Tuesday, August 11, 2009
The Young Woman And The Sea
"You need not care one whit about swimming, women breaking sports barriers, or events of the 1920s to be gripped by sportswriter Glenn Stout's fast-paced account The descriptions of the interaction between Trudy and her crew, Mr. Burgess' plotting of the Z-shape route, the almost hourly press dispatches sent, the hazards Trudy overcame as the storms came, the swells grew and the tide changed earlier than expected are breathtaking."
-The Washington Times
"For anyone who loves the water or has a big dream, this is the book to read!"
-Lynne Cox, author of Swimming to Antarctica
Gertrude "Trudy" Ederle was a teen in the 1920s. She learned to swim as a child and went on to win Olympic gold medals. Gold medals were not her greatest feat, however. She swam the English Channel at the age of 19 and beat the existing record while doing it. Not only the first woman to accomplish the feat, but two hours faster than the man that had the previous record.
The Young Woman and the Sea is the story of Trudy and her goal that no one thought would materialize. Although she accomplished this feat, her health suffered as a result but she lived on until 2003 at the age of 98.
You can read other editorials and order your copy of the book here. This is precisely my type of reading and I can't wait to finish this one.
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4 comments:
Wow! I am embarrassed to tell you I always thought the first woman to swim the Channel was a Brit.
And, I wonder if the book goes into any depth on the other swimmer that swam around Manhattan?
It's like I always say, "Ginger did it backwards with high heels". Remember to give credit where credit is due...
I also believed her to be a Brit until I got this book!
OK, I am definitely adding that one to my list. I love reading books like that, especially about female athletes. Plus, I'm a swimmer.
Yeah, I've been dodging responsibility to finish reading it myself. Highly recommended!
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