In 1857 Everard Digby published the first scientific treatise on swimming - and one of the first on any modern sport. Nicholas Orme rehabilitates Digby as a pioneer of the history of sport. The book opens with a history of swimming in Britain from the Romans to the sixteenth century, which is followed by an account of Digby's life and work.

Nicholas Orme is Professor of History at the University of Exeter. His previous works included English Schools in the Middle ages (Methuen, 1973) and Education in the West of England (University of Exeter, 1976), and other books and articles on religion and education during the Middle Ages and Renaissance.