Author Michael Loynd has found narrative gold in his book, The Watermen: The Birth of American Swimming and One Young Man's Fight to Capture Olympic Gold.
The narrative centers around Charles Daniels, USA Swimming’s first gold medal winner at the Olympic Games. Charlies is a complicated athlete with a dysfunction upbringing. Once you dive into his journey you won’t be able to put the book down. The historical context of the 1904 and 1908 Olympics and what swimming did for our nation will surprise you.