The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics by Daniel James Brown, 416 pages

While this book tells the wonderful story of the Washington University rowing team who made it to the Berlin Olympics in 1936, it mostly focuses on one of those boys in the boat, Joe Rantz. 

The book also shares a lot of information about the Depression, the Dust Bowl and the lead up to World War II in both the US and Germany.  It was an incredibly informative and spectacular book. 

I learned a lot about rowing, but I also learned a lot about what people overcame to survive in America in the 1930s.  I also learned about the nine boys in the boat and their coaches and their varied stories and what it took to reach Olympic glory.

A+, 5 stars, thumbs up!