Haunts of the Black Masseur
Book description
In a masterful work of cultural history, Charles Sprawson, himself an obsessional swimmer and fluent diver, explores the meaning that different cultures have attached to water, and the search for the springs of classical antiquity.
In nineteenth-century England bathing was thought to be an instrument of social and moral reform,…
Why read it?
1 author picked Haunts of the Black Masseur as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?
This book is packed with fascinating, dramatic, and sometimes bizarre tales of swimming lore from history and literature. Sprawson is also fascinated with the swimming world’s legacy to Hollywood in the thirties and forties, exploring the careers of “aquamusical” star Esther Williams and Olympic swimmer Johnny Weissmuller, who starred in a dozen Tarzan movies. Sprawson’s reputation as a literary writer about swimming is second only to that of Roger Deakins. What gives the book a strange fascination for many people is the fact that after the publication of Haunts of the Black Masseur, Sprawson never wrote another one.
From Kathleen's list on swimming for people who aren’t competitive swimmers.
Want books like Haunts of the Black Masseur?
Our community of 12,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like Haunts of the Black Masseur.
Share your top 3 reads of 2024!
And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.
1,592
readers submitted
so far, will you?
