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44th out of 162 books
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150 voters
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Swimming to Antarctica: Tales of a Long-Distance Swimmer
Now in paperback, with photos and maps added especially for this new edition, here is the acclaimed life story of a woman whose drive and determination inspire everyone she touches. Lynne Cox started swimming almost as soon as she could walk. By age sixteen, she had broken all records for swimming the English Channel. Her daring eventually led her to the Bering Strait, whe...more
Paperback, 384 pages
Published
March 7th 2005
by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
(first published 2004)
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When I first heard of the book I was sure the title was figurative and poetic, but it turns out to be quite literal: the author is a distance swimmer who set her goggled sights on the Antarctica and made it happen.
What's more, she didn't make a grand production of it; probably wisely assuming that the experience in itself would bring its own grandness. Instead of gearing up in the latest advancement of wetsuit technology or other innovation of the boom in extreme athletic consumeri...more
What's more, she didn't make a grand production of it; probably wisely assuming that the experience in itself would bring its own grandness. Instead of gearing up in the latest advancement of wetsuit technology or other innovation of the boom in extreme athletic consumeri...more
You'll like this book if you're a swimmer, an athlete, or need some encouragement to chase your dreams. While I consider myself an athlete (somedays) I was lost at times, not feeling any inward affection for the character to reach her goals, when they were goals simply to be achieved, ie, had no other purpose. But that being said, it was fascinating to see how her body adapted to the extreme tests she put it through, and to see her survive a trip to Egypt.
I love all things polar and cold, although I'll complain loudly if the temperature varies from a median of 68 to 72 degrees. I've read all the Shackleton and Endurance books, even the one by Mrs Chippy:
http://www.purr-n-fur.org.uk/famous/chip...
It's that stiff-upper-lip British thing, even when the explorers are eating their own shoes and writing teddibly, teddibly brave things in their diaries that won't be discovered for another five decades.
I'd read about L...more
http://www.purr-n-fur.org.uk/famous/chip...
It's that stiff-upper-lip British thing, even when the explorers are eating their own shoes and writing teddibly, teddibly brave things in their diaries that won't be discovered for another five decades.
I'd read about L...more
At an early age Lynne Cox discovered that she not only loved to swim, but that she was especially adept at swimming in frigid water. At the age of nine she chose to continue swimming in the icy water of her New Hampshire team’s pool during a hail storm rather than participate in group exercises indoors. Her family moved to California so that she could train as a speed swimmer. During a team race across the Catalina Channel, Cox discovered that she excelled at long distance ocean swimming. After ...more
This is a remarkable memoir by the record-breaking, long-distance, cold and/or open water swimmer who, at sixteen, achieved her lifetime goal of setting a new world record for an English Channel swim. She then went on to swim cold, open waters around the world, sometimes having to shove icebergs out of her way!
When I mentioned the book to some friends, they assumed the title was a metaphor for an inspirational theme; when I explained what Lynne Cox had done, they were amazed.
...more
When I mentioned the book to some friends, they assumed the title was a metaphor for an inspirational theme; when I explained what Lynne Cox had done, they were amazed.
...more
This long distance swimmer is amazing. When she was just eight, swimming lap after lap on a frigid hail storming day in an outdoor pool, a woman commented to her "someday you'll swim the English Channel." The comment stuck in Lynne Cox's mind and inspired her. At just fifteen years old, she swam the Channel faster than any man or woman of any age had ever swum it. She went on to swim many other record breaking and/or never attempted ocean swims, including her successful Bering Stra...more
As this inspiring memoir makes clear, swimming is Cox's life. "Cox is not just in the sea," notes the Rocky Mountain News, "she is one with it." Cox offers intimate glimpses into her mind as she conquers icy (Antarctic) or rat-strewn (Nile) waters--her doubts, joys, and observations of unfamiliar surroundings. It's a compelling narrative, but critics disagree on a few points. Is her writing poetic or reportorial? Does she offer a complete or one-sided picture of her life? Whe
...more
For someone who is not entirely enthralled with non-fiction, this was one novel that definitely moved me and inspired me in many ways. The writing was not top of the line, but when can a non-writer write a book with the tenacity and grace as some of the finest authors in the world? Exactly. So, going in thinking that this book is just going to be a good read and incredible, is the right frame of mind to be in. Being a swimmer, and someone who aspires to great heights, this is almost essentia...more
Chad
rated it
Recommends it for:
anyone who has open-water experience or lofty goals of achieving an open-water experience.
