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Boy in the Water
The poignant, life-affirming story of a determined boy, a visionary coach, and how the dream of a record-breaking Channel swim became reality
Eltham, South London. 1984: the hot fug of the swimming pool and the slow splashing of a boy learning to swim but not yet wanting to take his foot off the bottom. Fast-forward four years. Photographers and family wait on the shingle beach as a boy in a bright orange hat and grease-smeared goggles swims the last few metres from France to England. He has been in the water for twelve agonizing hours, encouraged at each stroke by his coach, John Bullet, who has become a second father.
This is the story of a remarkable friendship between a coach and a boy, and a love letter to the intensity and freedom of childhood.
Eltham, South London. 1984: the hot fug of the swimming pool and the slow splashing of a boy learning to swim but not yet wanting to take his foot off the bottom. Fast-forward four years. Photographers and family wait on the shingle beach as a boy in a bright orange hat and grease-smeared goggles swims the last few metres from France to England. He has been in the water for twelve agonizing hours, encouraged at each stroke by his coach, John Bullet, who has become a second father.
This is the story of a remarkable friendship between a coach and a boy, and a love letter to the intensity and freedom of childhood.
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Published August 30, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 92 reviews
August 25, 2018
The poignant, life-affirming story of a determined boy, a visionary coach, and how the dream of a record-breaking Channel swim became reality.
1984: a young boy was learning to swim but was not brave enough yet to take his foot off the bottom of the pool. But only four years later, he was swimming the Channel from France to England. John Bullet was the coach, and he took Tom and a lot of other children to the sea, outside lakes and pools. Every year he took them to the Lake District where they learned to swim long distances in the cold water. Training that would be essential for Tom in his attempt to swim the Channel.
This touching memoir had me gripped from the start, even though it was a bit of a slow burner to begin with. I don't know if it was because I can't swim, and I can remember swimming lessons where I did not want to lift my feet of the bottom of the Pool either, that made the connection for me. I cheered Tom on in everything he tried to achieve and his struggle with not being terrified in deep water. The relationship he had, and the time he spent alone with John Bullet (probably would not be aloud to happen nowadays) to achieve his dream of becoming the youngest person to swim the Chanel was astonishing. I loved this emotional and heartwarming read. You will definitely need tissues for the ending. An easy book to read.
I would like to thank NetGalley, Penguin Books UK and the Tom Gregory for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
1984: a young boy was learning to swim but was not brave enough yet to take his foot off the bottom of the pool. But only four years later, he was swimming the Channel from France to England. John Bullet was the coach, and he took Tom and a lot of other children to the sea, outside lakes and pools. Every year he took them to the Lake District where they learned to swim long distances in the cold water. Training that would be essential for Tom in his attempt to swim the Channel.
This touching memoir had me gripped from the start, even though it was a bit of a slow burner to begin with. I don't know if it was because I can't swim, and I can remember swimming lessons where I did not want to lift my feet of the bottom of the Pool either, that made the connection for me. I cheered Tom on in everything he tried to achieve and his struggle with not being terrified in deep water. The relationship he had, and the time he spent alone with John Bullet (probably would not be aloud to happen nowadays) to achieve his dream of becoming the youngest person to swim the Chanel was astonishing. I loved this emotional and heartwarming read. You will definitely need tissues for the ending. An easy book to read.
I would like to thank NetGalley, Penguin Books UK and the Tom Gregory for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
August 31, 2018
From BBC Radio 4 - Book of the week:
In September 1988, eleven-year-old Tom Gregory became the youngest person ever to swim the English Channel, trained by a coach at his local swimming baths in Eltham, South East London.
Tom first went to the swimming baths in Eltham when he was seven. As one of the slowest swimmers in his class at school, he could barely make it across a width without taking a break half way. Despite a reluctant start, his potential was soon spotted by the coach who ran the club. John Bullet was an old-school disciplinarian and a maverick in the Channel Swimming establishment, who had an impressive track record for training distance swimmers. He had established a team of local kids who trained together in open water at Dover, in the cold waters of Windermere, and in London Docks. When John singled Tom out as a Channel contender, Tom's training began in earnest; as his ability and stamina became evident, his (and John's) sights focussed on the world record for the youngest swimmer to make a solo crossing of the Channel.
As coach, mentor and inspiration John Bullet inspired extraordinary loyalty from his young swimmers. Tom and his older sister Anna were part of a close-knit group of young people who spent their holidays being mini-bussed around the country, camping out and listening to Top Twenty mix tapes, all the while training in conditions which would challenge swimmers of any age.
Tom describes the intensity and closeness of these five years of his life with affection and honesty; the account of his gruelling training and his record-breaking Channel swim, all before his twelfth birthday, is both exhilarating, and, to a generation brought up on stricter health and safety regulations, occasionally disquieting.
