Posted by Bob Mozark on October 16, 2001 at 20:19:05 from 169.253.4.8:
I am a 48-year-old American. I remember reading "Swallows and Amazons", "Swallowdale" and "Great Northern" back in the 1960s. I really enjoyed those three, but never came across any of the remainder of the series in any of my school or municipal libraries.
Recently I have started collecting (and re-reading, of course) some of the favorite books of my childhood: Tom Swift, Rick Brant (a lesser-known science adventure series which many of its fans believe was the inspiration for the Johnny Quest TV show), Bobbsey Twins, Hardy Boys, and the Ellendy Family (another lesser-known series).
I of course remembered reading the "Swallows and Amazons" series, but couldn't think of its name or the remember the author. After all it had been 35+ years. But, remembering its British setting, I made an enquiry at a Enid Blyton discussion forum and was kindly put on the right track. As soon as I saw that the title of the first chapter of "Swallows and Amazons" was "A Peak in Darien" I instantly knew that was indeed the book that I so fondly remembered.
I spent all day yesterday in an orgy of visiting "Swallows and Amazons" websites. And only a day later I go to a wives' club used book sale at my office and found a copy of the 1968 Puffin edition of "Winter Holiday" in excellent condition for only 75 cents.
Serendipity strikes again.