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Hell and High Water
Hell and High Water
Nov 7, 2024 7:57 PM

Author:Sean Conway

Hell and High Water

'Rain pelted down on the back of my neck and saltwater rushed down my throat as I tried to breathe into a wave. A foghorn started booming from a lighthouse in the distance. For a moment I thought it was a rescue siren for me. Imagine if I got rescued on day two. That would be embarrassing.'

In June 2013 Sean Conway set out from Land’s End in his bid to be the first person to swim the length of Britain. It was a challenge so extreme that not only had it never been attempted before, but most of the sponsors Sean approached turned him down as they were worried that he would die trying.

Landlocked Cheltenham – Sean’s hometown – isn’t really the ideal place to train for a long sea swim, and he only managed three miles in a local pool before setting off from Land's End. Once in the water Sean had to develop incredible mental strength to deal with the extreme cold and hours alone. He also needed to devise ways to take on the huge number of calories he needed to sustain him. On the support boat he and his three-man crew had to cope with storms, seasickness and living in close proximity for months. After taking a few jellyfish stings to the face, Sean decided to grow a huge beard to protect himself.

The physical challenge was gruelling, but came with unexpected rewards. Sean swam with dolphins and seals and among stunning night-time phosphorescence. He had a unique view of the British coast, discovering tiny hidden coves and exploring shipwrecks. When there were problems with the support boat, Sean and his crew met many kindly people who were willing to come to their aid.

From the first person to complete a British 'triathlon' - running, swimming and biking the length of Britain - this is Sean's remarkable and funny story about how anything is possible if you truly put your mind to it.

Reviews

Hellish ... Conway is hardcore

—— Evening Standard

Britain's most inspiring maniac

—— Shortlist

Understated, comic and melancholic... It’ll inspire you to get back on your bike.

—— Martin Love , Guardian

Not only is this compulsory reading for the cognoscenti, it ought to accompany every new road bike and sportwool jersey sold in the next decade

—— The Washing Machine Post

There’s no one who can capture the beauty of cycling like Wilfried

—— Het Parool

Sit down and let Wilfried guide you through the wondrous world of cycling

—— Tim Krabbé

A master of the short story

—— Die Zeit

A goldmine of historical nuggets and walking inspiration

—— Wunderlust

This inspiring book tells the story of a year of walking across the British Isles...Evocatively written, with charming snippets of childhood memories... Somerville explains how walking the countryside shaped him as an adult... Touching on his father's Second World War experiences and stoic nature, Somerville seeks to discover the man inside the man. Poignantly highlights the power walking has in forging close relationships and enabling communication, this heart-warming walker's diary proves real inspiration to exploring Britain on foot.

—— Carys Matthews , Countryfile

Christopher Somerville’s moving, measured and immaculate The January Man is part walker’s diary, part celebration of his reticent yet loving father, and part... well, anything that takes his fancy and ours. But most of all it is a tender rumination on the One Big Thing that troubles all of us when we put on our hiking boots – and that’s mortality.

—— Jim Crace, author of Harvest

A rich and wonderful book which draws on Christopher Somerville’s unusually deep knowledge of Britain’s hidden pathways.

—— Hugh Thomson, author of 'The Green Road into the Trees'

Editor's Choice: a beguiling blend of memoir, travel and nature writing.

—— Caroline Sanderson , Bookseller

A terrific and touching read. The January Man is a combination of natural and human history and somehow manages to be both light- and slightly heavy-hearted... amusing but almost mystical in places too, which is a pretty incredible feat to pull off.

—— Tobias Jones

Brilliantly descriptive of the British landscape and wildlife across the seasons, from fields to coasts, along lanes and byways, it is interwoven with stories of local people, traditions, customs and thoughts on history, culture and geography. Walker or armchair traveller, it’s a pleasure to read.
.

—— Choice magazine

Exquisitely written.

—— Publisher's Association REview

A thrilling read ... exquisitely poignant

—— Saga

The author's gaze is on the world around him, especially its natural history ... his skill at describing just what he sees is remarkable ... a very British account of a father-son relationship and more moving for its restraint and light touch.

—— Susan Griffith , Perceptive Travel

This finely observed and evocative book is a celebration of the power of walking to discover emotional, as well as physical, landscapes.

—— Jane Shilling , Daily Mail

A delightful, poetical hotchpotch of a book. It's part nature notes, part history lesson, as well as memoir and loving salute to his late father. . . Somerville is a great wordsmith.

—— Patrick Hosking , The Times

Charming, evocative

—— CHOICE magazine

Top 10 Books About Walking in Britain - The book tenderly blends memoir with descriptions of nature and the passing of the seasons.

—— Guardian

Calvin is a natural storyteller who is unflinching as he goes behind the scenes and meets the people at the heart of the youth development network.

—— Irish Independent

The book is an eye-opener into the pressures put on young players by clubs, coaches and parents; the corruption and conceit, bullying and harassment. Plus the lengths those clubs and their scouts go to, to recruit kids who have yet to reach secondary school.

—— Independent, 10 Best Football Books of the Year 2017

Completes his formidable trilogy on the game with a blistering indictment of how it treats its youngest players

—— Guardian’s sport books of the year

Outstanding

—— Times

As the book unfurls, the march along the marches turns into a eulogy to his father, part memoir, part biography, always a love story. It also contains one of the most unflinching, moving descriptions of death I have read.

—— Melanie Reid , The Times

This beautifully written book is a haunting reflection of identity and our relationships with the people and places we love.

—— Jane Shilling , Daily Mail

Stewart provides much food for thought about how we value our past history

—— Susannah Law , Scottish Field
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