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Splash!

Splash!

By Howard Means

10,000 Years of Swimming. Hachette Books. 2020.

0.0 / 0

18 mins read

15 Key insights

A brief summary of Splash!

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.

Key insights in Splash!

1
What do you get from this book? A sweeping look at how swimming shaped culture and society and vice versa
2
There’s a reasonable explanation for our affinity with swimming—it’s in our biology and in our beliefs
3
Ancient references to swimming are found in multiple cultures and regions, proving further the strong link between humans and the water
4
The ancient Greeks and later, Romans, elevated swimming to a duty, especially for their soldiers
5
Though the Romans set up public baths throughout their empire, swimming was nearly nonexistent in the West for a millennium
6
English and American authors sparked a resurgence of interest in swimming through the sixteenth to the nineteenth centuries
7
After figuring out the fastest stroke, which non-Westerners had been using for ages, swim races and swim education expanded
8
As more people learned to swim, they attempted daunting feats in heavy clothes that made swimming difficult
9
Annette Kellerman was the face of aquatic activity—and liberty—in the early half of the twentieth century
10
Media, entertainment, and infrastructure, along with a societal transformation, caused a surge in popularity of swimming in America
11
US public pools increased by five times in a century, but that didn’t mean everyone had access to them or swim education
12
As competitive swimming developed, consistent training caused some concerns, but our link with the water is undeniable
13
Summary of the key insights
14
Selected critiques in brief
15
Final word

Who should read Splash!

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 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!

author avatar

Howard Means

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