Swimming Pretty, 9781324096894
Paperback
Grit, glamor, and athleticism: the surprising story of synchronized swimming.

Swimming Pretty

the untold story of women in water

$49.46

  • Paperback

    432 pages

  • Release Date

    20 May 2025

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Summary

Swimming Pretty: A Century of Aquatic Glamour and Grit

If you’re not strong enough to swim fast, you’re probably not strong enough to swim ‘pretty,’” said a young Esther Williams to theater impresario Billy Rose. Since the nineteenth century, tensions between beauty and strength, aesthetics and athleticism have both impeded and propelled the careers of female swimmers-none more so than synchronized swimmers, for whom Williams is often considered godmother.

In this revelatory…

Book Details

ISBN-13:9781324096894
ISBN-10:1324096896
Author:Vicki Valosik
Publisher:WW Norton & Co
Imprint:WW Norton & Co
Format:Paperback
Number of Pages:432
Release Date:20 May 2025
Weight:332g
Dimensions:208mm x 137mm x 25mm
What They're Saying

Critics Review

”[Valosik] give[s] an exhaustive history of swimming pretty without exhausting you. Her writing is lively and takes you right into each moment, then sends you off to tell everyone else about how tough this beautiful sport is–even if trying it sounds like a very tall order.” – Isabel Hardman - The Spectator”[A] fascinating book… [Valosik] compellingly conveys how difficult it is to stay underwa­ter for minutes at a time, to kick in concert with seven other potent pairs of legs, to propel one’s body high out of the water—in full makeup and with a dazzling smile.” – Lucy Moore - Literary Review“In Swimming Pretty, Valosik puts the sport in a wide historical frame, showing how the very idea of women going into the water has both reflected and driven social change … Swimming Pretty features plenty of ‘who knew?’ moments and a teeming cast of characters.” – Jennifer Schuessler - The New York Times”[An] enlightening, well-researched history … As [Valosik’s] book reveals in fascinating detail, although women’s access to the water has been mired for centuries in gender politics… women have transformed swimming for everyone in fundamental ways.” – Sarah L Kaufman - The Wall Street Journal

About The Author

Vicki Valosik

Vicki Valosik is a masters synchronized swimmer whose writing has appeared in publications such as the Atlantic, Smithsonian magazine, and Slate. She is an editorial director and teaches writing at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, and lives in Silver Spring, Maryland.

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