy's Uncle Jim), the children brave a real-life pirate and his cutthroat crew, fogy, sharks, and the ravenous crabs of Crab Island in the search of buried treasure.

Genres: Fiction, Childrens, Adventure, Classics, Young Adult, Audiobook, Historical Fiction

496 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1932

About the author

Arthur Michell Ransome (January 18, 1884 – June 3, 1967) was an English author and journalist. He was educated in Windermere and Rugby.

In 1902, Ransome abandoned a chemistry degree to become a publisher's office boy in London. He used this precarious existence to practice writing, producing several minor works before Bohemia in London (1907), a study of London's artistic scene and his first significant book.

An interest in folklore, together with a desire to escape an unhappy first marriage, led Ransome to St. Petersburg, where he was ideally placed to observe and report on the Russian Revolution. He knew many of the leading Bolsheviks, including Lenin, Radek, Trotsky and the latter's secretary, Evgenia Shvelpina. These contacts led to persistent but unproven accusations that he "spied" for both the Bolsheviks and Britain.

Ransome married Evgenia and returned to England in 1924. Settling in the Lake District, he spent the late 1920s as a foreign correspondent and highly-respected angling columnist for the Manchester Guardian, before settling down to write Swallows and Amazons and its successors.

Today Ransome is best known for his Swallows and Amazons series of novels, (1931 - 1947). All remain in print and have been widely translated.

Arthur Ransome died in June 1967 and is buried at Rusland in the Lake District.

Reviews

[Dannii Elle · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the third instalment in the Swallows and Amazons series.

Siblings, John, Susan, Titty, and Roger, along with their friends, Nancy and Peggy, have abandoned their usual Summer past-time of lake sailing and island camping for time on the high seas. Captain Flint and the infamous Peter Duck make up the rest of the crew and they must all work together to fight off murderous pirates, unearth buried treasure, and master the wild winds and choppy waters that thwart their progression throughout.

I was so sad to find I did not love this as much as the two prior series instalments, which both garnered five star ratings from me. I assumed that the high sea adventures would provide a different pace, that heightened my intrigue whilst maintaining my enjoyment. I am not sure how, but despite the piracy, treasure hunt, and race across the waters, this felt a little dull throughout. Perhaps it was the heavy inclusion of so many adult characters, but the series before this had primarily focused on the high imaginations and self-crafted adventures of children, but the inclusion of adults eradicated the necessity for this and kept both the characters and the reader firmly rooted in reality, instead.

[Tharindu Dissanayake · Rating 4 out of 5]

" 'BARBECUED BILLYGOATS,' CRIED Captain Nancy,"

Third installment of Swallows and Amazons breaks away from its familiar waters and moves to a much bigger league, in terms of everything. I guess that's all that could be told without spoiling much.

And the key secondary characters are also left out entirely this time around, though there are plenty of new ones to make up for the void. Even though the story is full of adventure and humor as always, to me, it did not perfectly measured up to the level of the first two books. I'm not complaining - for this is still great but it wasn't the same. However, the change of scenery was a nice.

" 'But why did he wait for us?' said Peggy.
'What a galoot you are," said her sister. "

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a child these were my favourite books, I loved stories of adventure and my family holidayed in the English Lake District where these books are set so I knew the places they visited.
Whilst on holiday I would imagine meeting the Swallows and Amazons on every lake. At school my friends and I would play Swallows and Amazons. My best friend Sarah and I, being the only ones who were truly obsessed by the books would take charge and we would, of course, be the Amazons. Sarah was always Nancy and I, Peggy. Whichever of our other friends were roped in would be the Swallows. We would tack our imaginary boats across the Lake (the playground) and camp on Wild Cat Island (a mound at one end of the playground with two large elm trees on it).
I still read these occasionally and can't wait till my own daughters are old enough for them!
Swallows and Amazons for Ever!

[Deborah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quite simply the best book ever wri... oh, hang on, isn't that what I put for Swallows and Amazons?

