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!

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

Several patrons recommended this book to me and I have finally gotten around to reading it.  I am glad I did. I am not typically a non-fiction reader, but every now and then one ends up in my lap that I really enjoy.  

This is about 9 boys from the University of Washington who row their way to an Olympic medal, despite all the odds against them.  These 9 young men, most of them poor, sons of loggers, farmers and shipyard workers, melded together as a team and beat the elite rowers from the Ivy Schools in the east, their greatest rival, the University of California at Berkley, and Great Britain.  In particular, it is the story of Joe Rantz, who despite being abandoned by his family at age 10, overcame adversity, worked hard and succeeded in life.  Even if you are not a big fan of rowing, (and there is a lot of detail about the sport), this book will make you want to stand up and cheer.  

It is also a history lesson about the world at that time: The Great Depression, Hitler coming to power, and the Dust Bowl.