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Swim Wild: Dive into the natural world and discover your inner adventurer
Live a more creative, content and fulfilled life by reconnecting with nature.Brothers Jack, Calum and Robbie have been swimming together their whole lives, and have never lost the sense of wonder, excitement and relief that getting in open water brings. In this book, we learn about their swimming feats, from tackling the 145km River Eden to setting the world record for swimming in the Arctic. They take us through their preparation for these expeditions, including sourcing wild spots in the heart of sprawling cities in which to train. They document the challenges they encounter and the successes often achieved in the most unexpected ways. And with everything they've learned, they give tips for those wanting to take on their own aquatic foray, whether a beginner or a seasoned swimmer. This book will show people of all ages how they too can take part in open water swimming and reconnect with the natural world around them.Their experience will embolden readers to escape their status quo and build confidence and contentment by challenging themselves to try something new and reconsider their relationship with nature and the wild. At its core, this book will provide advice, reassurance and inspiration for anyone in search of something more joyful, peaceful and, ultimately, meaningful.
293 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 19, 2018
9 people are currently reading
64 people want to read
About the author
Jack Hudson
3 books5 followersJack is a writer raised in the outback of Northern England. His writing has appeared in Vogue, Daily Telegraph, Red Bull, Another Escape, Outdoor Swimmer, and many more… His second book 'Cold Water' is currently funding on the award-winning Unbound platform.
Jack is also the author of Swim Wild (Yellow Kite Books) and youngest of The Wild Swimming Brothers. Together he and his two brothers have swum: the world’s 3 strongest maelstroms, a 90-mile river over 9 days, the 15.3km length of Loch Broom at 13C, the Strait of Messina and the Turkish Hellespont, from Europe to Asia.
Jack is also the author of Swim Wild (Yellow Kite Books) and youngest of The Wild Swimming Brothers. Together he and his two brothers have swum: the world’s 3 strongest maelstroms, a 90-mile river over 9 days, the 15.3km length of Loch Broom at 13C, the Strait of Messina and the Turkish Hellespont, from Europe to Asia.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
June 9, 2022
Wow wow wow. What fantastic achievements! So brave. As a novice, very late starter, slow cold water swimmer I have such admiration for this team and for the awareness of planet issues. I’d like to know if the NZ swim went well? Brilliant book, loved the pictures too.
April 16, 2018
The central core of this book, where the three brothers (with ample assistance from their kayaking cousin and plenty of others along the way) swim the River Eden, is pretty good. The journey is fun and fascinating as they explore new ground as well as farewelling their childhood haunts. The problem is that isn't all this book is about.
There are some good bits and Jack Hudson, youngest brother and author, throws in some really interesting bits and pieces about swimming theory, dipping into evolution and anthropology stuff, although it does often veer towards an almost evangelical zeal to get all people swimming all the time. But not all his side treks are interesting, or particularly well explained (he often presents things as accepted fact, when they're not always) and he does rather take it for granted that everyone is as lucky as he and his brothers were to grow up where they did and with such a wealth of family. Because these three have been lucky in many ways. I'm sure their childhood wasn't quite as idyllic as he often paints it, but it definitely sounds like they had an excellent time. I'm still not at all sure what the roller blading stuff had to do with anything, but still, there were definite advantages to growing up where they did and having such unfettered access to the outside world, not the mention the freedom and encouragement to explore it. Their childhood was supremely rich in opportunities that the author takes completely for granted.
I also felt cheated by the blurb, because we don't hear anything about their preparations for the swim. I'd have loved to have known more about how they set up their challenges, both the Eden swim and the Into the Maelstrom adventure. It also might have been nice to have had a little background about their Corryvrecken swim because that is thrown in without any warning and not much explanation. Not to mention how exactly they went about their training. If you're reading this hoping for advice about wild swimming and training up for a big challenge, don't bother. There are some hints and tips about swimming, but they're pretty obvious and basic, and the only real advice about wild swimming is to look up the Outdoor Swimming Society, which Google will tell me for free, and just go on and get out there, which again takes a lot of stuff for granted.
So it's not perfect. The beginning in particular is messy, starting with high drama of swimming the world's strongest maelstrom before throwing us into the heart of the author's family, which I'm sure is very interesting and affecting for those who knew them, but rather less so for those who don't. Then there's the Corryvreckan trip, which is sprung almost as a surprise. The whole book could have done with a better edit, reining in some of the self-indulgent and numerous side forays as well as clarifying a few things here and there, but once the Eden swim starts things mostly settle down and it becomes a readable adventure.
At heart, this book is really a memoir about the Hudson brothers, their family and their swimming adventures. Read it if you're interested in knowing more the Wild Swimming Brothers and their challenges. However, if you want to know how they did it, or how you can get out there and do something similar yourself, this is not the book for you. Sadly, I was in the latter category, so although I found parts of this book good it unfortunately didn't live up to my expectations.
(ARC provided by the publisher via Amazon Vine.)
There are some good bits and Jack Hudson, youngest brother and author, throws in some really interesting bits and pieces about swimming theory, dipping into evolution and anthropology stuff, although it does often veer towards an almost evangelical zeal to get all people swimming all the time. But not all his side treks are interesting, or particularly well explained (he often presents things as accepted fact, when they're not always) and he does rather take it for granted that everyone is as lucky as he and his brothers were to grow up where they did and with such a wealth of family. Because these three have been lucky in many ways. I'm sure their childhood wasn't quite as idyllic as he often paints it, but it definitely sounds like they had an excellent time. I'm still not at all sure what the roller blading stuff had to do with anything, but still, there were definite advantages to growing up where they did and having such unfettered access to the outside world, not the mention the freedom and encouragement to explore it. Their childhood was supremely rich in opportunities that the author takes completely for granted.