Tom's world record still stands today and can never be broken; since his swim the qualifying age for an official Channel challenge has been raised to sixteen.
Tom Gregory went on to become an officer in the Royal Anglican Regiment and served in Iraq and Afghanistan. He now lives in Surrey with his wife and daughter.
Reader: Patrick Kennedy
Abridged and produced by Sara Davies.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0bg...
In September 1988, eleven-year-old Tom Gregory became the youngest person ever to swim the English Channel, trained by a coach at his local swimming baths in Eltham, South East London.
Tom first went to the swimming baths in Eltham when he was seven. As one of the slowest swimmers in his class at school, he could barely make it across a width without taking a break half way. Despite a reluctant start, his potential was soon spotted by the coach who ran the club. John Bullet was an old-school disciplinarian and a maverick in the Channel Swimming establishment, who had an impressive track record for training distance swimmers. He had established a team of local kids who trained together in open water at Dover, in the cold waters of Windermere, and in London Docks. When John singled Tom out as a Channel contender, Tom's training began in earnest; as his ability and stamina became evident, his (and John's) sights focussed on the world record for the youngest swimmer to make a solo crossing of the Channel.
As coach, mentor and inspiration John Bullet inspired extraordinary loyalty from his young swimmers. Tom and his older sister Anna were part of a close-knit group of young people who spent their holidays being mini-bussed around the country, camping out and listening to Top Twenty mix tapes, all the while training in conditions which would challenge swimmers of any age.
Tom describes the intensity and closeness of these five years of his life with affection and honesty; the account of his gruelling training and his record-breaking Channel swim, all before his twelfth birthday, is both exhilarating, and, to a generation brought up on stricter health and safety regulations, occasionally disquieting.
Tom's world record still stands today and can never be broken; since his swim the qualifying age for an official Channel challenge has been raised to sixteen.
Tom Gregory went on to become an officer in the Royal Anglican Regiment and served in Iraq and Afghanistan. He now lives in Surrey with his wife and daughter.
Reader: Patrick Kennedy
Abridged and produced by Sara Davies.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0bg...
September 29, 2018
What a fabulous little book! I really didn't expect to become so emotional while reading the story of the young boy who achieved his dream of swimming the Channel at the age of 11! You really connect with Tom as he shares his memories of the actual Channel swim, alongside his other childhood memories of how he got into swimming, and how it took over his - and that of his family! - life.
Being set back in the 1980's also means lots of wonderful retro mentions that brought back so many wonderful memories for me, and as I swam a lot too in my younger days it also brought back those memories of early morning training sessions, how big the pool first felt when you first show up and how the bond between a swimmer and their coach becomes so strong and important.
At times you often forget just how young he was to achieve something so spectacular, and it charts his progress in wonderful detail and captures the emotions so well. It's a book that made me laugh and cry in equal measures and the last chapter especially really connected deeply with me and just shows the importance of youngsters finding people who believe in them and giving up their spare time to help others.
A delight to read! Inspiring, uplifting and highly recommended!
Being set back in the 1980's also means lots of wonderful retro mentions that brought back so many wonderful memories for me, and as I swam a lot too in my younger days it also brought back those memories of early morning training sessions, how big the pool first felt when you first show up and how the bond between a swimmer and their coach becomes so strong and important.
At times you often forget just how young he was to achieve something so spectacular, and it charts his progress in wonderful detail and captures the emotions so well. It's a book that made me laugh and cry in equal measures and the last chapter especially really connected deeply with me and just shows the importance of youngsters finding people who believe in them and giving up their spare time to help others.
A delight to read! Inspiring, uplifting and highly recommended!
August 23, 2018
In 1984, Tom aged 7, had gone to the swimming club at Eltham, London for the first time. He was barely able to swim so started a lesson as his Mum and older sister, Anna, were encouraging him to try out new hobbies at the start of the school summer holidays. On the first night he met John Bullet who became his coach, inspirer, friend and second father. Over the next four years John took Tom and lot of other children on numerous training outings to the sea, outdoor lakes and pools and a week in the Lake District each year where they learned to swim long distances in cold water. Finally in 1988, aged 11, Tom was ready to attempt a crossing of the English Channel.
The writing intersperses this swim in the English Channel with the previous four years where Tom trains several days a week and gets to know John and the other members of the Eltham Swimming Club very well. It’s as much a story about the remarkable John Bullet, who inspired all this, as about Tom’s achievements.
Reading about John Bullet and how he inspired those children is a tale in itself and sadly one that would be hard to replicate these days with more rules, regulations and suspicion of allowing your children to spend time with other adults. And yet these were simpler times and this is a wonderful, heartwarming story of the immense difference John Bullet made to so many young lives. There’s lots of great details of life in the 80s, especially the music.
With thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House UK for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The writing intersperses this swim in the English Channel with the previous four years where Tom trains several days a week and gets to know John and the other members of the Eltham Swimming Club very well. It’s as much a story about the remarkable John Bullet, who inspired all this, as about Tom’s achievements.
Reading about John Bullet and how he inspired those children is a tale in itself and sadly one that would be hard to replicate these days with more rules, regulations and suspicion of allowing your children to spend time with other adults. And yet these were simpler times and this is a wonderful, heartwarming story of the immense difference John Bullet made to so many young lives. There’s lots of great details of life in the 80s, especially the music.
With thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House UK for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
May 14, 2023
The style wasn’t to my taste. Fascinating story though.
May 29, 2024
Studied this for leaving cert was honestly such a good book the relationship between Tom and his swim coach almost being like a second father to him was always so interesting to explore
May 11, 2025
Not sure what to make of this one. On one level, it’s a text suitable for the students it’s assigned to - English Leaving Cert Ordinary level. My class of twenty-something almost 17 year olds could easily grasp it, although how much they were willing to actually engage with its broader themes remains murky. It’s also a good book for men to read, in that it deals with the highs and lows of competitive sport, as well as the limitations masculinity places on even very young children.
As a teacher, however, I found it frustrating. Its looping narrative, from Windermere to Eltham to the Channel and back again, felt confusing. The central figure of John Bullet, ever looming over the text, was another hurdle. As a teacher myself, I’m not sure I actually approved of his coaching style, namely his informality with students and his 80s ‘boys will be boys’ macho attitude. I half ended up communicating this to my students. I sensed they cared a lot less.
Finally, it’s a lot less ‘prosey’ in its language. Gregory favours more functional language focused on the mechanics of swimming, that, although relevant, left me feeling a little cold as a non-swimmer.
It did what it set out to do. Don’t think I’d revisit it in my downtime though.
As a teacher, however, I found it frustrating. Its looping narrative, from Windermere to Eltham to the Channel and back again, felt confusing. The central figure of John Bullet, ever looming over the text, was another hurdle. As a teacher myself, I’m not sure I actually approved of his coaching style, namely his informality with students and his 80s ‘boys will be boys’ macho attitude. I half ended up communicating this to my students. I sensed they cared a lot less.
Finally, it’s a lot less ‘prosey’ in its language. Gregory favours more functional language focused on the mechanics of swimming, that, although relevant, left me feeling a little cold as a non-swimmer.
It did what it set out to do. Don’t think I’d revisit it in my downtime though.
February 26, 2023
I actually listened to the audio book version, my first with the Libby app. This was the perfect audio book to listen to whilst driving to visit a friend on a 2 hour drive. I absolutely loved this story about the visionary John Bullet, manager of Eltham Swimming pool and the channel swimming club he created and ran in the 1980’s. The writer held the last ever record for a 11 year old for swimming the channel before a vote was taken to ban youngsters to make such attempts by the channel swimming association in the same year. The story was a poignant and life affirming description of the boy’s (nickname Tefal) relationship with his coach and swimming club community of which he became a significant member. It evoked a lot of memories for me of cold water swimming as a child long before it became a modern ‘trend’ and the joy of doing so in remote and beautiful natural surroundings. In the end his swimming coach left an amazing legacy which clearly impacted a whole generation of kids for the better.
August 4, 2025
Tom recounts his childhood from starting swimming, meeting his coach John, to his successful channel crossing at 11 years old. This incredible feet of endurance marked a world record in a time when children were allowed to attempt this 30 swim.
Tom writes this book 30 years later but it’s told through the lens of a child. The vulnerability, innocence and wonder of being that age, paired with this mammoth adventure create a fascinating book.
The book shows the power of those around you shape who you are today.
Tom writes this book 30 years later but it’s told through the lens of a child. The vulnerability, innocence and wonder of being that age, paired with this mammoth adventure create a fascinating book.
The book shows the power of those around you shape who you are today.
September 1, 2018
A Boy in the Water by Tom Gregory a three-star read that will make you wish in water. I don’t know why I didn’t enjoy this story as much as I did, it reminded me of a great childhood, back when we could stay out for all hours and the health and safety police weren’t there to stop everything. But even though I know this is based on a true story I was surprised by how much they could get away with, reading this made me realise why we now have all the laws, even though he may have wanted it the gruelling tasks that Tom Gregory faces. There are safety precautions in place and people making sure they are safe but still the battle. I don’t want to give anything away as there is more to this story, and some people will no doubt enjoy it much more than I did. I hope if the blurb makes you intrigued and it sounds like something you fancy please give it a go.
