A review by anneofgreenplaces
Waterlog by Roger Deakin

4.0

I am by no means a swimmer, but this made me want to get in the water. It read like a marginally less sardonic and more nature-minded and often more lyrical version of Bill Bryson. Fun dives into the aquatic environs of Britain padded with lots of relatively interesting local history and perhaps a bit more travelog chatter than necessary about how he decided where to go next. Strong opinions about wild swimming and access, passion for the physical experience and landscape and the communal closness to it that wild swimming nurtures. I was charmed by the chapters on Cambridge (repeated references to his very useful stop in the University Library map room--this was 1999) and Cambridgeshire and the watery fens.