What do you think?
Rate this book
The Swimmer: The Wild Life of Roger Deakin
The definitive biography of beloved author, Roger DeakinRoger Deakin, author of the immortal Waterlog and Wildwood , was a man of unusually many parts. A born writer who nonetheless took decades to write his first book, Roger was also variously - and sometimes simultaneously - maverick ad-man, seller of stripped pine furniture on the Portobello Road, cider-maker, teacher, environmentalist, music promoter, and filmmaker. But above all he was the restorer of ancient Walnut Tree Farm in Suffolk, the heartland which he shared with a host of visitors, both animal and human, and wrote about - as he wrote about all natural life - with rare attention, intimacy, precision and poetry.Roger Deakin was unique, and so too is this joyful work of creative biography, told primarily in the words of the subject himself, with support from a chorus of friends, family, colleagues, lovers and neighbours.Delving deep into Roger Deakin's library of words, Patrick Barkham draws from notebooks, diaries, letters, recordings, published work and early drafts, to conjure his voice back to glorious life in these pages. To read this book is to listen in to a dream conversation between a writer and those who knew him intimately.
365 pages, Hardcover
Published May 25, 2023
19 people are currently reading
261 people want to read
About the author
Patrick Barkham
12 books36 followersPatrick Barkham first went butterfly spotting as a child with his father in Norfolk. His book The Butterfly Isles documents his search for as many species as possible as an adult.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
September 6, 2023
I can’t remember quite how I first came across Roger Deakin, but according to my records, I first read Waterlog in 2008, a few years after it was published. I was astonished by how good a book it was. The guy could write. I did a little research to see what else he had written and it was then I discovered that he had died two years before.
However, there was another book that he had written and that would be out soon. There was news of another being brought together from his notes by his literary executor, Robert Macfarlane.
But who was this man who managed to conjure these wonderful books from the same letters and words we have? There was very little about him from what I could find.
Thankfully, that has been resolved with the new book that Patrick Barkham has pulled together from his archive and with the help of numerous other people. It is mostly in his own words too with lots of contributions from those that knew him at the different stages of his life.
It is a fascinating account of a man who could be warm and generous as well as reckless and demanding and difficult at the same time. As brilliant as he was, there were lots of flaws in his character. The other contributors to this life story are honest in their portrayal of Deakin. I thought it was quite refreshing to read some of these, as often biographies can sometimes be far too rose-tinted for my liking.
I you have read, Waterlog, Wildwood and Notes from Walnut Tree Farm, then I can highly recommend this, along with Life at Walnut Tree Farm.
However, there was another book that he had written and that would be out soon. There was news of another being brought together from his notes by his literary executor, Robert Macfarlane.
But who was this man who managed to conjure these wonderful books from the same letters and words we have? There was very little about him from what I could find.
Thankfully, that has been resolved with the new book that Patrick Barkham has pulled together from his archive and with the help of numerous other people. It is mostly in his own words too with lots of contributions from those that knew him at the different stages of his life.
It is a fascinating account of a man who could be warm and generous as well as reckless and demanding and difficult at the same time. As brilliant as he was, there were lots of flaws in his character. The other contributors to this life story are honest in their portrayal of Deakin. I thought it was quite refreshing to read some of these, as often biographies can sometimes be far too rose-tinted for my liking.
I you have read, Waterlog, Wildwood and Notes from Walnut Tree Farm, then I can highly recommend this, along with Life at Walnut Tree Farm.
November 4, 2023
As a comentary on the privilege of white cishet middle class men, it's interesting. A few enjoyable parts on his utopian life.
But mostly its: privileged bloke seems to genuinely think world revolves around him, does whatever he wants with no consideration for others, makes the same mistakes over and over to the point of insufferability.
But mostly its: privileged bloke seems to genuinely think world revolves around him, does whatever he wants with no consideration for others, makes the same mistakes over and over to the point of insufferability.