September 23, 2023
Gripping, poignant and capturing a time when things were simpler. Amazing telling of determination, focus and effort of someone at a young age and of course the inspirational connection between coach and athlete
February 21, 2021
Beautiful descriptions of being in the water, of love, of childhood memories of the 1980s. Such vivid pictures re-emerged for me and I was gripped by the relationships in the book as much as the channel journey itself. I especially liked the lovely bond the author and his sister had growing up.
May 11, 2021
A Boy in Water about the youngest person to ever swim the channel is an easy and great read, a poignant story of the relationship between a coach and a young boy. Can't say I have ever read a book in which an individual is describing his falling in love with a sport, enduring a grueling training regime to complete an extreme athletic feat and the titular character is a young boy aged 8-11. Great read!
July 3, 2023
Interesting read, fellow channel swimmer 😎
September 7, 2018
This must be one of the most enjoyable memoirs I have ever read.
The writing was great and the structure of the narration, jumping back and forth between the actual swim and the journey up to and shortly after this amazing feat, worked perfectly.
The story was concise whilst still conveying the gravitas of this monumental accomplishment as well the intricacies of relationships and growing up.
I will opt to not discuss the ending, lest to spoil the book, but the emotion that builds up through the journey the book takes you on is felt no more stronger then in those last few pages.
I am left with a feeling that I have been touched by the characters and circumstances of what is now a bygone era. I can only imagine what it must have been like being a part of any one of the amazing journeys that was made real by John Bullet.
Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Books for a review copy.
The writing was great and the structure of the narration, jumping back and forth between the actual swim and the journey up to and shortly after this amazing feat, worked perfectly.
The story was concise whilst still conveying the gravitas of this monumental accomplishment as well the intricacies of relationships and growing up.
I will opt to not discuss the ending, lest to spoil the book, but the emotion that builds up through the journey the book takes you on is felt no more stronger then in those last few pages.
I am left with a feeling that I have been touched by the characters and circumstances of what is now a bygone era. I can only imagine what it must have been like being a part of any one of the amazing journeys that was made real by John Bullet.
Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Books for a review copy.
August 15, 2018
A fantastic memoir of a young swimmer and his world record crossing the English Channel.
I actually remember this being in the news so it was nice to read the background.
I really enjoyed this book, not only was it interesting but educational too. The training for a cross channel swim isn't something people are aware of and it was a real eye opener. I was mentally cheering Tom on as I was reading.
A beautiful story of determination which reduced me to tears in places.
I actually remember this being in the news so it was nice to read the background.
I really enjoyed this book, not only was it interesting but educational too. The training for a cross channel swim isn't something people are aware of and it was a real eye opener. I was mentally cheering Tom on as I was reading.
A beautiful story of determination which reduced me to tears in places.
August 19, 2018
This book had me absorbed from the very first page
Follow the triumphs and lots of a small boy who wants to be the youngest swimmer to swim across the channel.
Tom and his coach John had an inspiring relationship and was touching and motivational throughout the book
I would recommend this book Without It a doubt
Follow the triumphs and lots of a small boy who wants to be the youngest swimmer to swim across the channel.
Tom and his coach John had an inspiring relationship and was touching and motivational throughout the book
I would recommend this book Without It a doubt
October 27, 2018
What an amazing story of 1980s sports coach-athlete relationships. Beautifully written, reflecting on the thoughts of an 8 year old boy. Utterly brilliant read and recommended to anyone for whom sport was a huge part of their childhood. Reminiscent of such a great time as well as a remarkable reflection of human ability.
September 10, 2018
Listen here
Description: In September 1988, eleven-year-old Tom Gregory became the youngest person ever to swim the English Channel, trained by a coach at his local swimming baths in Eltham, South East London.
Tom first went to the swimming baths in Eltham when he was seven. As one of the slowest swimmers in his class at school, he could barely make it across a width without taking a break half way. Despite a reluctant start, his potential was soon spotted by the coach who ran the club. John Bullet was an old-school disciplinarian and a maverick in the Channel Swimming establishment, who had an impressive track record for training distance swimmers. He had established a team of local kids who trained together in open water at Dover, in the cold waters of Windermere, and in London Docks. When John singled Tom out as a Channel contender, Tom's training began in earnest; as his ability and stamina became evident, his (and John's) sights focussed on the world record for the youngest swimmer to make a solo crossing of the Channel.
As coach, mentor and inspiration John Bullet inspired extraordinary loyalty from his young swimmers. Tom and his older sister Anna were part of a close-knit group of young people who spent their holidays being mini-bussed around the country, camping out and listening to Top Twenty mix tapes, all the while training in conditions which would challenge swimmers of any age.
