Swimming Scientifically Taught: A Practical Manual for Young and Old

"Swimming Scientifically Taught: A Practical Manual for Young and Old" by Frank Eugen Dalton is a practical manual on swimming techniques written in the early 20th century. The book serves as a comprehensive guide for both beginners and advanced swimmers, outlining various swimming strokes, techniques for safety, and methods of teaching effectively. In addition to offering information on basic swimming skills, it highlights the importance of swimming as a life-saving skill and a means of physical exercise. The opening of the manual begins with an introduction that emphasizes the critical importance of swimming as a life skill, noting how too many people lack the ability to swim despite its fundamental necessity for safety. Dalton advocates that anyone—regardless of age—should learn to swim to safeguard themselves and others in potential water emergencies. In this section, the author also presents the benefits of swimming in terms of health and fitness, addressing both physical and mental advantages. Dalton establishes the structure of the manual, intending to guide readers through a scientific understanding of swimming and effectively teaching techniques. He makes a case for learning swimming through study and practice with a focus on proper instruction, setting the stage for the detailed techniques and strokes that follow in subsequent chapters.