
Swimming Pretty
the untold story of women in water
$49.46
- Paperback
432 pages
- Release Date
20 May 2025
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 |
You Can Find This Book In
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.
Returns
This item is eligible for free returns within 30 days of delivery. See our returns policy for further details.