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The Official Site ofTHE ARTHUR RANSOME SOCIETY USA (TARSUS) and TARS CANADA
It is just over 80 years ago a writer and journalist by the name of Arthur Ransome sat down and wrote a book for children that influenced their interest and imagination with something most will remember with great affection for the rest of their lives.
That book was called Swallows and Amazons, and featured the adventures of John, Susan, Titty and Roger - the Swallows - and Nancy and Peggy - the Amazons - on a lake in northern England and a island on that lake called by them Wildcat Island.
Ransome went on to write twelve more books over a course of several years, featuring the same characters plus some others and set in places including the Norfolk Broads, East Anglia, Scotland and China and the Caribbean.
The books involved sailing, camping, islands, pirates, sea voyages, prospecting for gold and many more adventures, all of which seemed possible for the average reader to do themselves.
The books soon gained readers throughout the world and in 1987 a society was formed in Japan to foster interest there in the author and his works. Just three years later in 1990 The Arthur Ransome Society was formed in the UK. A short while later a USA affiliate began.
There are now groups in Canada, Australia and New Zealand with many individual members spread throughout the world.
This site is dedicated to members located in North America, and to giving information to members of the public about our activities.
Our members come from many walks of life and a wide variety of ages. There are many Junior members, re-creating scenes from the books, together with adult members viewing the books and works of the author from many literary angles.