Tom describes the intensity and closeness of these five years of his life with affection and honesty; the account of his gruelling training and his record-breaking Channel swim, all before his twelfth birthday, is both exhilarating, and, to a generation brought up on stricter health and safety regulations, occasionally disquieting.
Tom's world record still stands today and can never be broken; since his swim the qualifying age for an official Channel challenge has been raised to sixteen.
Description: In September 1988, eleven-year-old Tom Gregory became the youngest person ever to swim the English Channel, trained by a coach at his local swimming baths in Eltham, South East London.
Tom first went to the swimming baths in Eltham when he was seven. As one of the slowest swimmers in his class at school, he could barely make it across a width without taking a break half way. Despite a reluctant start, his potential was soon spotted by the coach who ran the club. John Bullet was an old-school disciplinarian and a maverick in the Channel Swimming establishment, who had an impressive track record for training distance swimmers. He had established a team of local kids who trained together in open water at Dover, in the cold waters of Windermere, and in London Docks. When John singled Tom out as a Channel contender, Tom's training began in earnest; as his ability and stamina became evident, his (and John's) sights focussed on the world record for the youngest swimmer to make a solo crossing of the Channel.
As coach, mentor and inspiration John Bullet inspired extraordinary loyalty from his young swimmers. Tom and his older sister Anna were part of a close-knit group of young people who spent their holidays being mini-bussed around the country, camping out and listening to Top Twenty mix tapes, all the while training in conditions which would challenge swimmers of any age.
Tom describes the intensity and closeness of these five years of his life with affection and honesty; the account of his gruelling training and his record-breaking Channel swim, all before his twelfth birthday, is both exhilarating, and, to a generation brought up on stricter health and safety regulations, occasionally disquieting.
Tom's world record still stands today and can never be broken; since his swim the qualifying age for an official Channel challenge has been raised to sixteen.
January 25, 2021
I went straight from the tale of the first woman to swim the Channel to the story of the youngest person to swim the Channel - this autobiography by Tom Gregory, who swam the Channel in 1988 at the age of 11 (which, coincidentally, was my age in 1988). He will likely hold that title in perpetuity, as the two regulating bodies have since instituted age limits.
Some books are so good that they make me think that I could never write a book. Some books have the opposite effect. This was one of the latter, but I do not mean that as an insult. It smacked of a first-time author, but in a way that was simplistic instead of impenetrable. The style almost worked for me because it seemed like that of an 11-year-old boy… but one who writes exceptionally well. I don’t know how many notes Tom Gregory took at the time, but his memories seem remarkably clear. I’m sure that, as for all of us, time has colored some of them, but it almost seems irrelevant when someone is giving you such a good feel for what it was like to be there, doing this impossible thing.
The book is set up flashing back and forth between the swim in 1988 and the training Tom did in the 4 years leading up to it. Both are very interesting, and he does a really good job bringing his supporters to life on the page. It is probably helped by the ease with which those of us who were at swim camps and on swim busses in the 80s and 90s can image his parallel experiences.
The only real complaint I have is that Gregory never follows up on what happened with his friend Roger. I’m joking here but, authors, come on, don’t leave us hanging on important plot points!
All in all, a good read (with a very heavy British vernacular, BTW) and just an unbelievable accomplishment.
Some books are so good that they make me think that I could never write a book. Some books have the opposite effect. This was one of the latter, but I do not mean that as an insult. It smacked of a first-time author, but in a way that was simplistic instead of impenetrable. The style almost worked for me because it seemed like that of an 11-year-old boy… but one who writes exceptionally well. I don’t know how many notes Tom Gregory took at the time, but his memories seem remarkably clear. I’m sure that, as for all of us, time has colored some of them, but it almost seems irrelevant when someone is giving you such a good feel for what it was like to be there, doing this impossible thing.
The book is set up flashing back and forth between the swim in 1988 and the training Tom did in the 4 years leading up to it. Both are very interesting, and he does a really good job bringing his supporters to life on the page. It is probably helped by the ease with which those of us who were at swim camps and on swim busses in the 80s and 90s can image his parallel experiences.
The only real complaint I have is that Gregory never follows up on what happened with his friend Roger. I’m joking here but, authors, come on, don’t leave us hanging on important plot points!
All in all, a good read (with a very heavy British vernacular, BTW) and just an unbelievable accomplishment.
September 20, 2018
I got this book after recently enjoying the movie “Eddie the Eagle”, a film of British sporting achievement set in the 80s, so was looking for something similar.
This book is a memoir by Tom Gregory, world-record holder for youngest person to ever swim the English Channel – “If I could do that, and it was a mighty ‘if’, I would hold a world record, because at that moment, I was eleven years and 333 days old.”