September 2, 2024
Picked this up randomly in Hay on Wye and surprisingly quite enjoyed it. Roger seemed like he was charismatic/wise, aware of many pressing ecological issues before they became public knowledge. But it is apparent that he could be difficult and unfeeling... particularly towards the women in his life who he seemed to treat very poorly. He surrounded himself with interesting women but came across as a bit of a misogynist in hippy clothing. He's a complicated character and not necessarily what I expected, but at least Barkham was honest. I loved the descriptions of Walnut Tree Farm, the moat, and the life immersed in nature that he carved out for himself.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 11, 2023
Prompted by attending a witty, fascinating, and often touching illustrated talk about Roger Deakin that Patrick Barkham gave at a literary festival this summer, I plunged into The Swimmer. My excitement about the book proved well-justified. It’s such a wise, vivid, and humane biography that doesn’t just bring to life its multi-talented subject. It also provides a subtle and insightful portrait of the post-war British generation to which he belonged.
March 30, 2024
A great insight into a wonderful man
July 18, 2023
I was delighted to see that a biography of my hero was to be published. I expected to see Robert Macfarlane as the author given his role as Deakins literary executor but was equally pleased to see that it was in safe hands of Patrick Barkham whose book Coastlines had been a previous favourite of mine. Given the subject and author, I was always going to enjoy the book. What I was not prepared for was just how well the unique format of this biography works. I found it equally insightful, funny, inspiring and moving. This is a wonderful biography of an important and well loved Englishman who left us far too early.
October 1, 2023
Roger Deakin (11 Februar 1943 – 19 August 2006) gilt als einer der Begründer des Wild Swimming in Großbritannien, dem Schwimmen in offenen Gewässern wie Seen und Flüssen, aber auch kleinen Teichen oder Bächen. Sein Buch "Waterlog", die Beschreibung wie er Großbritannien in den unterschiedlichsten Wasserwegen durchquert, gilt als eines der wichtigsten Bücher zu diesem Thema.
Ich kannte Roger Deakin nur als den Schwimmer aus seinem Buch und wusste wenig über das Leben, das er führte, bevor er sein Haus, die Walnut Tree Farm kaufte. Patrick Barkham zeichnet ein ganz anderes Bild als das bisher bekannte. Dabei kommen nicht nur Roger Deakin, sondern auch seine Wegbegleiter zu Wort und mehr als einmal weichen die Eindrücke stark voneinander ab. Wo Roger Deakin sich als Pionier sieht, reden Freunde von Egoismus und Chaos. Anfangs hat mich dieser Unterschied gestört und ich war mir nicht sicher, was ich nicht nur von Deakin, sondern auch von den Menschen in seinem Umfeld halten sollte. Denn es wirkte so, dass niemand mit Roger Deakin über sein Handeln gesprochen hatte, aber sehr wohl über ihn.
Aber so einfach war es nicht, denn rückblickend sieht man die Dinge immer anders als in der jeweiligen Situation selbst. Anfangs habe ich mehr über die Zeit erfahren, in der Roger Deakin lebte, als über den Mann selbst. Erst als er in sein Traumhaus zog, gewann seine Geschichte m ehr Struktur, nicht aber sein Leben. Denn die Walnut Tree Farm ist eine Ruine, deren Renovierung ihn an seine Grenzen bringt. Und nicht nur ihn, sondern auch seine Familie. Nicht nur die Beziehung zur Mutter seines Sohnes zerbricht, sondern auch die Beziehung zu jeder anderen Frau und viele Freundschaften. Auf mich macht er den Eindruck eines Menschen, der am liebsten alleine ist, aber auch nicht alleine sein kann. Er erwartet viel von den Menschen in seinem Umfeld, ohne das geben zu vollen, was er von ihnen erwartet.
Tatsächlich war ich anfangs ein wenig enttäuscht, so wenig über den Schwimmer zu erfahren, der der Biografie ihren Namen gegeben hat. Ich habe dafür vieles über den Menschen erfahren. Aber wie "Waterlog" auch hat mir bei diesem Buch etwas gefehlt, das ich noch nicht benennen kann.
