The Life of Arthur Ransome [antikvár]

Acknowledgments The greatest pleasure in writing this biography has been the universal kindness and courtesy I have met in my quest for understanding and information. Even those people who, as it turned out, were unable to assist me, responded to my inquiries most politely, and the book would have been much the poorer, and have taken much longer to produce, but for the immense helpfulness of those who did have memories or papers to share with me. Even those who were gruff to start with afterwards proved, like Dr Johnson, to have nothing of the bear but his hide. So I am happy to acknowledge my debts. I earnestly hope that I have not forgotten any. First and foremost I must express my gratitude to Arthur Ransome's literary executors, Sir Rupert Hart-Davis and Mr John Bell. Without Sir Rupert's immediate and continuous help and encouragement the book could not have been written. He and Lady Hart-Davis let me stay repeatedly in their house and lavished perfect hospitality upon me. I was shown all Sir Rupert's Ransome papers and books. He reminisced freely about his old friend and answered all my postal inquiries fully and promptly. Best of all, he went right through the completed manuscript, which as a result was vastly improved in innumerable ways. Then he volunteered to read the proofs. It is impossible to thank him adequately. I was also lucky enough to be the guest of John Bell and his wife, the late Pamela Whitlock, They too helped me with memories, papers, books and encouragement. It is lamentable that Pamela cannot now be thanked for her kindness with a present of the book to which she and her husband gave so much. But I can and do thank John, most earnestly. Arthur Ransome's papers are mostly deposited in the Brotherton