The Boys in the Boat: Nine American and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics by Daniel James Brown. I picked this book up based on an NPR story I heard on the radio. There is an upcoming movie as well.
Started: 3/2/2018
Completed: 3/12/2018
Recommended By: NPR
Recommendation: Really enjoyed it, quick easy book
Review:
I thought I would do crew when I reached college. I did not. I could, conceivably, have been the cockswain (as I was quite small), but my university did not have a crew team of which I was aware. I would have been disappointed to ride and not row, I'm sure. I did work for a guy who crewed as an adult and he was small, but he was really, really strong. Anyway, it was not going to happen for me.
This book talks about a young man who is frequently abandoned and found a home in the crew shell. It is a good story in almost every way I can conceive. The plot is compelling and moves well. The rowing terms are gradually introduced so that by the end the terms are familiar. It is about an American team winning in Hitler's Germany. All that is great.
The underlying story of one of the oarsman and his early life is nothing short of horrifying. I was in tears for the boy and young man. He was not alone as the brutally hard work of rowing a boat competitively can only be done by those with a steel backbone and hardened life. I am glad I read this book despite the almost absurd beginning (truth is stranger than fiction). I will look forward to the movie.
I thought I would do crew when I reached college. I did not. I could, conceivably, have been the cockswain (as I was quite small), but my university did not have a crew team of which I was aware. I would have been disappointed to ride and not row, I'm sure. I did work for a guy who crewed as an adult and he was small, but he was really, really strong. Anyway, it was not going to happen for me.
This book talks about a young man who is frequently abandoned and found a home in the crew shell. It is a good story in almost every way I can conceive. The plot is compelling and moves well. The rowing terms are gradually introduced so that by the end the terms are familiar. It is about an American team winning in Hitler's Germany. All that is great.
The underlying story of one of the oarsman and his early life is nothing short of horrifying. I was in tears for the boy and young man. He was not alone as the brutally hard work of rowing a boat competitively can only be done by those with a steel backbone and hardened life. I am glad I read this book despite the almost absurd beginning (truth is stranger than fiction). I will look forward to the movie.
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