Ich kannte Roger Deakin nur als den Schwimmer aus seinem Buch und wusste wenig über das Leben, das er führte, bevor er sein Haus, die Walnut Tree Farm kaufte. Patrick Barkham zeichnet ein ganz anderes Bild als das bisher bekannte. Dabei kommen nicht nur Roger Deakin, sondern auch seine Wegbegleiter zu Wort und mehr als einmal weichen die Eindrücke stark voneinander ab. Wo Roger Deakin sich als Pionier sieht, reden Freunde von Egoismus und Chaos. Anfangs hat mich dieser Unterschied gestört und ich war mir nicht sicher, was ich nicht nur von Deakin, sondern auch von den Menschen in seinem Umfeld halten sollte. Denn es wirkte so, dass niemand mit Roger Deakin über sein Handeln gesprochen hatte, aber sehr wohl über ihn.
Aber so einfach war es nicht, denn rückblickend sieht man die Dinge immer anders als in der jeweiligen Situation selbst. Anfangs habe ich mehr über die Zeit erfahren, in der Roger Deakin lebte, als über den Mann selbst. Erst als er in sein Traumhaus zog, gewann seine Geschichte m ehr Struktur, nicht aber sein Leben. Denn die Walnut Tree Farm ist eine Ruine, deren Renovierung ihn an seine Grenzen bringt. Und nicht nur ihn, sondern auch seine Familie. Nicht nur die Beziehung zur Mutter seines Sohnes zerbricht, sondern auch die Beziehung zu jeder anderen Frau und viele Freundschaften. Auf mich macht er den Eindruck eines Menschen, der am liebsten alleine ist, aber auch nicht alleine sein kann. Er erwartet viel von den Menschen in seinem Umfeld, ohne das geben zu vollen, was er von ihnen erwartet.
Tatsächlich war ich anfangs ein wenig enttäuscht, so wenig über den Schwimmer zu erfahren, der der Biografie ihren Namen gegeben hat. Ich habe dafür vieles über den Menschen erfahren. Aber wie "Waterlog" auch hat mir bei diesem Buch etwas gefehlt, das ich noch nicht benennen kann.
May 26, 2023
The Swimmer is a new book on the writer Roger Deakin; a well known character and formative influence on wild swimming and nature writing. It charts Deakin's life from school days, all the way to his untimely death at the age of 63.
Patrick Barkham takes the dangerous leap into writing from the first person, as if he is Roger Deakin. At first the idea of writing as this complex character seems fraught with potential hazards and the dangers of 'faction'. However, with the 'cut up' technique and interspersing of commentary from people who new 'Rog' he pulls it off. Deakin, by all counts, was a natural writer and somehow managed to put off getting down to it until shortly before his death. He has latterly been 'canonised' as the patron saint of wild swimming, yet the book exposes Deakin's real life foraging for fame and concomitant vulnerabilities. It’s both a fantastic book and an uncomfortable read in this respect. We hear from several of Deakin's partners who came into orbit at the now legendary Walnut Tree Farm in Mellis, Suffolk. At the end, Roger overtakes some of his peers in terms of profile and the bitter sweet commentaries astutely let the reader draw their own conclusions.
Barkham captures the ambiguity between the casual, affable free spirit persona and the tightly strung single child-man who wants to control the show. In addition the counterpoint of social and sexual openness in the book, takes us through Deakin's loves and losses.
If you get a chance, I would throughly recommend it, as the perfect summer read.
Patrick Barkham takes the dangerous leap into writing from the first person, as if he is Roger Deakin. At first the idea of writing as this complex character seems fraught with potential hazards and the dangers of 'faction'. However, with the 'cut up' technique and interspersing of commentary from people who new 'Rog' he pulls it off. Deakin, by all counts, was a natural writer and somehow managed to put off getting down to it until shortly before his death. He has latterly been 'canonised' as the patron saint of wild swimming, yet the book exposes Deakin's real life foraging for fame and concomitant vulnerabilities. It’s both a fantastic book and an uncomfortable read in this respect. We hear from several of Deakin's partners who came into orbit at the now legendary Walnut Tree Farm in Mellis, Suffolk. At the end, Roger overtakes some of his peers in terms of profile and the bitter sweet commentaries astutely let the reader draw their own conclusions.
Barkham captures the ambiguity between the casual, affable free spirit persona and the tightly strung single child-man who wants to control the show. In addition the counterpoint of social and sexual openness in the book, takes us through Deakin's loves and losses.