I also felt cheated by the blurb, because we don't hear anything about their preparations for the swim. I'd have loved to have known more about how they set up their challenges, both the Eden swim and the Into the Maelstrom adventure. It also might have been nice to have had a little background about their Corryvrecken swim because that is thrown in without any warning and not much explanation. Not to mention how exactly they went about their training. If you're reading this hoping for advice about wild swimming and training up for a big challenge, don't bother. There are some hints and tips about swimming, but they're pretty obvious and basic, and the only real advice about wild swimming is to look up the Outdoor Swimming Society, which Google will tell me for free, and just go on and get out there, which again takes a lot of stuff for granted.
So it's not perfect. The beginning in particular is messy, starting with high drama of swimming the world's strongest maelstrom before throwing us into the heart of the author's family, which I'm sure is very interesting and affecting for those who knew them, but rather less so for those who don't. Then there's the Corryvreckan trip, which is sprung almost as a surprise. The whole book could have done with a better edit, reining in some of the self-indulgent and numerous side forays as well as clarifying a few things here and there, but once the Eden swim starts things mostly settle down and it becomes a readable adventure.
At heart, this book is really a memoir about the Hudson brothers, their family and their swimming adventures. Read it if you're interested in knowing more the Wild Swimming Brothers and their challenges. However, if you want to know how they did it, or how you can get out there and do something similar yourself, this is not the book for you. Sadly, I was in the latter category, so although I found parts of this book good it unfortunately didn't live up to my expectations.
(ARC provided by the publisher via Amazon Vine.)
May 3, 2021
Brilliant first chapter recounting three brothers risking their lives swimming across the most powerful maelstrom in the world. And then it went downhill.
It’s a shame the flow in that first chapter didn’t continue. Instead, much of the book felt like filler, and even the filler seemed full of filler. I don’t see the relevance of an orangutan in a zoo, in buenos Aires, being given human rights by an Argentinian court relevant to swimming.
Hudson clearly writes with passion about his swimming, and here the reading is enjoyable. With stronger passages between these sections, where I felt like skipping and at best, skimming, the book would have been better.
It’s a shame the flow in that first chapter didn’t continue. Instead, much of the book felt like filler, and even the filler seemed full of filler. I don’t see the relevance of an orangutan in a zoo, in buenos Aires, being given human rights by an Argentinian court relevant to swimming.
Hudson clearly writes with passion about his swimming, and here the reading is enjoyable. With stronger passages between these sections, where I felt like skipping and at best, skimming, the book would have been better.
May 6, 2019
Daug visokiausių nuotykių esu turėjęs per savo gyvenimą bėgant, tačiau plaukimo nuotykiai dar tik prasideda. Šie vyriokai tikrai stiprus įkvėpimas - svarbu noras ir visos baimės išnyks pakeliui. Labai norėčiau savo gyvenime patirti ką nors panašaus arba dar didingesnio. Bet pradžioje po truputį reikia sukaupti žinių, įgūdžių ir drąsos, o planų jau yra ir visai nemažai...
February 9, 2026
I was very excited to read this book but I was disappointed with it.
I regularly swim outside in the UK all year round, the colder, the better.
With Swim Wild, the first chapter had me hooked, but that was the best chapter in the book.
The achievements in this book are amazing, but it just felt a bit groundhog day, and I lost interest very quickly.
I regularly swim outside in the UK all year round, the colder, the better.
With Swim Wild, the first chapter had me hooked, but that was the best chapter in the book.
The achievements in this book are amazing, but it just felt a bit groundhog day, and I lost interest very quickly.
September 15, 2020
Some interesting stories for the brothers to tell in the pub but far too much superfluous writing and disjointed sections for my liking. It's rare I don't finish a book but I couldn't carry on it was too draining.
January 18, 2021
Good general story but he does waffle on a fair bit and it can seem a bit of a mission to finish. Was quite disappointed with the end where he justifies his travels in the name of environmentalism, whilst this is good he does do his fair share of travelling for someone against O&G.
August 28, 2022
I found this book a bit of an endurance event in itself! The start and end had some really interesting short stories about exciting swims the brothers had undertaken, but the day-by-day account Eden River expedition felt far too long and it felt like a real slog to finish it.
January 15, 2023
An enjoyable read of the adventuring brothers. Good insight into overcoming barriers in big tasks. I would have loved more detail on the smaller things, like prep for a swim or their training schedules etc.
January 12, 2019
Great!
I want to recommend this amazing book. Really enjoyable. Great adventures and tales from wild swimming. Not only for swimmers.
I want to recommend this amazing book. Really enjoyable. Great adventures and tales from wild swimming. Not only for swimmers.
July 28, 2019
Beautiful book to accompany the Wild Swimming Brothers Instagram page.
November 23, 2019
Swimming bits were good but there was a lot of waffle in there - found it pretty tedious tbh.
February 5, 2021
A good journey through a winding river, I as an open water wild swimmer could envision myself as the author.
June 29, 2021
Absolutely brilliant read - inspiring, interesting, relatable and makes me want to be in water even more 🏊♀️💙
February 11, 2022
Mostly good, amazing achievements. But to me, there was a lot of unnecessary filler.
January 14, 2021
Exciting descriptions of world-first swims. Great for adventure/nature lovers.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews