Splash

by Howard Means

Noting that 'the story of swimming is inseparable from the changing world around it', Howard Means explores where, how and why humankind has interacted with water for leisure. Including numerous anecdotes, his witty, well-researched survey ranges from Ancient Greece, where Plato considered that 'a man is not learned until he can read, write and swim', to the achievements of those who pushed the boundaries in the 20th century such as Annette Kellerman and Mark Spitz.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Sports, Anthropology, Sociology, Audiobook

Hardcover

First published June 2, 2020

Reviews

[Olive Fellows (abookolive)]

My review is in the Christian Science Monitor.

[Miranda Alford · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such an interesting read, I have honestly learnt so much about swimming. The writing style was accessible, with lots of facts through in there but not in a dense off-putting way it was perfect. The topics were broken down well, ranging from the Greeks and Romans to the history of the swimsuit all of it I lapped up and repeatedly stopped the book in order to mention a fact I had just read. I feel it might have been interesting to add a section on the history of para-swimming, as there were casual mentions of records broken by Paralympians etc but no set chapter on it. It was also a little bit American centric, would be interesting to look properly at other non-western cultures, which like para-swimming was only touched on briefly. Although that being said I feel Means covered a broad ground in an impressive space and time.

It was so interesting and concerning that the segregation in America is the route of why many African-Americans are not high profile swimmers today. Means raised points to the surface that I had never before even considered, and it was truly eye opening.

Also the fact that there was a real issue over modesty and women’s costumes used to have lead weights in them in order to preserve modesty, what?? Also, about 85% of Bikinis never touch water. And the lane markers in pools are built to disperse the waves swimmers make in the pools as well as separating swimmers. These are some of my favourite facts but there were many.

Overall, fully one of the best non-fiction books I’ve read this year.

[Lance · Rating 4 out of 5]

For the most part, this book on the history of swimming was quite interesting. It covered much more than just the sport itself. The chapter on swimwear and how the attitudes toward nudity or covering up was very interesting. It is a very detailed and dense book, however and is not one that will be a quick and easy read. More than just sport, the book also explains how swimming was an important part of the lives of some historical,figures such as Benjamin Franklin. A very interesting book.

[Marc Faoite · Rating 5 out of 5]

2020 has been a weird year for swimming, with pools being out of bounds for months and months for many of us. While dryland might keep the muscles in shape it can never match the experience of moving through water. I found myself dreaming about swimming more than once during lockdown, and I've hardly missed a day since my local pool has reopened.

But 2020 has been a good year for books about swimming. Bonnie Tsui's Why We Swim is a much slimmer volume than Howard Means comprehensive tome, but while there is some degree of overlap in the material covered the two books are in fact quite complimentary. Also worth noting, where that overlap occurs Means provides much more detail.

Means takes us on a deep-dive (groan, sorry) into the history of swimming, written in an authoritative but accessible style, looking not just at swimming and swimmers, but at the social contexts and impacts of swimming over the years. He brings characters from history to life - hello Annette Kellerman, among others - discusses the details and fabrics involved in the varied history of swimsuit design, explores swimming in the context of feminism and racism, and makes sound arguments for why everyone should be given the chance to learn how to swim (it turns out that making swimming accessible does much more than prevent drowning, it can even lower crime), and much more besides.

If, like me, you read this in ebook format, you might find that the accompanying photos are not all that sharp (I suspect resolution may depend on the type of device used). But Means' Facebook page has all the plates included in full and fine detail. https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=1...

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and learned a lot I didn't know, some of it surprising. For example, I had no idea naked swimming was so common on both sides of the Atlantic in the past.

I live in Malaysia, a country where the majority of the population are Muslim. Most people don't and can't swim, and despite the tropical climate, not many public pools exist. Swimming lessons are uncommon, though there is a strong local competitive swimming scene. In the parts of Splash about swimsuits I couldn't help but think of how the various 'Burkinis' worn by the women in my local pool are so similar to some of the swimsuits from the past. Of course it's not possible to include everything in a book and Means' main focus is Anglo-Saxon (but not uniquely), but I find it interesting how a recent surge in more conservative swimming attire has opened up the world of swimming to so many women who otherwise would never have dared bathe in public, whether in pools or any other bodies of water, and fits with Means' call to make swimming accessible to everyone.

I was pleased to see a mention of my native Dublin's Liffey swim, something that has long been on my bucket list. Thinking of Ireland it reminded me of fishermen who can't or won't swim, something Mean's highlights. There is a school of thought among these people that if lost overboard it is better not to know how to swim in order 'to get it over with quickly'. Means makes good arguments as to why it doesn't have to be this way.

