Yet they remain as relevant today as they were when first written. His insights into childhood imagination and play are timeless. So are his attitudes to adventure, which provide a refreshing challenge to excessive risk-aversion. His characters’ emotions, aspirations and failings remain real. They remind us all of the value of common sense, co-operation, hard work, the acquisition of skills and mutual respect as they combat adversity and fulfil their goals. Their attitudes are surprisingly modern, democratic and meritocratic.
As Peter Hunt observed: “Ransome presents not so much an ideal world in which children can play, but a world of ideals to which his readers can aspire: a world of equality and respect.”