Swell: A Waterbiography The Sunday Times SPORT BOOK OF THE YEAR 2017

These days, swimming may seem like the most egalitarian of pastimes, open to anyone with a swimsuit—but this wasn't always the case. In the 19th century, swimming was exclusively the domain of men, and access to pools was a luxury limited by class. It wasn't until the 1930s that women were finally, and reluctantly, granted access to the water without the threat of arrest. This is ...