Description
The feelgood underdog story of the first American swimmer to win Olympic gold set against the turbulent rebirth of the modern Games that brings to life an inspiring figure and illuminates an overlooked chapter in Americas sports history The Wall Street Journal
Once or twice in a decade one of these stories like Laura Hillenbrands Unbroken or Daniel Browns The Boys in the Boat captures the imagination of the public Add The Watermen by Michael Loynd to this illustrious listSwimming World
Winner of the International Swimming Hall of Fames 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 highsociety 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 Charless only source of joy was swimming But with no one to teach him he struggled with techniqueuntil he caught the eye of two immigrant coaches hellbent on building a US swim program that could rival the British Empires seventyyear domination of the sport
Interwoven with the story of Charless efforts to overcome his familys 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 Charless hardfought rise climaxed in a goldmedal race where British judges prepared a trap to ensure the American upstarts defeat
Set in the early days of a rapidly changing twentieth century The Watermena term used at the time to describe men skilled in water sportstells an engrossing story of grit of the growth of a major new sport in which Americans would prevail and of a young mans determination to excel
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