If you are a swimmer and a reader, or even just and armchair swimmer, this is definitely book for you. And if you know a swimmer who reads you won't go far wrong by offering them this captivating book. Highly recommended.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book serves as a poignant reminder to me of the power of voice and perspective in narration - throughout the 284 page work of nonfiction, I was constantly reminded that I was reading the history of swimming through the lens of a white boomer sports journalist, though I do not say this disdainfully. Merely that he chose to focus on events from a very Euro-centric way, only addressing the role of swimming in Africa, Asia or anywhere in the New a world in a very superficial sense, marginalized. In fact at one point the author cited a pseudoscientific “study” that offended me in the extreme - a weird clumping of all African Americans into one group against white Americans for physical testing, as though all African descendants share the same physical characteristics - or that all those descending from pale-skinned ethnicities do too. However, his intentions were good and the argument - the lack of opportunity and the exclusion of Black Americans from the sport of swimming until only very recently - is one that needs to be screamed from the rooftops. I would have appreciated deeper and fuller exploration of the role of swimming in non-European or white cultures. Means actually does spend a great deal of time discussing the evolution of swimming for white women, and in a much more integrated fashion. The history of swimming is the history of us all, not just white men with women and people of color on the margins.
The book explores swim through various contexts, some of which were more interesting to me than others. I loved the Ben Franklin and Annette Kellerman stories, for example, but I was very bored by the statistics piled up in chapter on racing and records. I enjoyed reading about the technological research currently under investigation, and would also enjoy to learn more about 🏊‍♀️ caps and the effects of having dreadlocks or bigger hair in general, etc. Also there was no section on open water swimming, which for me was odd.
In the end I did learn from this book and walked away with some new ideas and thoughts to consider, but also with a thirst - hopefully someone can pick up where Means left off and help illuminate some of the areas of swim history that remain in the shadows?

[Phil D · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was given this book as a gift from my daughter because I swam competitively as a youth. While it's not a book I would've selected on my own, I'm definitely glad I read it. While the history of swimming, going back to the ancient Egyptians, was a little dry (pun intended), I did learn a lot about the evolution of the sport and got some understanding into some of the aches and pains that I am currently experiencing as a much older adult.

Thank you, @Lauren, for such an enlightening book.

[Norman Howe · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book told me more (and less!) about swimming that I wanted to know.

The author refers to illustrations in his book, which makes me regret reading it as an audiobook. The chapters about the politics and sociology of swimming really opened my eyes.

[L.B. Sedlacek · Rating 4 out of 5]

A complete history of swimming! The author does a great job explaining how swimming came about. Information on famous swimmers, stories about swimming are also included. If you love the water and to swim, this is a must read!

[fabio · Rating 4 out of 5]

El sociólogo Marcel Mauss empieza su conocido ensayo sobre las Técnicas del cuerpo (1934) reflexionando sobre su vivencias de las transformaciones de las técnicas de natación entre finales del siglo XIX e inicios del XX. Mauss se preguntaba por cómo las disposiciones del cuerpo y sus movimientos podían enterse como fenómenos sociales. Asuntos cotidianos como la forma de caminar, los modales y manerismos, la lactancia, cómo sostener objetos y hasta cómo dormir y toser aparecían a la moderna sociología como temas de análisis que demostraban que el cuerpo y su movimiento no son algo natural puramente sino que que la tradición y la cultura se manifiestan en ellos.

Como respondiendo a la curiosidad de Mauss, este libro muestra con toda su complejidad y fascinación la historia de la natació, algo que podría parecer a simple vista un tema sencillo y de poca profundidad como para ameritar las más de 300 páginas. Pero junto al Howard Means, periodista, escritor y nadador amateur, el asunto se vuelve mucho más rico e interesante. A través de 16 capítulos que entremezclan historia, crónica y memoria nos zambullimos en los aproximadamente 10 mil años de registro del primate acuático.

Con un primer capítulo que empieza evocando un conjunto de pinturas rupestres de la caverna de Wadi Sura, en el norte del Sáhara, Means reflexiona sobre la relación entre el ser humano y el agua.
Estas pinturas muestran unas figuras humanas flotando o nadando en lo que podría interpretarse como las aguas primordiales del cosmos neolítico o quizá simplemente de algún oasis apreciado por los habitantes de ese desierto ancestral. Ya en ese entonces, así como en la antigüedad mesopotámica y griega, es evidente que la humanidad disfrutaba de nadar con fines prágmaticos, recreativos y hasta religiosos. La natación, nos dice el autor, está intimamente ligada a nuestra historia evolutiva y cultural.