The memoir concentrates on that record-breaking swim, done on 6 September 1988, with the author’s swimming journey up to that point interspersed as flashbacks, going back to 1984 when he first joined Eltham Swimming Club as a seven-year-old through club trips in the subsequent years (soundtrack of 80s music along the way) to Dover and Windermere.
Also running through the book is the author’s relationship with his “eccentric” coach John Bullet, “founder [of the swimming club], coach, controller of all things.” Without the coach’s vision for the club and his passion for the outdoor swimming accomplishments – he coached “fourteen successful Channel relay swims and four successful solos, including three world records – all with kids from the local area” – then an 11-year-old wouldn’t have been able to swim the Channel at all. This book is as much a memorial for the coach and his work as much as it is a memoir of the swimmer.
The book is a great read that takes you along for the ride with the young swimmer, from the start of the swim, through hitting the barrier, then pushing through that pain to the emotional moment when he makes the shore, through yet another emotional moment as shortly after completing his world record he loses his coach.
This book is a memoir by Tom Gregory, world-record holder for youngest person to ever swim the English Channel – “If I could do that, and it was a mighty ‘if’, I would hold a world record, because at that moment, I was eleven years and 333 days old.”
The memoir concentrates on that record-breaking swim, done on 6 September 1988, with the author’s swimming journey up to that point interspersed as flashbacks, going back to 1984 when he first joined Eltham Swimming Club as a seven-year-old through club trips in the subsequent years (soundtrack of 80s music along the way) to Dover and Windermere.
Also running through the book is the author’s relationship with his “eccentric” coach John Bullet, “founder [of the swimming club], coach, controller of all things.” Without the coach’s vision for the club and his passion for the outdoor swimming accomplishments – he coached “fourteen successful Channel relay swims and four successful solos, including three world records – all with kids from the local area” – then an 11-year-old wouldn’t have been able to swim the Channel at all. This book is as much a memorial for the coach and his work as much as it is a memoir of the swimmer.
The book is a great read that takes you along for the ride with the young swimmer, from the start of the swim, through hitting the barrier, then pushing through that pain to the emotional moment when he makes the shore, through yet another emotional moment as shortly after completing his world record he loses his coach.
August 12, 2019
Set in the Australian outback in a region populate by cattle ranches, this story focuses on the Bright family. Two brothers own adjoining pieces of land yet, despite the fact that they are closer to each other than to any of their neighbours, it takes hours to drive from one property to the other across swathes of inhospitable desert. When one of them is found dead in unusual circumstances, nobody knows whether there are grounds for suspicion. As information about their upbringings, their previous relationships and their family circumstances emerge, it begins to look as though there may be something sinister afoot.
This is a great story which is well told and it encapsulates everything that a good thriller should aspire to – tension, suspense and so much more. I couldn’t put it down and didn’t want it to finish. Despite the fact that very little actually happens, it is utterly compelling. We are drip fed information about the past which changes the present perspective. This adds an extra layer of complexity as we are forced to re-evaluate the known facts in the light of the new material. In addition, the author sets the scene very vividly, capturing the remoteness of the region as well as the hostile terrain in wonderfully descriptive prose.
I cannot think of a single thing that I would change about this book, and that is unusual!!
Jane Harper had been recommended to me by friends who had read her previous books but I had never got around to reading any of them. Believe me, that situation will be remedied very soon. Thoroughly recommended for anyone who enjoys a really good thriller.
This is a great story which is well told and it encapsulates everything that a good thriller should aspire to – tension, suspense and so much more. I couldn’t put it down and didn’t want it to finish. Despite the fact that very little actually happens, it is utterly compelling. We are drip fed information about the past which changes the present perspective. This adds an extra layer of complexity as we are forced to re-evaluate the known facts in the light of the new material. In addition, the author sets the scene very vividly, capturing the remoteness of the region as well as the hostile terrain in wonderfully descriptive prose.
I cannot think of a single thing that I would change about this book, and that is unusual!!
Jane Harper had been recommended to me by friends who had read her previous books but I had never got around to reading any of them. Believe me, that situation will be remedied very soon. Thoroughly recommended for anyone who enjoys a really good thriller.
October 6, 2019
I loved this book, everything about it, Tom's narrative voice as the child he was when he swam the Channel, the writing style, all the stuff about swimming and training, its evocation of an 80s childhood complete with soundtrack (mix tapes recorded off the radio, remember those?!), an ordinary east London upbringing made extraordinary by achievement, the portrayal of John his trainer and inspirer of dreams. Above all I cherish what this remarkable book shows has been lost to changing times and parenting styles.