This has, of course, the natural dialogue, real characters, and detailed scenery you would expect from Arthur Ransome; and there are maps and diagrams for those of us who are weak in geography or the construction and operation of sailing vessels. It also has a carefully-paced, and quite brilliant, plot. Let it unfold, and you will suddenly and unexpectedly find your heart racing and your eyes reading faster and faster ... this may be a 'just' a children's book, but there is real danger, and several people end up dead.

So put aside Harry Potter and The Hunger Games - excellent books though they are - and step back in time to enjoy the race to a tropical island in search of buried treasure.

[Steve Johgart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Where in the first two books in the series the children create imaginary epic adventures out of ordinary vacations in England's Lake District, in this book they embark on a genuine epic adventure. They're off in the great two-masted sailing ship with Captain Flint and old tar Peter Duck on a treasure hunt in the Caribbean (or the Caribbees, as they call it). They are chased by a seriously evil pirate and his crew, experience a hurricane and an earthquake, and generally have a rousing, at times frightening, voyage. Peter Duck was imaginary in "Swallowdale", but is quite real, and quite the character, in this book. Ransome is masterful in his detaied descriptions, especially the minutiae of sailing. I can understand why this series was a favorite of mine in late elementary school.

[Carolynne · Rating 4 out of 5]

In _Swallows and Amazons_ the children play at being pirates; in _Peter Duck_they go off on a treasure hunt with their uncle Jim, aka Capt. Flint, and encounter real pirates. Peter Duck is a salty old seadog who has a lead on the treasure and who helps Capt. Flint and the children find it. This is a suspenseful, but implausible story. Still the realistic setails of the sea voyage--what a tremendous opportunity for six kids just learning how to sail. Even without the vicious pirates, this would be an exciting story. Those Swallows and Amazons learn early on that the satisfaction that depends on the completion of hard work enhances fun, and this conveys a message without being preachy. But the far-fetched addition of the pirates strains the reader's credulity. Don't miss it if you want to read the series--but keep going. They get even better.

[Timothy Lawrence · Rating 4 out of 5]

The major formal shift here trades out some of the things I found so terribly charming about the first two books, and it was hard not to be a little disappointed at first; but it's a worthy trade, because the climactic ~100 pages are legitimately gripping and even kind of epic, and in the end it lands with the same tender wistfulness. Very good stuff!

[John Ashtone]

This is the Third in the S & A series.

A note to all, it is later revealed (I can't remember which book but poss Pigeon Post or Winter Holiday) that this is a made up story told in the cold winter Holidays between Swallows and amazons and Swallowdale.

The reason for this is that actually the children are all the same age as in Swallowdale, which becomes apparent when later novels are all set at holiday intervals.

Also it will be noticeable to the better read, that the plot is Treasure Island.

I knew a lad at school who was also into S & A and this was his favourite title of them all, it wasn't mine, for some reason I just couldn't connect with it, however that is me and we are all different, the Swallows and Amazons under the tutelage of Captain Flint (Arthur Ransome) and the eponymous Peter Duck go in search of treasure to the Caribees.

I can't actually remember the ending so no spoiler from me, I may re-read it some time.

[Nick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ransome certainly knows how to work his way through a story. In some ways, I missed the delightful insights into childhoods of the 1930 in the first two books of the series, because this book is so focused on the plot of the treasure hunt, the pirates, the sea voyage, and the various meteorological happenings that keep things humming. You barely have time to come up for air, and new characters shift the focus from the Original Four Kids, who are very special kids indeed. But all that noted, the book is grand fun, the adventure credible and diverting, and the treasure perfect.

[Patricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found and read the Swallows and Amazons series in my early 20s. I am only sorry I did not find them earlier. Stories of the family's summer adventures are beautifully written, and encourage responsible and creative living. Self reliance, intelligent reasoning skills, and strong imagination with these children provide an excellent backdrop for this series of books, as well as strong roll-models for any youngsters reading them.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Re-read as audiobook.

[Toby Chapman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably about 4.5
Enjoyed it very much

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The six children (Swallows and Amazons), Captain Flint, an old seaman Peter Duck, the parrot, the monkey, and an unexpected crew member go on a sea cruise and treasure hunt. The author anchors this improbable tale with realistic details and lots of action. Unlike the other books I’ve read in this series, this one involves more adult doings as well as pursuit by villains. The story also involved acts of violence by adults against a child and other adults. The story kept me interested, but I’m glad to see a return to the Lake District and renewed focus on the children’s activities in the next book of the series.