Aunque con un claro sesgo eurocéntrico, ya que uno de sus recursos de trama es el contraste entre la "era dorada" de la natación entre los griegos y romanos y el oscurantismo medieval y anglosajón, Means intenta dar cabida a los encuentros europeos con la tradiciones asiáticas y amerindias. En la era de la exploración y conquista, los europeos navegantes (aunque no tan nadadores como uno pensaría), los cronistas registraron extrañas formas de desplazamiento en el agua entre los nativos de muchos lugares que contrastaban con lo conocido en el mundo occidental.

Los capítulos más interesantes para mi son aquellos dedicados al "redescubrimiento" de la natación y el desarrollo de distintas técnicas corporales entre la época medieval y la era industrial. Así, nos cuenta la historia de los ingleses, que durante la Edad Media se mostraron reacios a sumergirse en aguas que consideraban infectas y peligrosas. Pioneros de la natación como Everard Digby, autor en 1568 del tratado De Arte Natandi, bregaron por cambiar la opinión pública, convenciéndola de la salubridad de las aguas y lo fructuoso de atraversarlas con tan solo el uso del cuerpo desnudo.

Otros capítulos discuten en fascinante y meticuloso detalle la evolucíón ya no solo el aspecto corporal de la natación, sino de las infraestructuras necesarias para convertir esta actividad en una disciplina popular y masiva en las sociedades industriales modernas. Así, tras seguir la huella de personajes como Lord Byron y sus relatos de natación atravesando la geografía clásica con su solo vigor corporal a través de montañas y océanos, Means nos presenta interesantes alcances sobre la historia de los baños públicos y albercas entre los griegos y romanos, la creciente regulación de las piscinas públicas de las urbes euroamericanas y el uso de materiales de alto rendimiento en ropas de baño, lentes de agua y otros implementos.

Acercándonos más a la era actual, Means se aproxima al tema también desde una perspectiva crítica, discutiendo los prejuicios que han manchado a la natación profesional y recreative durante su historia. Desde la situación de las mujeres y minorías étnicas excluídas de este deporte, vemos cómo se entrelazan factores sociales como la discriminación y el rendimiento deportivo a través de las décadas.

[Nina · Rating 5 out of 5]

What do you get when you cross a historian with a devoted swimmer? This book, a very complete history of swimming with the author's personal perspective incorporated. The book starts at the beginning of time for humans and water and continues to the present. The first swimming strokes were different than those we have today. Swimming was not considered a sport until fairly recently. One's body type and the relative proportions of his or her limbs affect how fast one can swim. These and many other fascinating facts can be found in this book, which now joins Contested Waters; A Social History of Swimming Pools In America by Jeff Wiltse and Why We Swim by Bonnie Tsui, to be one of my three my favorite books about swimming.
This book will thrill confirmed swimmers and will encourage those not yet confirmed to get into the water. Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of this title.

[Kirsten · Rating 3 out of 5]

Schon die Römer und die alten Griechen taten es, aber sie waren offensichtlich nicht die ersten: auf dem Gilf-el-Kebir-Plateau in der Sahara gibt es die Höhle der Schwimmer, in der man 4000 Jahre alte Höhlenmalereien von schwimmenden Figuren bestaunen kann. Howard Means nimmt diese Zeichnungen als Auftakt zu seiner ganz persönlichen Geschichte über das Schwimmen.

Über viele Jahrhunderte schwammen die Menschen nicht mehr zum Vergnügen. Im Gegenteil: war man auf hoher See und fiel ins Wasser, verlängerte Schwimmen nur den Todeskampf. Auch bei einem Hexenprozess war es nicht hilfreich, wenn man schwimmen konnte. Aber es gibt auch Aufzeichnungen, dass in Amerika und Afrika früher wieder mit dem Schwimmen angefangen wurde als in Europa.

Der Wiederbeginn des Schwimmens war sicher kein eleganter: vom Froschstil bis zum Paddeln, um irgendwie über der Oberfläche zu bleiben, waren alle Varianten vertreten. Erst nach und nach kristallisierten sich die Schwimmstile heraus, die wir heute noch kennen. Dann wurde lange nur zu Showzwecken geschwommen, oft mit geradezu lächerlich langen Distanzen. Weibliche Schwimmer gab es zuerst nur wenige, was daran gelegen sein könnte, dass die ersten Badeanzüge mehr als hinderlich waren. Das änderte sich erst zu Beginn des 20. Jahrhunderts.



