Marcia Cleveland's Dover Solo

     A woman's portrait of courage and tenacity.  More people have been in outer space than have swum the English Channel. Find out how (better yet why) she did it.  Since 1875, when Captain Matthew Webb became the first person successfully to swim the English Channel, more people have been in outer space than have duplicated his feat.

    On July 29, 1994, Marcia Cleveland became the 445th person to swim the English Channel. This is the story behind the swim: the process, the preparation, and the training. Discover what motivated Marcia to swim the 23-mile Strait of Dover where the summer water temperature averages only 60 degrees Fahrenheit.

Available at www.doversolo.com

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Open Water Swimming

By Penny Lee Dean

This book serves as a complete manual for this demanding form of swimming. It covers training programs (both mental and physical), navigation, safety, and communicating with coaches.

It contains information for all levels of open water swimmers, from the novice triathlete to seasoned swimmers training for races 10 miles and up.

Available at amazon.com

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Wind, Waves, and Sunburn: A Brief History of Marathon Swimming

By Conrad Wennerberg 

This book chronicles marathon swimming, from Matthew Webb’s first successful swim across the Channel in 1875 through the mid 1970’s.  Conrad Wennerberg introduces the fascinating, obsessed characters who pit themselves against the elements and against the limits of human endurance. 

Marathon swimming – from the famous crossings of the English Channel to obscure but harrowing races such as crossing Lake Michigan and swimming the Straits of Juan de Fuca-is a fascinating subculture of the sport of swimming. 

Available at amazon.com

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Swimming to Antarctica

 by Lynne Cox

Lynne Cox started swimming almost as soon as she could walk. By age sixteen, she had broken all records for swimming the English Channel. Her daring eventually led her to the Bering Strait, where she swam five miles in thirty-eight-degree water in just a swimsuit, cap, and goggles. In between those accomplishments, she became the first to swim the Strait of Magellan, narrowly escaped a shark attack off the Cape of Good Hope, and was cheered across the twenty-mile Cook Strait of New Zealand by dolphins. She even swam a mile in the Antarctic.
       
Lynne writes the same way she swims, with indefatigable spirit and joy, and shares the beauty of her time in the water with a poet's eye for detail. She has accomplished yet another feat--writing a new classic of sports memoir.

       Available at: www.HarcourtBooks.com

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History of Open-Water Marathon Swimming

By Capt Tim Johnson, P.E.

"This book is devoted to the history of past swims and swimmers.  What has gone before is ours to discover an learn from.  With this knowledge will come better swims and swimmers."   

I have not read a more complete record of open water swims.  It also discusses and explains current and tidal influences and how to properly use the information.  

There is also a chapter on bogus swims including detailed information on Suzy Maroney's Cuba swim and reasons it cannot be accepted as legitimate.  Proper cage construction and usage to eliminate draft is also discussed.  

Available at amazon.com