As someone who does this thing we now call 'wild swimming' I have even more appreciation of Tom's record-breaking Channel crossing, how challenging it is to be in cold water even for one hour never mind almost 12, to keep on going despite tiredness, pain, disorientation. And he was under twelve years old at the time! Of course he does it for John, the teacher and coach who could be 'difficult' but made it possible for young people to have something special outside school, family, to be part of a team, given opportunities to push boundaries and achieve potential, with life-changing, life-enhancing experiences.
There are things modern parents will be horrified by. Our risk averse culture that puts 'health & safety' above all has put an end to the kind of rough & ready swim club run by John, a maverick figure who wouldn't pass muster today with his sometimes dubious methods and dictatorial control. Tom is in no doubt what he did was a positive experience. Readers can make up their own minds whether John was a good role model or a dangerous man who took risks with children's wellbeing to achieve record breaking results for his own glory. I think, having read the book, John was a fine teacher worthy of parents' trust. Though I'm not sure I'd have been happy for my own children to have undertaken something so extreme at Tom's age. A story that raises interesting issues for sure.
As someone who does this thing we now call 'wild swimming' I have even more appreciation of Tom's record-breaking Channel crossing, how challenging it is to be in cold water even for one hour never mind almost 12, to keep on going despite tiredness, pain, disorientation. And he was under twelve years old at the time! Of course he does it for John, the teacher and coach who could be 'difficult' but made it possible for young people to have something special outside school, family, to be part of a team, given opportunities to push boundaries and achieve potential, with life-changing, life-enhancing experiences.
There are things modern parents will be horrified by. Our risk averse culture that puts 'health & safety' above all has put an end to the kind of rough & ready swim club run by John, a maverick figure who wouldn't pass muster today with his sometimes dubious methods and dictatorial control. Tom is in no doubt what he did was a positive experience. Readers can make up their own minds whether John was a good role model or a dangerous man who took risks with children's wellbeing to achieve record breaking results for his own glory. I think, having read the book, John was a fine teacher worthy of parents' trust. Though I'm not sure I'd have been happy for my own children to have undertaken something so extreme at Tom's age. A story that raises interesting issues for sure.
February 19, 2021
This is a fantastic memoir, telling a great story, and telling it well. In 1988 Tom Gregory, decked out in an orange swim cap, goggles, trunks, and slathered in grease, swam the English Channel, shivering with the cold, trying to cope with the mental exhaustion, and being supported and driven on relentlessly by his loyal and irascible coach. It was a remarkable feat - but his effort is even more incredible, because he was just 11 years old at the time. It's a love story, in the purest and most innocent sense of the phrase, between the youngster and the odd, but inspirational swimming teacher. Thankfully, this is no self-help, inspirational, sports psychology lecture yawnfest. Instead, you learn about the human character from Tom's funny and surprising human interactions. His tales of making friends, tackling his fears, and earning his nickname of 'Tefal' on his swimming club training camps are both joyful and poignant. With its descriptions of a bunch of kids heading to some of Britain's most freezing lakes for training in their ancient minibus, singing along to pop hits taped from the previous Sunday's Radio One Chart Show, it reminded me of Pete Paphides' glorious memoir Broken Greek, which is pretty full-on praise from me.
May 17, 2023
This book was sent me by my talented UK editor, Chloe Currens. It's a compelling tale by a man who, when he was a boy of just 11, swam the English Channel. Shortly after, the organizers of the sport (and, yeah, it's a sport) banned swimmers under age 16 from making the attempt.
Gregory's is a platonic love story between a boy and his irascible coach. Young Gregory himself comes across as sweetly vulnerable, and of course indomitable. (He swam 32 miles across that Channel, for crying out loud. While he was crying out loud.) Thanks, I'm guessing to Chloe, the plot weaves deftly between the Channel swim and flashbacks, and the story runs smoothly.
Any objective reader will raise the obvious ethical question: was this boy really old enough to decide on his own to try such a dangerous crossing? Gregory notes that, not long before his swim, a girl had died making the attempt. The adult Gregory seems to believe that the youth ban was a mistake.
Ethics aside, I was fascinated by the logistics of swimming the Channel—the boat piloting, the calculations of temperature and tide; and, most of all, the agonizing preparation. One of the better sports books.
Gregory's is a platonic love story between a boy and his irascible coach. Young Gregory himself comes across as sweetly vulnerable, and of course indomitable. (He swam 32 miles across that Channel, for crying out loud. While he was crying out loud.) Thanks, I'm guessing to Chloe, the plot weaves deftly between the Channel swim and flashbacks, and the story runs smoothly.
Any objective reader will raise the obvious ethical question: was this boy really old enough to decide on his own to try such a dangerous crossing? Gregory notes that, not long before his swim, a girl had died making the attempt. The adult Gregory seems to believe that the youth ban was a mistake.
Ethics aside, I was fascinated by the logistics of swimming the Channel—the boat piloting, the calculations of temperature and tide; and, most of all, the agonizing preparation. One of the better sports books.
November 17, 2019
This is lovely book, a testament to a sport, a community and a coach that is a heartfelt love story and memoir of a time and place that I think will stay with me for a long time. It reminded me of another favourite book, "Propellerhead", in its style and gentle recollection of times gone by, of characters and pastimes that see ordinary people achieve quite extraordinary things. Although this book is written by, and is generally about, the youngest ever swimmer of the English Channel, it is something else completely. The author isn't primarily concerned with writing about himself and what he achieved, although that is a large part of the book. He's more concerned with relating how he was supported and encouraged to do what he did and, by the end of the book, you're convinced that other people, and one person in particular, realised this dream for him. It's touching, moving and written with a lightness of touch that seems to flow naturally in carrying the story. All in all, an excellent book - but William Hill awarded books are generally of a very high standard - and I'd recommend it.
January 13, 2020
Poignant, inspiring and, at the end, sad. This is a great true story about the relationship that can form between a young athlete and a coach that has vision and belief. I was also drawn to the book as Tom is a similar age to me and I made my first county event at Crystal Palace in 1988; the year that he swam the channel. I recognised the sense of community and camaraderie that a swimming club generates and the characters that can inspire not only your swimming but also many aspects of your life. I am still swimming and now doing 10k open water events and I can see how valuable swimming has been to lots of areas in my life. The channel remains a pipe dream so the thought of having done it aged 11 is mind blowing. This deserves to be made in to a film with a lesson that we should believe more in what kids can achieve and that with less focus on health and safety and risk, we may actually bring back adventure, fearlessness and a sense of endeavour.
December 19, 2019
The poignant memoir of Tom Gregory, the world's youngest cross Channel swimmer. Under the tutelage of eccentric (and sometimes demanding) swimming teacher John Bullet, Gregory's feat occurred when he was just 11, only four years after taking up swimming.
Set in the 1980s the book recalls a time that was free from many of the health and safety legislation around adults' dealings with children today. By the end of the book, I felt quite bittersweet about the shift that has occurred. No doubt these rules safeguard children in a way that reflects their vulnerability. But they also hinder unlikely (and healthy) friendships from flourishing between children and adults - or cause us to suspect that they must be sexualised.
Those who grew up in the 80s will especially enjoy a glimpse back into their own childhoods.
Set in the 1980s the book recalls a time that was free from many of the health and safety legislation around adults' dealings with children today. By the end of the book, I felt quite bittersweet about the shift that has occurred. No doubt these rules safeguard children in a way that reflects their vulnerability. But they also hinder unlikely (and healthy) friendships from flourishing between children and adults - or cause us to suspect that they must be sexualised.
Those who grew up in the 80s will especially enjoy a glimpse back into their own childhoods.
July 3, 2018
This book is not overly long and makes for a fairly quick read, I got through it in a day but what a journey! The author takes us through a fairly remarkable childhood where, at the age if eight he can barely swim to, at the age of eleven, attempting to become the youngest ever person to swim the English Channel.
As well as being a very interesting read into Gegory's forays into open water swimming, there are some great atmospheric sections about the 80's, these are really evocative and place the tale in context.
As the adventure unfolds the yearning for simpler times shines through, the lack of health and safety buzzkill, the trust that people used to extend (how many people nowadays would allow their young child so much alone time with an older, single man?).
I really enjoyed this book and loved reading about the eccentricities of the open water swimmers and the sheer sense of adventure. A cracking little read.
As well as being a very interesting read into Gegory's forays into open water swimming, there are some great atmospheric sections about the 80's, these are really evocative and place the tale in context.
As the adventure unfolds the yearning for simpler times shines through, the lack of health and safety buzzkill, the trust that people used to extend (how many people nowadays would allow their young child so much alone time with an older, single man?).
I really enjoyed this book and loved reading about the eccentricities of the open water swimmers and the sheer sense of adventure. A cracking little read.
October 13, 2019
A thoroughly enjoyable read, on the journey of a young boy, Tom, from learning to swim to becoming the youngest person ever to swim the English Channel. This is a reflective memoir of a period in the author's life that very much shaped the man he was to become. He relates the tale as his younger self and in doing so, manages to capture the innocence and naivety of his childhood. It will make you gasp, laugh and be amazed as you follow him to the greatest challenge in his young life. Inspired by the Svengali like, sometimes cruel, coach of the local swim club, who installs in his young charges great self belief and the confidence to take on and conquer life's challenges.
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