Recommended to Chad by:
Emily Scott
Lynne Cox was a very ambitious child and I can't recall ever reading of someone more couragious at such a young age. The writing isn't stellar, but I think that helps to portray the honesty that comes out of this book--like she has been holding it in for years and now all she has left are the essential details.
There are many of those essential details left.
There are many of those essential details left.
I had to give this book five stars as I am in total awe of Lynne Cox. Before cracking the book I assumed that the title was a metaphor - no, she actually swam in Anarctica and get this: she swam in just a speedo as in "look Ma, NO WETSUIT!" Her ability to withstand subfreezing water temps underscores that she is obviously a unique physical specimen but more compelling is the mental toughness and singleness of purpose she displays in the pursuit of her open water swimming goals.
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If the entire book read like the Prologue, titled A Cold Day in August, the reader could simply not put it down. This piece, published previously in the New Yorker, puts the reader in the freezing cold water of the Bearing Strait struggling to swim through the dense fog--wow! For me it evoked the treatment Sebastian Junger gave drowning in The Perfect Storm: a visceral experience conveyed so deftly that the reader becomes the subject struggling to survive.
Overall, I enjoyed learni...more
Overall, I enjoyed learni...more
Mssuzyq623
rated it
Recommends it for:
swimmers only
Recommended to Mssuzyq623 by:
Peter McDevitt, Jr
This is not the type of book I would ever read. But since my father-in-law, a University swim coach and avid reader was so impressed with it, I thought I would give it a try. I suppose it is "good" if you are a swimmer, but it is not really a "story". I was less interested in the logistics of her setting up her swims, than I would be in the relationship she had with her parents, if she had a boyfriend EVER, did she have a job or a home? Or just live with her parents while pla...more
The author is completely crazy - she is physically capable of keeping her body temperature high enough to stay submerged in water at 32 degrees for an hour. But as a distance swimmer I can understand her drive to a disturbing degree. If you are an endurance athlete of any kind, then this is an inspiring story.
Open water swimming in 32 degree water is not for pansies. Lynne Cox is a tough-as-nails swimmer with a passion for spreading peace through her coast to coast swims. Inspirational story. I've done a couple open water swims and this story makes me want to do more! Watch out Lake Superior...
Lynne Cox is amazing. This fast-reading story is all about her swimming exploits, starting from when she first swims through a storm during a several-hour swimming lesson, to swimming the English Channel to swimming in 30-something degree water in Antarctica. It's a great testament to always testing physical boundaries, and it was pretty inspiring.
That being said, it sometimes felt a little too simple, like things will always work out if you just try really hard. Even though she doe...more
That being said, it sometimes felt a little too simple, like things will always work out if you just try really hard. Even though she doe...more
The question that immediately comes to mind when reviewing this books is: Would the non-swimmer find it interesting? I think so, if only because Lynne Cox tells gripping tales. Battling dysentery and dehydration and the stench and the "heavy, thick brown muck" of the Nile ... lost in the nighttime fog in the shipping lane between Catalina Island and the Southern California mainland ... and many more. But what I really loved about this book was Cox. She's generous in honoring the people...more
Lynne Cox broke several records in the swimming world. She knew she wanted to swim in the ocean as a young girl, and worked steadily towards this goal. She was on a team with the youngest swimmer to cross the Catalina Channel, she broke the world records for swimming the English channel - twice!, she swam across many channels and seas that had never been crossed before. She was a research subject on how the human body handles cold water temperatures, in an effort to achieve her greatest dream, s...more
True autobiography of "Lance Armstrong with body fat." This woman has swum some of the coldest, most dangerous, and longest distances of any swimmer ever. AMAZING. Fairly well-told, too.
don’t usually like autobiographies, but this story is really remarkable. It’s the story of Lynne Cox, the swimmer who swam from Alaska to Russia. I remember reading about her in the paper when she made the swim, but I didn’t know that was just one of her many incredible swims. She set a world record for swimming the English Channel when she was 16, she was the first person to swim the Strait of Magellan, around the Cape of Good Hope, and between the north and south islands of New Zealand. S...more
There's absolutely no explaining why I picked this book off the library shelf and there's even less reason why I should have loved it. I'm not a swimmer, I'm not into polar bear plunge, I'm not even an athlete of any kind... but I really really loved it! It's about perseverance and listening to yourself rather than other people who tell you you can't do things. It's also inspiring that Lynn found her contribution to this world in swimming of all things. Shows you have to find your passion and fi...more
A person who took on challenges and showed amazing endurance and test of character to persist with a goal.
