Boy in the Water

"The Boy Who Swam the Channel" is a 2018 book by Clare Balding that tells the story of a determined boy, a visionary coach, and how the dream of a record-breaking Channel swim became reality. It is a poignant, life-affirming story of friendship and childhood.

\n Format: Paperback / softback
\n Length: 192 pages
\n Publication date: 06 June 2019
\n Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
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Winner of the William Hill 2018 Sports Book of the Year Award, this extraordinary book by Clare Balding has been hailed as a Sunday Times Book of the Year and Telegraph Best Book of 2018. It tells the poignant, life-affirming story of a determined boy, a visionary coach, and how the dream of a record-breaking Channel swim became a reality.

Set in 1984 in Eltham, South London, the book begins with the hot fug of the swimming pool and the slow splashing of a boy learning to swim, yet not yet wanting to take his foot off the bottom. Four years later, photographers and family wait on the shingle beach as the boy in a bright orange hat and grease-smeared goggles swims the last few metres from France to England. He has been in the water for twelve agonizing hours, encouraged at each stroke by his coach, John Bullet, who has become a second father.

This is the story of a remarkable friendship between a coach and a boy, and a love letter to the intensity and freedom of childhood. The book explores the power of determination, the importance of mentorship, and the transformative effect of pursuing one's dreams. It is a testament to the human spirit and the resilience of the human mind.

Winner of the William Hill 2018 Sports Book of the Year Award, this extraordinary book by Clare Balding is a must-read for anyone who loves sports, storytelling, or the power of human potential. It is a testament to the enduring power of friendship and the boundless possibilities of childhood.

\n Weight: 182g\n
Dimension: 128 x 196 x 19 (mm)\n
ISBN-13: 9780141988757\n \n