If you get a chance, I would throughly recommend it, as the perfect summer read.
August 22, 2024
The audio of Deakin- A BBC Nature collection is one of my most favourite audio books and the one that got me really interested in Deakin as a conservationist & author.
But as this book shows he was more than that, Roger was also a seller of stripped pine furniture on the Portobello Road, cider-maker, teacher, environmentalist, music promoter, and filmmaker.
But above all he was the restorer of ancient Walnut Tree Farm in Suffolk, the heartland which he shared with a host of visitors, both animal and human, and wrote about—as he wrote about all natural life—with rare attention, intimacy, precision and poetry.
Here Barkham produces an interesting and very fascinating biography of his friend.
A lot of Deakin's own autobiographical material is used as Barkham draws from notebooks, diaries, letters, recordings & published work. He inserts many interviews with friends, ex-pupils, lovers and relatives which often offer diverse opinions/memories on a range of events & subjects related to Deakin.
The one surprising aspect was he came away a far more complex man than his writing portrays.
He could be charming, warming & generous but then demanding, difficult & flighty with a far more colourful love life than I ever imagined! ha!.
I told my friend of this revelation and she didn't want her preconceptions ruined so said she might not read the book, which I understand but also find a shame as I couldn't put this one down and it has been one of my favourite books of the year!.
But as this book shows he was more than that, Roger was also a seller of stripped pine furniture on the Portobello Road, cider-maker, teacher, environmentalist, music promoter, and filmmaker.
But above all he was the restorer of ancient Walnut Tree Farm in Suffolk, the heartland which he shared with a host of visitors, both animal and human, and wrote about—as he wrote about all natural life—with rare attention, intimacy, precision and poetry.
Here Barkham produces an interesting and very fascinating biography of his friend.
A lot of Deakin's own autobiographical material is used as Barkham draws from notebooks, diaries, letters, recordings & published work. He inserts many interviews with friends, ex-pupils, lovers and relatives which often offer diverse opinions/memories on a range of events & subjects related to Deakin.
The one surprising aspect was he came away a far more complex man than his writing portrays.
He could be charming, warming & generous but then demanding, difficult & flighty with a far more colourful love life than I ever imagined! ha!.
I told my friend of this revelation and she didn't want her preconceptions ruined so said she might not read the book, which I understand but also find a shame as I couldn't put this one down and it has been one of my favourite books of the year!.
June 30, 2023
They say never meet your heroes and for partly that reason I have mixed opinions on this book. On reflection I think this is the first actual biography I’ve read (as opposed to autobiography) so maybe I just have some discomfort about the genre. At times though it made me doubt my reverence for the man whose books I count amongst my absolute favourites. Patrick Barkham captures brilliantly though the magic of Walnut Tree Farm, made all the more telling for me by reading the first two thirds whilst staying there. I also found it strange to read some parts in first-person, reconstructed as they were from Roger’s notes and diaries. Therein lies what I think I found most difficult - the intimacy laid bare of things that were probably never meant to be published. He was clearly a complex character and I was relieved in part by his son’s assertion towards the end that he himself did not want this book to be a hagiography. It certainly is not that. Ultimately this is a must-read for anyone interested in Roger Deakin. Just be prepared to be challenged on your ideals and preconceptions of him.
December 21, 2023
Just when I thought there was nothing left to read, the lingering feeling you get when you read the last of all the books by an author and realise this is a sort of goodbye to someone you spend considerable time with, I came across this book. The longing still so strong to return to a writer, that I started reading as soon I had the book in my hands the first time. And this book is finished now too after it has inhabited many little hours a few weeks later. The method of the writer manages to keep it close. Weaving the voice of his subject with the voices of others and his own. Linear this time as opposed to the circular time of the Notes from Walnut Tree Farm. His life is a life of obsession and the book teaches me of my own obsessiveness by showing how obsession touches the people around you differently. As with the metaphor: electrical light that removes the darkness whereas natural light illuminates the darkness. I am ready to let go now too.
November 16, 2023
Best known for his book Waterlog, which is the ur text of wild swimmers everywhere, Deakin was a fascinating and complicated character who, after his death has gone on to take on mythic proportions in the eyes of nature enthusiasts everywhere.