Howard Means erzählt die Geschichte des Schwimmens über einen langen Zeitraum. Das mag einer der Gründe sein, warum ich über lange Strecken hinweg den Eindruck hatte, eine Aufzählung von Stichpunkten zu lesen. Interessante Stichpunkte zwar, aber eben nicht mehr. Zwischendurch konnte er mich mehr fesseln, als er "The Swimmer" von John Cleever erwähnte, den ich mir direkt notierte. Leider hat er aber die gesamte Geschichte erzählt, so dass ich keinen Grund mehr sehe, sie selbst zu lesen.

Gegen Schluss wurde es nochmal interessant, als er über das Wettkampfschwimmen berichtete, das immer mehr zu einer Wissenschaft wird und immer weniger reiner Sport ist. Da flossen auch ein paar persönliche Aspekte an, die mir besser gefallen haben als die vielen Anekdoten zu Beginn des Buchs.

Wirklich überzeugen konnte mich Howard Means mit seiner Geschichte über das Schwimmen nicht, aber einige Schnipsel fand ich durchaus interessant.

[Andy Miller · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book lives up to its subtitle; 10,000 years of swimming as it starts in the driest part of the world, southeastern Egypt, with 10,000 year old cave paintings of people apparently swimming. The book's beginning is also evident of the thoroughness that often pops up in the book, the author, an avid lifelong swimmer, is not content to rely on the cave paintings. He describes other research in nearby areas that show skeletal evidence of hippos, crocodiles, and Nile perch from that area and time and finally ties in evidence of the earth's wobbling in the orbit which would explain why there would be so much water at the time.
The story of swimming continues with tales of how the ancient Greeks and then Romans used swimming skills in war to defeat their enemies and how Romans engineered the great baths of the time that were central to their social and business lives. The Dark Ages were dark for swimming and came back during the Renaissance, a favorite section here is Lord Byron's swimming the Hellespoint.
The narrative continues, sometimes tracking swimming with changing social more's such as how much skin a swim suit could reveal, sometimes focusing on swimming challenges such as the early swims across the English Channel. It includes social issues such as the limitations of sexism on women swimming and racism in segregating public swimming pools as well as the fun and challenge of swimming, reflecting the author's passion for the sport.
Yet, the book sometimes left me flat perhaps a function of trying to do much too much (10,000 years of swimming) in too little (a 300 page book) but all in all a satisfactory read

[Marija S. · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.7/5

Interesting topic however the book was frustratingly scattered, seemed to interrupt itself, didn't cover a lot of topics that one would expect to see and generally left a feeling of being somehow vague and superficial.

A good editor could have done wonders here by arranging clear topics and insisting on ones a random reader would expect to find in a book titled '10 000 years of swimming'. The second part of the book almost completely derailed making it hard to discern what was which page about; it felt like riding the author's stream of thoughts and reminiscences, while catching bits of random information floating on the choppy waters of disconnected narrative.

Last but not least, for a sport where records and distances are measured in the metric system (also, in the world that is generally NOT using the imperial system), it is inappropriate and negligent toward readers to state every distance and pool size in yards only. Same goes for water temperatures.

[Lisa Konet · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been a swimmer for exercise and sport for as long as I can remember so when this book came out for an ARC, I jumped on it. IT was interesting to learn how the concept of swimming started and the reasons people did it. I found the chapters about the first swim strokes then to be fascinating and how they are quite different from the four main strokes that are accepted today; perhaps I will try them. I also found it interesting how swimming became am accepted sport as well as for exercise.

I thought this book was well researched and carefully written. This book can get anyone interested in the topic, and as a swimmer, it should be a must read. Cant wait until the hard copy is out because I am definitely buying it. Thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Available: 6/2/20

[Sally Edsall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Especially loved the early chapters, which were a history of swimming and evidence of such from Ancient Egypt to the Greeks and Romans, the disapperance of swimming from European cultures in the middle ages, its revival later on. Benjamin Franklin gets due reapect, and several other pioneers.

There's a great chapter on Aussie sensation of the early 20th century, Annette Kellerman, and the history of swim wear - from nudity through full body cover to bikinis and g-strings.

And a beaut chapter on the bathibg machine.

I skipped along a bit towards the end as it concentrated more on speed and Olympic Games competitors - almost all from the US (so is the author - I don't begrudge that, just less interesting to me!

A good addition to my collection of books about swimming. Some are reviewed on my Swimming blog, and I am currently tidying it up, editing etc with a view to reviving it.

http://swimsallyswim.blogspot.com/?m=0

[Sasha · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed what this book is, but that’s not what it says it is.
This is a 300 page book about 10,000 years of swimming that disposes of the first 8,500 years in the first 50 pages. It then spends an awful lot of time on how the Europeans forgot how to swim for a thousand years, but with no consideration of any Europeans other than the upper classes. And then it spends an awful lot of time on how Europeans and Americans relearnt how to swim, and then another awful lot of time on the modern development of competitive swimming.
What there is on the ancient history of swimming, and the few paragraphs on the non-Western parts of the world are very interesting. The sections on how swimming has impacted and been impacted by social issues (views on women and race for example) are very well considered. I would have liked more like this!