This book was incredible. Lynne is an amazing athlete and writes about her swims in great detail. She is very articulate in describing her motivations, her thoughts and the challenges for her swims. I could really get a feeling for the sensations she felt during her swims. She actually swam in waters around Antarctica with just a swim suit, goggles and swim cap!!! This was just one of her many amazing swims. Lynne starting breaking records for long-distance swimming at a young age and her ...more
This was just a fascinating book. If you work out at all, and definitely if you swim,you should check this one out. What I found most interesting were here discussions of what people did before all the fancy gear and sports nutrition was readily available to anyone with the cash to shell out for it. Some of her descriptions of the things she ate while she figured out WHAT to eat on long distance swims was a little quease-inducing though. I admit to skimming through some of it, but there was enou...more
An incredible memoir of a woman who swam all over the world, in places where nobody have ever gone swimming. Documented, that is. It was amazing to read about all of the factors that goes into planning a swim like that, including things I would never think to consider. Hiring a pilot, to lead the way across the body of water (they didn't have GPS then), doctors to monitor her body temperatures, her thought processes and the cost.
A fascinating read for anybody who likes to read about h...more
A fascinating read for anybody who likes to read about h...more
I have nothing but good things to say about this remarkable, incredible, revolutionary book by world-class swimmer Lynne Cox. Being a swimmer myself, I also read Michael Phelps' autobiography, Mark Spitz's biography, and have a subscription to a few swimming magazines. When I received this book as a gift, I was expecting more of the same (I listened to my coach, I trained hard, I ate six pounds of pasta the night before, and I just went for it!). This is SO not that book. You don't have to be in...more
So I know some of you won't like my reaction to this book, but here goes.
My only question is this...why? Why in the world does anyone swim in really cold water? To me, it's like UFC fighting. It's okay to fight to the death if someone is trying to rape your wife or kill your son. But, to me, it's not okay to fight....just to win. Or just to say you did. And that's what kept running through my mind as I read this. Sure, she swam the English Channel to break the record. But as the swims ...more
My only question is this...why? Why in the world does anyone swim in really cold water? To me, it's like UFC fighting. It's okay to fight to the death if someone is trying to rape your wife or kill your son. But, to me, it's not okay to fight....just to win. Or just to say you did. And that's what kept running through my mind as I read this. Sure, she swam the English Channel to break the record. But as the swims ...more
Oh, I forgot to review this book! It was such a good book!! How did I forget? Lately I think about this lady every time I get cold, drink ice water, or run barefoot on cold cement to throw a diaper in the garbage.
This book is totally my kind of book, along the lines of "Ultra Marathon Man" by Dean what's-his-last-name. (Oh, I looked it up - Dean Karnazes.) It's where you can read about someone who does super human amazing things, but you don't actually have to be doing them...more
This book is totally my kind of book, along the lines of "Ultra Marathon Man" by Dean what's-his-last-name. (Oh, I looked it up - Dean Karnazes.) It's where you can read about someone who does super human amazing things, but you don't actually have to be doing them...more
Library Journal says: "Cox shares with her readers a truly amazing life. She was a gifted swimmer from her childhood, and it quickly became apparent that her strength was in long-distance swimming rather than the comparatively short races of Olympic competition. After setting a record for swimming the English Channel when she was only 15, she longed to make a difference in the world with her skill and realized that swimming from shore to shore symbolically brought the two together. She imme...more
This engaging and well-written memoir puts the reader right in the water with long-distance (and cold-water) swimmer Lynne Cox. Every time I set the book down, I felt like having a hot shower or a hot beverage to warm up. The author does a great job of describing her mental state, her thoughts and feelings during a swim, and the crew required to make her swims possible.
At the same time, the author provides almost no information about her life other than the described swims. There'...more
At the same time, the author provides almost no information about her life other than the described swims. There'...more
I'd give the story itself four stars and the writing and execution of it two stars, which averages out to three stars. I think Lynne Cox's accomplishments are amazing, and I'm beyond impressed by her fortitude and endurance. I could only hope to exhibit a fraction of her drive in my own endeavors.
It took me a very long time to finish this book, only partly because I started it during the winter and it was too darn cold outside to enjoy reading a book about swimming in frigid water....more
It took me a very long time to finish this book, only partly because I started it during the winter and it was too darn cold outside to enjoy reading a book about swimming in frigid water....more
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I especially liked the last paragraph.
Jun 11, 2008 10:58am
Oct 14, 2010 12:54pm