[Christy Whitsell · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I like this book. I do NOT like reading this series aloud. It is hard.

[Tania]

I felt I was on the water with them!

[Ruth Uhlemann · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series is one of our very favorites and we ration ourselves to one a year 🤣 The author has such an amazing way of creating true adventure stories that also feel real enough to believe they could actually happen. Plus the British humor and dialogue is incredibly entertaining.
This installment included an Atlantic crossing, the West Indies, real pirates and plenty of adventure. Such a fun book!

[Saidbh Boyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lot more sailing than the first two, but in a good way - second half was excellent, I couldn't put it down

[Book-Social · Rating 3 out of 5]

Those of you who follow Book Social will know that Swallows and Amazons is one of my all time favourite books. So when I saw a copy of Peter Duck (the third in the series) when on holiday in the Lake District (yes it was THAT long ago) I just had to buy it. Familiar faces all return along with some new ones including retired sailor Peter Duck. It’s the holidays and the plan is to sail on Captain Flint’s boat, the Wild Cat, round the south of England. But this is the Swallows we are talking about and where there are Swallows, there is treasure!

The book starts off very heavy on the sailing/boat elements. Whereas this was done away with quite quickly in Swallows and Amazons it continued and continued some more in Peter Duck. I got to page 100 and wondered whether I was reading a sailing manual in disguise. Most children in this day and age have very little exposure to boats (we took a row boat around Windermere if that counts) so would get very little out of the initial third. It does make me question whether they would continue to read on. When the story does get going there are pirates and treasure hunting galore but it takes a while to find.

I did raise an eyebrow at the thought of two men sailing to the Caribbean (yep you read that right) with 7 children only 2 of whom were related to them. No parents knew the whereabouts of the children who were in peril at least half of the time. Yes things were different back then but SO different?

Belief suspended, the latter half of the book does give way to the more familiar as a proper treasure hunt ensues. But part of the charm with Swallows was the imaginary element. When they spoke of grog and pirates it was all part of the wonder that is child’s play. With Peter Duck it was all real, which made it confusingly more unbelievable. Some of it was pretty brutal as well. I much preferred the gentile boat capturing and weather watching of Swallows. You see I’m talking about Swallows and using words like ‘gentile’, there was nothing of the sort in Peter Duck.

The latter half was tense, it is without doubt adventurous but there was too much sail and not enough camp construction for me. If I knew anything about sailing I could probably come up with some sort of sail based pun right now but I don’t and that’s the problem. I’m still a fan, I will read the others in the series – I seem to have skipped the second in the series Swallowdale for some reason – but Peter Duck will not hold a place in my heart quite like Swallows and Amazons. I’m sorry Mr Duck.

[Geraldine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow!

I didn't read this as a child, although I naturally assumed that I had - I read most of the series, some of them multiple times.

I hadn't especially like Swallowdale but ploughed on, knowing that there were much better books later in the series.

This is the third and it really is as good as Swallows and amazons. Let's just say that at one point my heart was pounding and my stomach was sick with dread, until I remembered 'it's a children's books and must therefore, end happily ever after!'

It's a bit meta because, as we know, the Swallows and Amazons are based on real (then) living people who went onto have proper adult lives. Although books such as S&A are fictionalised, they are based at least to some extent on fact, but this isn't. Indeed, in Swallowdale, we get a hint that Peter Duck is an entirely made up story - made up within the 'truth' of the fictional series and made up in the lives of the Altounyan children and their friends.

So much to savour in this book. Some great characterisation that brings all these people very much to life. A real sense of place. I especially enjoyed the sail down the English Channel - North Foreland (visited last year), South Foreland (went near this year), Deal, Folkestone, Dungeness, Beachy Head...all visited this year, even Fairlight church - was it just a few weeks ago I was mocking how much it stands out on the skyine, and now, it turns out, it's a valuable aid to navigation!

