- Paperback: 256 pages
- Publisher: Headline Book Publishing (4 Jan 2001)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0747262136
- ISBN-13: 978-0747262138
- Product Dimensions: 19.2 x 12.8 x 1.6 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 683,509 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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More About the Author
Product Description
Product Description
In august 1875 Captain Mathew Webb 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 start of his ruin.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Kathy Watson has crafted a jewel of a book, an exotic Victorian portrait that goes far beyond the simple description of Captain Webb and his extraordinary swimming of the English Channel - the first person ever to do so in recorded history.
For in this miniature we certainly see bits and pieces and touches of ourselves in ways that force us to immediately recognize the subject of the book: the having done a daring, or honorable, or even brilliant act in our past, one that defined us as eminently worthwhile members of the human family. Perhaps only we knew about what we had done, perhaps we did it only in silence, perhaps there was never outside recognition; but most of us have one or more of those moments, just as Capt. Webb had when he did his extraordinary feat, only less so. He was certainly recognized and feted and admired; he received cash and other awards for demonstrating British pluck in his accomplishment. And then...all the glory was taken away from him. Not in one fell swoop, but gradually and ignominiously over a period of 8 years, when he ended his life as a boastful freak who attempted to swim the Whirlpool Rapids at Niagara Falls and failed.
The story of this brilliant meteor and its crash is splendidly narrated; the prose is redolent of Victorian language without being Victoria prose. Meticulous research has obviously been used to underpin the narrative, and that author's joy and enthusiasm is everywhere: "Niagara" she explains "had become the primary port of call in North America for daredevils, con men, sensation-seekers, and nutcases" in 1883 when Capt. Webb arrived.
Ms. Watson gives statistics, but does not burden us with them; since Capt. Webb there have been 500 or so people who have swum the Channel, but today it is much easier (but not easy) because of the expert knowledge that has built over the years on how to prepare for, and execute, a crossing. Not so when Jabez Wolffe made his first attempt in 1906, nor in the ensuing years when he tried 22 times and never succeeded in his quest.
Whether one swims or not, this is an exciting and delightful book. Yes, it ends in the defeat of Capt.Webb, but somehow this failure totally pales when compared to his success; and because of that, this is an upbeat book of optimism and hope, brilliantly written.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Family legend has it that Matthew Webb was a great, great uncle of mine (although in family research I have yet to definitely prove that). Hence I have read a few accounts of his life, both in book form and on various Web sites (although one tends to take the latter as being likely to be less well researched). This particular account is one that I found myself blowing hot and cold over. Factually, it appears to be a well-researched account of his life and death but with little or no new information. There were a few niggles regarding facts in the book - with one or two items, especially in his pre-Channel swim days, there would appear to be a discrepancy between the facts in this book and those in other works - that isn't to say that this book is incorrect, simply that there are lingering doubts (indeed in respect of his rescue of a brother in the River Severn, I have seen reference to it being any one of three of his brothers). To help alleviate this uncertainty, I will level the same criticism against this biography that I have against many others - no list of reference material from which it was compiled. Those issues aside, I found the book a good read with an easy, informal style that presented the Captain's life in a well-structured sequence. I particularly liked the verses at the start of each chapter, but on occasion felt that the chapters themselves lacked a little bit of depth. Strangely, I found myself drifting between a biographical mind-set and that of a novel whilst reading this book on occasion - I cannot, however, put my finger on the reason for that.
Overall, I have to say that I would recommend this book to others, but with the reservations mentioned above. A useful addition to my "Captain Webb" bookshelf.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This was an interesting and well written biography of the man whose name I first knew from matchboxes. This book explains how - and why - Webb became known as "England's Glory". It is a sympathetic portrait, written by a swimmer, but I think Webb would have been easy to like - modest, unassuming, hardworking. He was not flashy, and he wasn't a speedy swimmer - he preferred breaststroke to the new crawl style strokes - but he was strong, dogged and determined. I can empathise with that! His epic swim was fuelled by beer, brandy and sandwiches - the cutting edge of sports nutrition!
Hero is perhaps an overused word these days, but I think Captain Webb was a true one - whilst serving as second mate on the Cunard Line ship Russia, travelling from New York to Liverpool, he attempted to rescue a man overboard by diving into the sea in the mid-Atlantic. The man was never found, and Webb nearly lost his own life.
The author certainly knows swimming, and she writes very convincingly and with great affection for her subject.
Webb drowned trying to swim the Whirlpool Rapids in the Niagara River.
Hero is perhaps an overused word these days, but I think Captain Webb was a true one - whilst serving as second mate on the Cunard Line ship Russia, travelling from New York to Liverpool, he attempted to rescue a man overboard by diving into the sea in the mid-Atlantic. The man was never found, and Webb nearly lost his own life.
The author certainly knows swimming, and she writes very convincingly and with great affection for her subject.
Webb drowned trying to swim the Whirlpool Rapids in the Niagara River.
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