Written beautifully through the eyes of a child yet to enter his teens, 'A Boy in the Water' resonated strongly taking me back to my own childhood. A fascinating story full of innocence, achievement, ambition and trust.

His immersive, colourful writing takes the reader through a challenge that even the most experienced adult long-distance swimmers would balk at. The story keeps you gripped from the start, all the way to an unexpected and heart breaking twist towards the end.

Beautifully written . . . often heart-wrenching.

I am absolutely in awe; a mind-blowing and phenomenal feat. A Boy in the Water will change ideas of what is possible

A compelling story of dedication and commitment. It'll make a great movie, but you should read the book first.

A Boy in the Water is a truly wonderful read of resilience, determination and courage. Whether you are interested in what it takes to be a Channel swimmer, or love a sport memoir, or simply like stories of our different experiences in the water, this book will win your heart.

A compelling account that serves above all as tribute to John Bullet, [Tom Gregory's] charismatic coach.

This evocative memoir recounts an agonising, hallucination-filled swim across the English Channel in 1988, when Gregory was just 11 years old.

The gruelling, awe-inspiring feat is recounted with poignancy and affection here, and this becomes a thrilling and moving tribute to the joys and perils of open-water swimming, too. Gregory's devotion to his incredibly tough challenge is remarkable

Charming and different; a lovely, brilliant memoir. What a boy! What a feat!

Gregory convinces us that for all his flaws, Bullett (who died of a stroke not long after the swim) was an extraordinary, inspirational man. He seems less willing to acknowledge that there is something even more remarkable about a chubby eleven-year-old fuelled by chocolate Digestives and Heinz tomato soup, with the sound of "Together in Electric Dreams" in his head, swimming in temperatures of around 16 degrees for 11 hours and fifty-four minutes. But A Boy in the Water allows the reader his own private amazement.

'Reading this and it's extraordinary. The challenge and the exhilaration of open water swimming brilliantly evoked. A really different and interesting read.' Clare Balding

An extraordinary story ... his account of his swim is certainly a tough read ... A Boy in the Water is a fascinating study, at its core there remains an extraordinary achievement by a dogged, huge-hearted kid. Reading this, you have to remind yourself that this was just a little boy, smothered in grease, who was bobbing about in one of the world's busiest maritime routes, battling the tide, waves and wind.

A lifelong journey begins with an incredible swim

Just part of a story that began at a swimming pool in south London, where one man changed countless young lives

An 11-year-old boy slaps on the grease, adjusts his goggles and plunges into a grey, cold sea in an attempt to become the youngest person to swim the Channel. This is Tom Gregory's true story about the events that led him to this chilly endeavour.

A memoir about the power of a good teacher, about family, about loss, about growing into the man you are meant to be

A Boy in the Water is an uplifting and truly remarkable story of innocence, dedication, and commitment

This book really struck a chord with me and I couldn't put it down until I read it all . . . amazing, a must read

Mesmerising. It is one of the most uplifting, inspiring books that I've ever read

Filled with wry humour, this is a wonderfully uplifting and touching book

This is a wonderful, heart-gladdening, life-affirming read. It will make you want to walk. What a gem.

Luminescent. A literary phenomenon

Utterly inspirational

The Salt Path broke my heart and put it back together again over and over. Beautiful writing, and such a sharp eye - both for nature and for people. It's hopeful and sad and honest and I LOVED it.

Harnesses the wildness of rock, sky and coastal walking in life-affirming prose

Radiant, soaring, heartstring-tugging

A remarkable account of the healing power of landscape and the resilience of the human spirit. I felt the rain on my face and heard the waves pounding on the sand.

Inspirational

The Salt Path pummelled me like Atlantic winds. It carried me along on a rain-soaked, sun-burnt, despair-infused, hope-driven walk. The writing is at times raw, poetic, funny, shocking. It is consistently honest, vulnerable, clear. I finished the book reminded of the importance of really hearing people's stories, of the healing power of the natural world, and of our individual and collective now.

A thoughtful, lyrical story of homelessness, strength and endurance

A moving true story

By turns inspirational and horrifying . . . [Winn] writes with a detail and a joy that tugs at the reader, lifting this beyond a mere travel memoir and all the privations and hardship to be something truly meaningful

Beautiful, sad, erudite and uplifting

An uplifting tale

Vivid . . .This is a book essentially about hope, but also about sheer gritty determination not to give in, to survive extreme discomfort, danger and sometimes disillusionment

An inspirational true story

It's a heart-warming, heart-wrenching story, told by Raynor in vivid yet plain prose. There are so many wonderful passages

Raynor's writing is beautiful. It's a heart-wrenching read at times, but you won't be able to put it down

We walk with Ray and Moth every step of the way, sharing the hunger, exhaustion, blazing heat and freezing rain in an account that is both lyrical and inspirational

An extraordinary memoir - moving, funny and uplifting

An inspirational and lyrically observed memoir on the regenerative power of walking in nature, as well as a reminder that material things are much less important than we sometimes think. If you love the landscape of the British coastline and are drawn to the philosophies of mindfulness and minimalism, this is a moving and reflective book to read during a break from your everyday life

Raynor Winn's glorious memoir tells the real-life story of her hike along the South West Coast Path, which she embarked upon with her husband after they lost their home. It's raw yet uplifting - and guaranteed to inspire your next adventure

A thoughtful reflection on ageing and infirmity, home and homelessness, hope and survival

A life-affirming story that examines grief and the power of nature

Poignant . . . It's far from a book without hope, and you'll be with Raynor and Moth every step of their walk along the South West Coast Path

A heart-wrenching, inspiring tale of one couple's enduring love for each other in the face of calamity and of their accidental odyssey along England's South West Coast Path

A love story of resilience and optimism, brimming with heart and humanity

A gripping domestic disaster story turned celebration of survival

A true story of hope in a dire situation