Splash!
By Howard Means
10,000 Years of Swimming. Hachette Books. 2020.
Summary of Splash! book by Howard Means
A wet’n’wild romp through the history of swimming, from humans’ earliest days of survival to amazing mythical and real modern-day swimmer heroes, showing how this aquatic activity has mutually influenced infrastructure, fashion, sexism, racism, health, and nearly every other facet of our existence.
Chapters in Splash! book summary
What do you get from this book? A sweeping look at how swimming shaped culture and society and vice versa
There’s a reasonable explanation for our affinity with swimming—it’s in our biology and in our beliefs
Ancient references to swimming are found in multiple cultures and regions, proving further the strong link between humans and the water
The ancient Greeks and later, Romans, elevated swimming to a duty, especially for their soldiers
Though the Romans set up public baths throughout their empire, swimming was nearly nonexistent in the West for a millennium
English and American authors sparked a resurgence of interest in swimming through the sixteenth to the nineteenth centuries
After figuring out the fastest stroke, which non-Westerners had been using for ages, swim races and swim education expanded
As more people learned to swim, they attempted daunting feats in heavy clothes that made swimming difficult
Annette Kellerman was the face of aquatic activity—and liberty—in the early half of the twentieth century
Media, entertainment, and infrastructure, along with a societal transformation, caused a surge in popularity of swimming in America
US public pools increased by five times in a century, but that didn’t mean everyone had access to them or swim education
As competitive swimming developed, consistent training caused some concerns, but our link with the water is undeniable
Summary of the key insights
Selected critiques in brief
Final word
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Splash! — Book Summary Snapshot
Who should read Splash! book
- Competitive swimmers
- water babies
- history buffs
- those who love plunging into the pool
- anyone curious about why and how people swim and swam in the past
About the author of Splash!
Howard Means
Howard Means was previously a journalist as well as senior editor at the magazine Washingtonian before becoming an author. He has an extensive publication library of history books, including 67 Shots and Money & Power. His vast experience as a swimmer, from the age of five through college, then coaching, prompted him to pen the historical epic of swimming, Splash!
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