The trip to the Caribbean really stretches one's credulity, although it doesn't cross the line into implausible. They encounter volcanic eruption, earthquake and hurricane pretty simultaneously. I get the feeling that Arthur Ransome believed that earthquakes were part of the weather system. Of course, an earthquake can affect weather (I found that in Egypt when we got the aftermath of the Boxing Day Tsunami thousands of miles and several days away) but we know nowadays that earthquakes and volcanoes are caused by plate tectonics. Still, a jolly ripping read. Not 'a great book bearing in mind it's written for children' but a smashing tale to keep any normal adult entertained over several evenings.

[Catherine Bishop · Rating 4 out of 5]

In some ways this book has a very different feel to it than the first two. Where in the first two the children must use their imaginations to create adventure while on holiday in the Lake District, in ‘Peter Duck’ no imagination is needed.

Although the setting is completely different, the characters are the same. There is John, brave, intelligent and honest; Susan, capable and sensible; Titty, imaginative and ready for adventure; Roger, curious and hungry; Nancy, the Terror of the High Seas; Peggy, dependable, yet timid; and Captain Flint (a.k.a. Uncle Jim), impulsive and caring. They are joined by Peter Duck, a kind, wise old seaman, and red-headed Bill, an orphan set on going to sea.

What starts as a pleasure voyage on the open sea quickly turns into a treasure hunt to the Caribbees, with real-life pirates in hot pursuit. The Swallows and Amazons must face storms, earthquakes, and waterspouts, as well as murderers and cut-throats before their journey ends. The dangers the adventurers face may seem fantastical when set in list form, yet in the telling of it the reader is left wondering if much of Arthur Ransome’s story could possibly be true and not an invention of his imagination.

[Kynan · Rating 4 out of 5]

TL;DR: an interesting cross between an ocean-going Swallows & Amazons tale, a Boy's Own adventure and a 1930's technical sailing manual. The somewhat confusing (but very good) third entry in the Swallows and Amazons series.



There are spoilers here, if you don't want spoilers, but enjoy old sailing adventures then you should go read first!

I'm pretty sure I read all of the Swallows and Amazons books when I was a kid (I carried on about that a bit in my review of Swallows and Amazons), but almost immediately upon starting Peter Duck I began questioning that, because I have no memory of the Swallows and Amazons setting off to sea in this manner. What's more, because I literally just finished reading Swallowdale, the name "Peter Duck" was very much front-of-mind as Titty's highly-capable, although imaginary, adventuring partner. When Mr Duck starts out as the primary character of this book I immediately started to wonder whether this was an origin-story of sorts, whether this is where we meet the real Peter Duck upon whom Titty based her imaginary friend, but then Titty an co turn up on the scene and there's no word of the fact that Peter Duck had been an imaginary character quite recently. Nothing about the name being quite a coincidence, not even in Titty's head, so I was confused. Then, when the mob sets sail aboard a schooner (the Wilde Cat) owned (?) by Captain Flint, I began wondering how these two groups who, up until now, have had to curtail their marine-adventures to the length of the English school holidays, were embarking upon considerable sea-ventures. Eventually I got sick of wondering and just rolled with it, because unlike the previous two books in the series, there's quite a fancy plot. The first two books are very "slice of life" whereas this book is almost swashbuckling. It's also quite technical in nature, with several large chunks of the earlier chapters devoted to the setup of the Wild Cat's decks, sails and engine as well as quite a lot of detail on navigating the English Channel. Once they hit the channel, the story really picks up and at some points I found myself thinking "Whoa! Is he really going to go there?!" as several of the primary characters are put in mortal danger and things start to resemble an Alistair MacLean novel.

Anyway, as stated, I thought that I had read all of the Swallows and Amazon books, and I did not find myself remembering a whole lot of Peter Duck. I did, briefly, think that I'd stumbled across something that has been wedged in my memory for years: a section where one of the people that the Swallows and Amazons run into is wondering to themselves why these folks need toothbrushes (rather than using a "bit of rope yarn" to clean between their teeth), but I now suspect that this might be a common method used in this series for more "savage" native-mariners to be bemused at the civilised Walkers because nothing else was at all familiar.

