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THE characteristic of a revolutionary country is that change is a quicker process there than elsewhere. As the revolution recedes into the past the process of change slackens speed. Russia is no longer the dizzying kaleidoscope that it was in 1917. No longer does it change visibly from week to week as it changed in 19l8. Already, to get a clear vision of the direction in which it is changing, it is necessary to visit it at intervals of six months, and quite useless to tap the political barometer several times a day as once upon a time one used to do. . . . But it is still changing very fast. My jourrnal of"Russia in 1919,"while giving as I believe a fairly accurate pictureof the state of affairs in February and March of 1919, pictures a very different stage in the development of the revolution from that which would be found by observers today. The prolonged state of crisis in which the country has been kept by external war, while strengthening the ruling party by rallying even their enemies to their support, has had the other effects that a national crisis always has on the internal politics of a country. Methods of government which in normal times would no doubt be softened or disguised by ceremonial usage are used nakedly and justified by necessity. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

"Dogmudgeon"'s a Lovely Word. You Can Use It If You Like
For the last in the series (sadly so -- and published the year i was born, by a coincidence), Ransome has given us a somewhat different book.

As with"We Didn't Mean to Go to Sea" and unlike most of the rest, virtually all of the action in this book involves real-world situations and problem-solving rather than the often-imaginary (though no-less-fun) adventures that the other books recount.

The plot turns at least partly on the contrast and conflict between the methods used by older-style "naturalists" -- Audobon often shot the birds he painted -- represented by the bird expert on the yacht "Pterodactyl", whose reaction to hearing of a very rare nesting is to find it, take the eggs, shoot the birds and stuff them as a display in a museumand those of the newer generation, represented by Dick Callum (in his strongest, most assertive appearance in the series).

Dick is of the opinion that simple but clear photographs will do Just Fine to document this amazing sighting.

And so begins an adventure that will have three separate problems to solve -- keeping the Egg Collector from finding the birds, getting the photos and -- most importantly -- not running afoul of the local Laird on whose land all of this is going on.

All of the Swallows, Amazons and D's -- and Captain Flint, a full participant for once, rather than just a prop/supporting character -- are here, and all are in full character -- when someone sees Dick fleeing the Egg Collector's yacht after he realises what sort of "naturalist" the man is, they remark "If it were Roger, I'd think he'd said something cheeky," to which Roger replies "Dick would never think of anything in time..."

If it had to be the last, this is a pretty good book for the position.

Read it; read them all.Even adults can enjoy these books.

brilliant
i wish life were like this now, its a neverending adventure for the swallows amazons and ds i must say, however, that the best books in this series are (its a draw) We Didn't Mean To Go To Sea and Peter Duck (sorry ds)this book is still extraordinarily well written and adventureous

High adventure in the remote islands of Scotland
Another wonderful story of the Swallows, Amazons and Ds. This time they are far out in the Scottish Highlands and, unusually, it is the mild-mannered Dick, rather than the fiery Nancy who is calling the shots. Rather than ape the myriad reviews that give you a banal synopsis of the plot, I will simply say that this, like all the other books in the series, is a jewel that you and your children will want to gaze upon again and again.

A nice end to a brilliant series
While this was not MY favorite "Swallows and Amazons" I note with amusement that it IS my 8 year old daughter's favorite -although she says she "loves them all". This volume was the last that Ransome completed (COOTS IN THE NORTH shows promise but is more of a tease than anything real)Here we find a significantly older bunch of Swallows, Amazons, and Dees sailing around the outer Hebrides in search of wild birds and adventure. They find both, and the book was remarkably prescient in terms of its emphasis on conservation and protection of rare species. Older children in particular will find important things to mull over (no pun intended!)so you should be ready for questions about your own stance on the defence of wild places and their inhabitants. Overall a good read (Clare by the way says "Four stars? I give it five!). go for it

This book is fabulous!! You MUST have it!!
I am an eleven-year-old girl and I love all of the books in this series. The series starts with Swallows and Amazons, which is one of the best. All of them are about 4 siblings (the Swallows) and their friends (the Amazons). Also introduced in another book are their cousins, Dorthea and Dick. In Great Northern, Dick finds a rare bird's nest. He and his friends watch the birds and study their ways of life. Then a wicked egg collector finds the nest. He steals the eggs to sell to dealers, and trys to get the birds. How will they save the birds?? Find out in Great Northern. Read it today!! It's a must for any book lover. ... Read more

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With Illustrations by Dmitri Mitrokhin ... Read more

Book Description
This book investigates the 'series' in children's literature. The work of several well-known children's authors, both American and British, traditional and contemporary, are analyzed, and using these examples the book explores the special nature and appeal of series writing for children. ... Read more

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A prolific 20th century author, editor, critic, reviewer and foreign correspondent, Author Ransome is considered one of the most important English children's writers between the wars.This first comprehensive bibliography describes in detail the various editions of the books he wrote and to which he contributed.Hammond cites more than 1,500 contributions by Ransome to newspapers and magazines, including his sometimes controversial reports from Russia during Wold War I and the rise of the Bolsheviks. ... Read more

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A quest for the real "Swallows and Amazons" country. ... Read more