The Crossing: The Extraordinary Story of the First Man to Swim the English Channel
Watson, Kathy
ISBN 10: 0747223416 ISBN 13: 9780747223412
Published by Headline Book Publishing, 2000
Used
hardcover
From
WeBuyBooks, Rossendale, LANCS, United Kingdom
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
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About this Item
Description:
Most items will be dispatched the same or the next working day. A copy that has been read, but is in excellent condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged. Seller Inventory # rev7231143531
Synopsis:
Captain Matthew Webb, a short, stocky sailor, in August 1875, became the first man to swim the English Channel. Feted and adored, praised and imitated; for a while, he was the most famous man in Britain and his gallant 22-hour endeavour helped to make swimming the popular sport it is today. It was to be both the highlight of his life and the beginning of his ruin.
This is the story of Webb, a man who achieved his dream but did not know what to do with it. He lived a life of adventure, offering himself to the crowd again and again as a champion swimmer, surrounded by a colourful array of sportsmen, stuntmen and gamblers. Through him, we glimpse a slice of Victorian society, a lusty, flamboyant, gaslit underworld of physical display and shady deals.
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Bibliographic Details
Title: The Crossing: The Extraordinary Story of the...
Publisher: Headline Book Publishing
Publication Date: 2000
Binding: hardcover
Condition: Very Good