Underwater is a well-researched, matter-of-fact detailing of abuse in the competitive swimming community. What is best explained is the deeply woven network of coaches and administrators protecting each other and giving each other too many chances. Muchnick's writing style lends the book a cadence that best expresses the repeated miscues and abuse and how tired the community was of it. It does feel hard to finish at times because of the style, but then you realize if you're tired of how repeated the abuse is and how clearly it keeps happening as a reader, think about how it must be for the swimmers and coaches. An important book for anyone who follows any Olympic sport, not just those who follow swimming.

The sports world was shocked when the sexual abuse scandal in gymnastics, and especially by Larry Nassar, was exposed. However, sadly, that is not the only sport with this issue – many young athletes in swimming have suffered the same fate. It goes beyond sexual abuse of young female athletes. Young male athletes have also been abused and the abuse for both sexes can also be emotional, to the point of coaches proposing marriage. This isn’t new as well, as this book by Irvin Muchnick exposes the decades-long abuse of athletes.

I will note that the rating is not due to the subject, the amount of research (exhaustive and extensive) or the accuracy of the findings. As a reader, I found this book very tough to read. There are SO many names that are both victims and abusers that I have a very hard time keeping track of who was being investigated and who was covering up for who. If nothing else, that shows the depth of how long this has been going on in USA Swimming and in many swim clubs.

Of course, stories of the victims get to be very depressing to read as well. Just like when exposing the abusers and the cover-ups, this was hard to follow as well. Again, not because of any poor writing or investigation, but strictly from the sheer numbers. It boggles the mind to think that this has been going on for decades.

Even big names, while not directly or even indirectly implicated, can somehow be linked to some of these scandals. The biggest name amongst these is Michael Phelps and Muchnick does a nice job of balancing fairness to Phelps – after all, he didn’t commit any of these crimes – but still wonders how he could be attached to some of these atrocities. It's a very hard book to read but is one that is worthy of the time to illustrate just how badly some promising athletes have been treated.

I wish to thank ECW Press for providing a copy of the book. The opinions expressed in this review are strictly my own.

This book was okay. There is a lot of information, names, and dates to keep track of. However, it was an interesting insight into what happened and the aftermath. This book was well-written and provided me with everything I felt I needed to know about the events. A good book for a true crime lover.

Very similar to the USA Gymnastics abuse cover up, insofar as the powers that be deliberately turn a blind eye and knowingly allow abuse to continue.

Extensively researched with a reach so wide no place is left unscathed.

The writing is very dense and hard to follow at times. So many names. So many names. And dates.

I didn't like the way abuse in swimming was compared multiple times to and said to be worse than gymnastics.. abuse isn't a competition.

Who's up for dredging up the abuse in figure skating next? ⛸️💔 Professional wrestling?

This book was fine. It started out being really interesting, but honestly, as I read through it, it all kind of started to be the same thing over and over again. It was a lot more information that I was expecting, and while interesting, I think it was too much at times.