Written in the 1920s by Arthur Ransome, the famous, and much loved children's author, the book, Racundra's Third Cruise , ispublished on 31st March by Fernhurst, the well known publisher of sailing and boating titles based in Arundel in Sussex.

Author loved to sail Born in 1884 in Leeds, Ransome was to become a foreign correspondent for The Manchester Guardian , as it was then known. A frequent visitor to the Lakes as a child, Ransome became a keen sailor too, and the Lake District forms the background for much of his writing.

As a child, Ransome was often taken to the Lakes by his father, a Professor of History, who seems to have given the young Ransome much of experience that formed him and came to form the basis of the descriptions in his books. In fact, it is claimed, Lakes such as Consiston and Windermere, and descriptions of them, are everpresent in the children's books Ransome wrote as an adult.

As Brian Hammett, who has brought Ransome's unfinished book to publication explains in the introduction to Racundra's Third Cruise , the story told in the book is account of the third cruise of Arthur Ransome's famous yacht Racundra , from Riga to Mitau via the River Aa in Russia.

One of the particularly interesting features of the book is that the third cruise Ransome undertook on the Racundra wasalso his 'honeymoon cruise', along the waterways of eastern Europe, with his new wife, Evgenia, who had previously been private secretary to Leon Trotsky no less.

Illustrated with the author's own photos, Fernhurst describes the book "as a combination of autobiography, travel and history" - which helps explains its appeal to sailing enthusiasts and Ransome fans alike. Having seen the proofs of the book, I can confirm that the photographs are a major part of its success, as is that combination of "autobiography, travel and history".

Cruise between the Wars The book was written by Ransome but remained unpublished until now. "The cruise took place between August 1st and September 10th 1924", says Hammett in his Introduction.

"Ransome himself clearly intended to publish it but did not complete his 80-page typescript beyond the story of the first 23 days. There follows a gap in his typed account of eleven days, two days in which he types up his notes of the sad episode during which his wife abandons ship and a further gap of five days during which he returned Racundra to her home berth leaving only his deck-log".

Unfinished manuscript Hammett says no one knows exactly why Ransome failed to complete the publication or, indeed, exactly when he prepared the manuscript to the stage that he did, however it is known that at about this time he was commissioned to write a series of articles, which took priority.

"Ransome spent much time on the cruise itself in writing his articles for The Manchester Guardian and indulging in his passion for fishing but it seems likely that he had publication in mind from the start since in addition to his diary and the brief 'real-time' deck-log that he kept a separate daily summary and amplifying details", explains Hammett.

These three sources together with some handwritten notes and drafts of his typescript provide a detailed full account of the cruise.

'Blow by blow' account of unique journey The narrative contains a blow by blow and as Hammett puts it "fish by fish" daily account of the trip with much to interest the sailor, fisherman and traveller alike.

The account of Racundra's Third Cruise is reproduced exactly as originally written, apart from a few very minor corrections of typographical errors, and it needs to be borne in mind that in the 1920s many of the locations mentioned had different names.

The voyage took place within a few years of the end of hostilities in the Baltic at a time when place names were still mainly in German. Nowadays they have reverted to the original local language.

Hammett says the interest in preparing the book publication came from an article in Mixed Moss , the journal of the Arthur Ransome Society, in which Alan Lawrence describes retracing Ransome's cruise up the river Lieupe (Aa) from Riga to Jelgrava (Mitau) a distance of some 45 miles. The major part of the narrative comes from Ransmome's typescript 'Racundra Goes Inland'.

The relevant passages from Ransome's diary, deck log and notes have been included at the start of each day's writing, and some of the typescript comes from what Ransome refers to as his 'small book'.

Racundra , of course, could not have her third cruise without earlier having her second, and before that her first. Before that, Ransome had to have the dream, she had to be designed, and she had to be built, and details of this period prior to the writing of Racundra's Third Cruise , together with more of Ransome's unpublished work relating to the period are included at the end of this volume.

More information aout Ransome can be obtained from the Arthur Ransome Society, which was founded in 1990 with the aim of promoting interest in Arthur Ransome and his books. For more information on the Society visit their website at www.arthur-ransome.org/ar In 1997 members of the Society formed The Nancy Blackett Trust with the intention of purchasing and restoring one of Ransome's own yachts, the Nancy Blackett, and using her to inspire interest in the books and to encourage young people to take up sailing.

To find out more about the trust, or to contribute to the upkeep of the Nancy Blackett please write to the Nancy Blackett Trust (Registered Charity 065058) at Sylvan Cottage, White House Walk, Farnham, Surrey, GU9 9AN or visit their web site at www.nancyblackett.org