Barkham produces an interesting biography. A lot of Deakin's own autobiographical material, interposed with Barkham writing as Deakin and undercut along the way by interviews with friends, lovers and relatives.
Deakin was always fascinating but not always a nice person. This is an interesting dive into the man behind the myth and a tour de force from Barkham.
Barkham produces an interesting biography. A lot of Deakin's own autobiographical material, interposed with Barkham writing as Deakin and undercut along the way by interviews with friends, lovers and relatives.
Deakin was always fascinating but not always a nice person. This is an interesting dive into the man behind the myth and a tour de force from Barkham.
February 5, 2025
A truly outstanding biography of an incredible man. Beautifully written, mixing first person narrative with those of his friends, lovers and family. Roger Deakin's writing makes you see the world from a slightly different perspective. As Richard Mabey said he had the ability to find the 'extraordinary in the ordinary' which enriches the reader. This biography by Patrick Barkham (a great writer of the natural world himself) is not uncritical but does illuminate the unique place Roger Deakin has carved for a generation of people enchanted by his wild swimming, environmentalism and tremendous sense of fun.
January 3, 2024
An interestingly written biography, using Roger Deakin's own words and the words of friends, colleagues and acquaintances patchworked together.
It was clearly challenging to understand this man, there are the difficulties of writing about someone who many still remember and the impossibility of ever knowing another person.
Fascinating to see how Deakin's life fitted into a social and historical context and melded with the lives of others.
It was clearly challenging to understand this man, there are the difficulties of writing about someone who many still remember and the impossibility of ever knowing another person.
Fascinating to see how Deakin's life fitted into a social and historical context and melded with the lives of others.
April 22, 2024
A good biography which filled in many gaps of my knowledge in the life of Roger Deakin. Interesting time working in advertising in the 1960's and early 70's. Written in a first person narrative style interspersed with relevant comments from friends, relatives and partners at the relevant times.
Does work quite well, I thought. It left me with a better understanding of what Roger Deakin was like but not maybe the whole picture. If you liked Waterlog this is a must!
Does work quite well, I thought. It left me with a better understanding of what Roger Deakin was like but not maybe the whole picture. If you liked Waterlog this is a must!
April 23, 2024
It's an interesting idea taking Rogers writings and adding his friends thoughts and feelings, very clever and well put together. I suppose I'm giving it a 3 as I found it a difficult read. He wasn't the sort of man I expected him to be. Not sure what I did expected. A "Green God"? well he definitely wasn't that. A wild man yes I think so but in his wildness I think he ripped a few holes in other people not intentionally but that's not much of an excuse is it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 15, 2023
It’s hard to imagine a biography more moving and more skilfully pieced together.
Roger Deakin was brilliant but flawed; a complex human who treasured the simple. Patrick Barkham gives full rein to both Deakin’s own voice and the voice of his many friends and lovers to tell this story, which touched me profoundly.
Roger Deakin was brilliant but flawed; a complex human who treasured the simple. Patrick Barkham gives full rein to both Deakin’s own voice and the voice of his many friends and lovers to tell this story, which touched me profoundly.
June 8, 2023
A beautiful book. The author blends Deakin’s own writing - frequently poetic erudite and funny - with commentaries from Deakin’s many friends, lovers, and associates to create a fascinating biography of a complex and interesting man.
August 19, 2023
Very well written biography using Rogers own words from his notebooks and journals interspersed with the words of his friends. Fascinating story of a man who lived a unique life but seemed never happier when being fully part of the natural world.
June 16, 2024
I loved the author’s approach with this biography. Using Deakin’s own words and those of friends and colleagues, the result is a genuinely warm and fascinating account of the life of a fascinating person. A great combination of a brilliant writer and a wonderful subject.
July 7, 2024
Really interesting way to write a biography - and I liked all the contradictory memories from his friends. It defo avoids making roger into a saint (!) and I was grateful for people reflecting on his flaws and what made him so difficult. Great read
December 29, 2023
Excellent.
November 24, 2024
A truly creative and nuanced biography, of a brilliant and flawed man ahead of his ecological time.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews