
In 1996 Roger Deakin the late great nature writer set out to swim through the British Isles From the sea from rock pools from rivers & streams tarns lakes lochs ponds lidos swimming pools & spas from fens dykes moats aqueducts waterfalls flooded quarries even canals Deakin gains a fascinating perspective on modern Britain Detained by water bailiffs in Winchester intercepted in the Fowey estuary by coastguards mistaken for a suicide on Camber sands confronting the Corryvreckan whirlpool in the Hebrides he discovers just how much of an outsider the native swimmer is to his landlocked fully-dressed fellow citizens This is a personal journey a bold assertion of the native swimmer's right to roam & an unforgettable celebration of the magic of water