Waterlog by Roger Deakin (1999)
Inspired by John Cheever's most famous short story The Swimmer, nature writer Roger Deakin set himself a challenge: to breaststroke his way around the whole of Britain, from its seas to its spas, its lakes to its lidos, and more.
A blend of history, autobiography and nature writing, Waterlog also captures a unique perspective of the UK on the cusp of a new millenium, before the internet took over our lives completely and summers were still unpredictable affairs. Aside from that, there's the always-timely reminder to try and live in the moment: even if that moment is 39 degrees celsius, and you want to cry.