Swimming to Antarctica
by Lynne Cox
published
May 5th 2005
by Weidenfeld & Nicolson
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binding
Hardcover, 336 pages
isbn
0297850679
(isbn13: 9780297850670)
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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 521)
Read in December, 2007
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 consumerism, Cox ...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 consumerism, Cox ...more
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Read in September, 2008
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/f...
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 f...more
http://www.purr-n-fur.org.uk/f...
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 f...more
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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.
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Read in June, 2008
recommended to Chad by:
Emily Scottrecommends it for: anyone who has open-water experience or lofty goals of achieving an open-water experience.
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.
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Read in January, 2006
recommends it for:
swimmers
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.
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Read in January, 2005
recommends it for:
anyone who likes stories of kick-ass female athletes
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...
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Read in September, 2008
recommended to Jennifer by:
Erinrecommends it for: people who like adventure /sports biographies
Step aside Lance Armstrong. Lynne Cox is in the ring. Lynne Cox's extraordinary coldwater swims have made headlines around the world-she's been on 60 minutes and in a variety of other features. This is her story.
I really thought I was going to hate this book...I saw her on 60 minutes when she lost a few of her toes to frostbite after the Antarctic expedition, and thought-wow, this lady is truly crazy. And yet, I was compelled to watch the whole damn thing and I don't even watch 60 minute...more
I really thought I was going to hate this book...I saw her on 60 minutes when she lost a few of her toes to frostbite after the Antarctic expedition, and thought-wow, this lady is truly crazy. And yet, I was compelled to watch the whole damn thing and I don't even watch 60 minute...more
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Read in January, 2008
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.
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Read in January, 1999
A person who took on challenges and showed amazing endurance and test of character to persist with a goal.
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Read in January, 2007
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. Afte...more
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Read in February, 2007
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
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I got this book because I enjoyed Grayson so much. And though this one did not contain as much marine life, I still found it a thrill to read.
Lynne Cox has a way of making you feel like you are with her on these record breaking adventures. When she described not being able to complete her swim in the nile, I felt chocked up with tears, and I am not even the type to cry over such a thing, but the way she writes is very true and you can not help but feel connected. I can understand how she got c...more
Lynne Cox has a way of making you feel like you are with her on these record breaking adventures. When she described not being able to complete her swim in the nile, I felt chocked up with tears, and I am not even the type to cry over such a thing, but the way she writes is very true and you can not help but feel connected. I can understand how she got c...more
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Read in March, 2008
I just can't believe her story. I had never heard of her before and I can't even comprehend all she went through to achieve her swims. Amazing!!!! She not only accomplished so much physically, but she united countries. I couldn't believe she was able to get the Soviet Union and the US together during the Cold War.
She also related her goals into tangible ideas for the average human. There were about 3 times during this book that her analogies made me reevaluate my life and hope that I ...more
She also related her goals into tangible ideas for the average human. There were about 3 times during this book that her analogies made me reevaluate my life and hope that I ...more
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No matter if she's a good writer or not, the accomplishments of Lynne Cox are amazing!!! And by the way, her writing was fine. The very idea of autobiographies are a bit funny to me, because I would never think myself interesting or captivating enough to write a whole book about me or the "neat" things I do. I truly enjoyed reading about how Ms. Cox drew from the strength of her friends, family, supporters, and citizens of the places she swam in. I thought she sounded a little defe...more
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Read in February, 2008
I can't believe I've never heard of Lynne Cox before seeing this book in the library! She's basically awesome and has swum in water as cold as the mid-thirties wearing only a bathing suit. She held the record for the English Channel when she was only 15 yrs old and has since swum in lots of dangerous and cold waters where no one else has gone without a wetsuit. She even swam part of the Bering Strait to promote peace b/w the US and the Soviet Union during the Cold War. After a while hearing abou...more
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Read in May, 2008
recommended to Valerielynnbassett by:
my wiferecommends it for: both my Goodreads friends
I couldn't put this down! More wonderful descriptions of the water and swimming. I love the scene in the beginning where she is swimming in a pool in a hailstorm in NH as a child. In it you see the seeds of her sense of wonder and aliveness in the water. Her discipline and determination are inspiring. And more interesting encounters with animals in this book, though it is almost as if she doesn't appreciate them as fully as in the later book Grayson about her encounter with a baby gray whale.
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Read in January, 2008
I really enjoyed reading this book. It's a story about how a long distance swimmer brought nations and cultures together. She would attempt these outrageously hard, long, and freezing swims and would earn the respect and support of the nation. The climax of the book is swimming a mile in the Antarctic ocean, but for me, I thought that the best swim was her 2.5 miles across the Behring sea in the 80s. This was huge because Russia had to open the border for her to swim and the feeling of goodwi...more
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amazing story of a young woman who swims not only to Antarctica, but breaks records for the English Channel,
and swims in the Bering Sea w/o a wetsuit!
and swims in the Bering Sea w/o a wetsuit!
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Read in January, 2008
I LOVED THIS BOOK. It is an autobiographical book by this woman who has swum in crazy situations all over the world - setting numerous records and swimming "firsts". She set a record for swimming the English Channel a couple of times and many other amazing swims. The book is fast paced, exciting, I couldn't put it down.
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Lynne is an amazing and focused individual. She should be an inspiration to all who read her book that they/we can all be focused on a goal.
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In Swimming to Antarctica, Lynne Cox's first big swim was to: