Overview
āOnce or twice in a decade, one of these stories . . . like Laura Hillenbrandās Unbroken [or] Daniel Brownās The Boys in the Boat . . .Ā captures the imagination of the public. . . .Ā Add The Watermen by Michael Loynd to this illustrious list.āāSwimming World
Winner of the International Swimming Hall of Fameās Paragon Award and the Buck Dawson Authors Award
In the early twentieth century, few Americans knew how to swim, and swimming as a competitive sport was almost unheard of. That is, until Charles Daniels took to the water.
On the surface, young Charles had it all: high-society parents, a place at an exclusive New York City prep school, summer vacations in the Adirondacks. But the scrawny teenager suffered from extreme anxiety thanks to a sadistic father who mired the family in bankruptcy and scandal before abandoning Charles and his mother altogether. Charlesās only source of joy was swimming. But with no one to teach him, he struggled with techniqueāuntil he caught the eye of two immigrant coaches hell-bent on building a U.S. swim program that could rival the British Empireās seventy-year domination of the sport.
Interwoven with the story of Charlesās efforts to overcome his familyās disgrace is the compelling history of the struggle to establish the modern Olympics in an era when competitive sports were still in their infancy. When the powerful British Empire finally legitimized the Games by hosting the fourth Olympiad in 1908, Charlesās hard-fought rise climaxed in a gold-medal race where British judges prepared a trap to ensure the American upstartās defeat.
Set in the early days of a rapidly changing twentieth century, The Watermenāa term used at the time to describe men skilled in water sportsātells an engrossing story of grit, of the growth of a major new sport in which Americans would prevail, and of a young manās determination to excel.
This book title, The Watermen (The Birth of American Swimming and One Young Man's Fight to Capture Olympic Gold) - 9780593357064, ISBN: 9780593357064, by Michael Loynd, published by Random House Publishing Group (June 13, 2023) is available in paperback. Our minimum order quantity is 25 copies. All standard bulk book orders ship FREE in the continental USA and delivered in 4-10 business days.
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