[Anne-Marie]

I've decided to DNF this - at least for now.

As an avid swimmer (who sadly hasn't swum in 2.5 years because of the pandemic), I was really interested in this.

The writing is engaging but he used some more outdated terms/phrases in the early stages of the book to describe people, locations, art, etc. as primitive, exotic, etc. which made me side eye him a bit.

In the first 80 pages (which is what I read), it was also weighted quite heavily to Europe. There was a section where he spoke about how the Islamic world wasn't ignorant of swimming (or science, math, education in general) compared to the Dark Ages/Medieval Europe but he didn't expand enough before jumping right to 16-17th century Europe.

I don't know, there's just something about the author's vibes I didn't love... but I may come back to it eventually.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok, I'm not quite finished! But with one chapter to go, I'm really enjoying it. Means writes a social history of swimming, bathing, pools and baths starting in the Sahara Desert. One of my favorite chapters is on hucksters and hustlers in the Victorian era-- some of these swimming "professors" and their shows would put PT Barnum to shame. But how can that compare with the history of bathing suits from the birthday suit to the bikini? (With a detour through head-to-toe costumes, shoes included). And Means takes time to address the tawdry segregationist history of the public pool in 20th century America, and the consequent high rate of drowning by Black kids compared with white kids. Entertaining and informative.

[Rucio · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointing - DNF.

Got halfway through and the book just felt like a slog (as another reviewer said of the first 3rd). Maybe it improved in the 2nd half, but by then my heart wasn't into it. Not terrible, but it just felt like a laundry list of anything where swimming had been depicted or mentioned down thru the ages. There seemed a disconnect from any over arching theme.

The bright spot was it got me looking up the Cave of the Swimmers in SW Egypt. A stunning place and one I'd love to see, tho unlikely given how difficult it is to each. But apart from that - Meh ...

[Ciara H · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can honestly say that I've been reading this for years. It has been at my bedside and I have dipped into it every now and then.
It covers a huge amount of ground, thousands of years, and many iterations of swimming over time.
The focus on swimmers from the U.S. is to be expected due to the author's origin.
The impact of segregation is a horrifying area of their history.
The topic of swimming promotion in terms of water safety is interesting- even if not as successful as it could have been.
As a swimmer, I loved this. Lots of familiar names and interesting stories included.

[Meghan Murray · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’ve read/listen to a lot of esoteric books. I’ve even listened to a lot of books on swimming/diving/being in and around water. This was my least favorite of those. I got about 1/3 of the way through and bailed. It started to feel like a list of swimming throughout history, and, while some of the information was new to me, it wasn’t interesting enough to keep my attention. I’m not sure what I hoped for, but this wasn’t doing it for me.

[Onceinabluemoon · Rating 4 out of 5]

With temps near 100 how could you not love this book! Great overview of the history of swimming, the sign of a good book for me is how much time I spend in Google while reading and watching watery videos etc. I have read numerous books on swimming feats that baffle the mind, fascinating facts always endear me, 4.5 stars.

[Julie W · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was ok. Not sure what I was expecting. Maybe I would have enjoyed it more if I had listened to it. The first two thirds were extremely slow going. It also felt repetitive. I have spent more than my fair share of time in the water and I appreciated some of the shared delight he describes but I also hoped for something more.

[Beverly Hallfrisch · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first third was a slog for me, but then I got into it. The author doesn't stay on a person, place, time in history, or event for very long. This made it difficult for me to become invested in particular narratives. Any discussion in 'the age of antiquity' merely blurred together for me.

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this, and obtained several insights I didn't previously have. It was hard in a few chapters, because the book isn't chronological, but the chapters individually are. Sometimes it felt like a bit of whiplash timeline-wise. But it was definitely readable.

[Miguel Martinez · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not an entirely interesting read. I thought some things were interesting, but it's mostly about individuals breaking swimming records. I mean, if you're into swimming as a form of exercise or sport I'm sure you'll like this book, but overall, I was ready for the book to end.

[Csimplot Simplot · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book!!!

[Astrid · Rating 4 out of 5]

Copy received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Review to come soon!

[Betty · Rating 5 out of 5]

interesting unique book

[Mark Bennett · Rating 3 out of 5]

Contents are ok. There are bits, which can be real drabs. But, it is good overall.