All of that said, I really enjoyed this book, and partly that is actually because of the swashbuckling content. The last 4 or 5 chapters are real humdingers and I'd be unsurprised to find that Peter Duck has been described as "a rollicking good read" at some stage in its long history! Although it is, by turns, adventury and infodumpy, it also retains that whimsical touch that I really enjoyed about the first two and, once again, this is primarily driven by Titty. There's a really lovely scene where, first out of bed in the morning, she's making her way on deck when:

...before going on deck, stopped and listened for a moment below the open forehatch. She wanted to hear things before she saw them, so as to enjoy them twice over. She had been looking forward to a desert island ever since she could remember, and she wanted to make the most if it.

This is such lovely writing, and there are all kinds of other very poetically-described scenes, "...slipping down a slope of rock to a ragged pine-like tree, one of the forest's outposts on the mountain-side..." was another of my favourites. Between the delightful descriptions, the fun crew and the adventure-story there's a lot to like here.

I really was quite concerned that I was going to get to the end and it was all going to have been a dream, but it wasn't, but nor was the fact that there's no way that the vast majority of the story could really have happened (if only for the mundane reasons regarding the length of school holidays that I mentioned above). So I ended up going looking for answers and discovered that the plot, in hindsight relatively obviously, was a story that the Swallows and Amazons were writing (or collectively telling each other) whilst on winter holidays with Uncle Jim/Captain Flint. This, of course, explains Peter Duck completely, and also makes sense of, well, everything else!

In the end, a super-fun read, perhaps all the more so because it's allowed to take significantly more liberties with reality than the rest (I think) of the series. Definitely this one earns 4 stars!

[Tim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Totally unbelievable but leaves you wishing it were!
Of course this was a fantasy made up by the Swallows and Amazons and the Amazons uncle, Captain Flint. They had taken a boat on the Broads and as it rained most of the time they made up this story to while away the time. This explains the presence of Peter Duck who was Titty 's imaginary companion in Swallowdale.
It also explains how it is that Susan is suddenly able to produce edible meals, having never been able to do so before. You can do anything in a fantasy!

[Godine Publisher & Black Sparrow Press · Rating 5 out of 5]

"In many ways Peter Duck is the best of the series."
— Guardian

"This is the stuff of real imagination which might so easily happen . . . all the details are true to life, the ship is a real ship, with all its sails and rigging made familiar, and the voyage which those happy children make to southern seas and coral islands is the beautiful possibility of daring and freedom become living and credible."
— Listener

[Mary Taitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Arthur Ransome, and this book lives up to my hopes and expectations. This one is a cliff hanger. The Swallow and Amazon children go sailing in the ocean with Captain Flint, Peter Duck, an old sailor, and a boy--they get chased by pirates--real pirates in a search for buried treasure. It's a page-turner for sure. Lots of fun, excitement and danger.(Looking for a good book for a child? Start with Swallows and Amazons.)

[Eleanor · Rating 3 out of 5]

My mum bought be the whole set of the "Swallows and Amazons" series as a child, and I also had them on audio tape. I much preferred listening to them than reading, because they made long car journeys pass quicker, and also the writing style of Arthur Ransome was, at times, hard going.



It was an inspiring book! Although I found reading such long narratives as a child tedious, I've come to appreciate the entire world of childhood freedom created by Ransome.

[Enola Stevenson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitely more of a real adventure than the other books of the series so far, with real pirating peril which would translate well into a film. I'm still not sure if the whole book is a story within a story (a yarn spun together by Captain Flint and the children) or not... but either way it remains true to the spirit of the series and the personalities of the characters.

[JD Shaffer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect in just about every way -- exciting, fun, suspenseful, boats, pirates, treasure, monkeys, and parrots... AND Swallows and Amazons! I don't think I've enjoyed a book as much as this in a long time!

[Rachel L. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read aloud winter/spring 2022. Not our very favorite and I smoothed over some scariness (we probably wouldn’t do the audiobook at this stage), but we enjoyed spending time with the crew.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jack and I loved this book. It is the third book in the Swallows and Amazons series - I liked it the best. Jack liked it too, but says book two is better.

[Sylvia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Decided to read the whole series as an adult - gentle books but this one had me gripped - great fast paced story from a bygone era.