DISCOVERING Swallows and Ransomes, by John Berry. Sigma Leisure, £8.95.

Discovering Swallows and Ransomes is John Berry's insightful memoir, inspired by Arthur Ransome and his not altogether fictional characters.

Berry's autobiography, flecked with photographs and sketches, tracks his childhood days as a keen Ransome reader whose passion for the books sees him set out in search of his literary hero while holidaying in the Lakes.

Unfortunately for the then 12 year old, the 26-mile cycle ride to Ransome's home was unsuccessful.

However, his quest to find the real-life personalities behind the fictional characters of Swallows and Amazons eventually suceeded. By the age of 29, Berry, now a naval sub-lieutenant, had got to know Ransome and his wife Evgenia once Trotsky's secretary.

As the 14-chapter book unfolds, Berry also befriends the people who inspired the fictional characters in Ransome's books Susan, Titty, Roger, Brigit and Captain John.

But the memoir by the former chairman of the Arthur Ransome Society also includes accounts of childhood family fishing trips, school days in the Lake District and plenty of his own Ransome-fuelled adventures.

Described by the publishers as an "alternative to today's nanny-state culture", Discovering Swallows and Ransomes will appeal both to Ransome enthusiasts and the general reader.

Lisa Frascarelli