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Author Loynd, Michael, author.

Title The watermen : the birth of American swimming and one young man's fight to capture Olympic gold / Michael Loynd.

Publication Info. New York : Ballantine Books, [2022]

Copies

Location Call No. Status
 Berlin-Peck Memorial Library - Non Fiction  797.2 LOYND    Check Shelf
 New Britain, Main Library - Non Fiction  797.21 LOY    Check Shelf
 Wethersfield Public Library - Non Fiction  797.2 LOYND    Check Shelf
Edition First edition.
Description xii, 396 pages : illustrations ; 25 cm
Bibliography Includes bibliographical references (page 375-377) and index.
Summary "In the early twentieth century, few Americans knew how to swim, and as a competitive sport, it 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 and a sadistic father who mired the family in bankruptcy and scandal before abandoning Charles and his mother altogether. Charles's only source of joy was swimming. But with no one to teach him, he struggled with technique-until he caught the eye of two immigrant coaches hell-bent on building a U.S. swim program to rival the British Empire's seventy-year domination of the sport. Interwoven with the story of Charles's struggle to overcome his family's 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 1908's fourth Olympiad, Charles's hard-fought rise climaxed in a gold-medal race where British judges set a trap to ensure the American upstart's defeat. Set in the early days of a rapidly changing twentieth century, The Watermen-a term used at the time to describe men skilled in water sports-tells an engrossing story of grit, of the growth of a major new sport in which Americans would prevail, and of a young man's determination to excel"-- Provided by publisher.
Contents Drowning -- Fighting to stay afloat -- Crawling on water -- Speed swimming -- Swambling.
Subject Daniels, Charles M., 1885-1973.
Swimmers -- United States -- Biography.
Olympic athletes -- United States -- Biography.
Swimming -- History -- 20th century.
Olympics -- History -- 20th century.
Olympic athletes. (OCoLC)fst01764756
Olympics. (OCoLC)fst01045581
Swimmers. (OCoLC)fst01140322
Swimming. (OCoLC)fst01140328
United States. (OCoLC)fst01204155
Chronological Term 1900-1999
Genre/Form Biographies. (OCoLC)fst01919896
History. (OCoLC)fst01411628
Biographies.
Other Form: Online version: Loynd, Michael. Watermen : First edition. New York : Ballantine Books, [2022] 9780593357057 (DLC) 2021052318
ISBN 9780593357040 hardcover
0593357043 hardcover
9780593357057 electronic book
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