1.34Kg of CO2
168 litre(s) of Water
0.0101 Tree(s)
1 book donated to global literacy projects
Haunts of the Black Masseur :The Swimmer as Hero
Haunts of the Black Masseur :The Swimmer as Hero
paperback
Published:
7 February, 2013
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Description
A new re-issue of the cult swimming classic, a beautiful read filled with detailed description and powerful prose.
WITH A NEW INTRODUCTION BY AMY LIPTROT
‘A luminously romantic history of swimming’ Guardian
Haunts of the Black Masseur is a dazzling introduction to the great swimming heroes, from Byron leaping into the surf at Shelley's funeral to Hart Crane diving to his death in the Bay of Mexico. Bursting with anecdotes, Charles Sprawson leads us into a watery world populated by lithe demi-gods – a world that has obsessed humans from the ancient Greeks and Romans, to Yeats, Woolf, Fitzgerald and Hockney.
Original, enticing and dripping with references to literature, film, art and Olympic history, this cult swimming classic pays sparkling tribute to water and the cultural meanings we attach to it.
‘This splendid and wholly original book is as zestful as a plunge in champagne’ Iris Murdoch
More Details
| Type | Book |
|---|---|
| ISBN13 | 9780099577249 |
| ISBN10 | 0099577240 |
| Number Of Pages | 336 |
| Item Weight | 239 g |
| Product Dimensions | 130 x 197 x 20 mm |
| Publisher / Reseller | Vintage Publishing |
| Format | paperback |
Media Reviews
[Sprawson] has an ornate style of prose, apparently smooth, but rippling with wit and candour… Haunts of the Black Masseur was a delight when I read it first time round and 25 years on, it strikes me as even better -- Craig Brown * Mail on Sunday *
Original and sparkling… A haunting, sensual, slippery read that will make you long for seaweed on your skin and sand between your toes. A must for swimmers -- Rebecca Wallersteiner * The Lady *
A wholly original idea...a brilliant translation of a singular passion -- Alan Ross * Times Literary Supplement *
A devoted and luminously romantic history of swimming * Guardian *
An exhilarating plunge into some of the deepest pools inside our heads... Magnificently obsessive, this social and cultural history of swimming is the best book I read this year -- J G Ballard
An extraordinary book: I thought I wouldn't care a fig for it but was suddenly and immediately enthralled. Exceptionally entertaining and compelling -- Joanna Lumley
One wants to put it down - and jump straight into the pool * Independent *
Inspired by his own obsession with immersion, Charles Sprawson has written a mesmeric account, both sensual and erudite, of individual and cultural preoccupations with water. * London Evening Standard *
Magnificent * Observer *
Fascinating * Sunday Times *
GoodReads Reviews
Author's Bio
Charles Sprawson was an obsessional swimmer and diver who swam the Hellespont. He died in January 2020.