The #1 New York Times–bestselling story about American Olympic triumph in Nazi Germany and now the inspiration for the PBS documentary “The Boys of ‘36’.”For readers of Unbroken, out of the depths of the Depression comes an irresistible story about beating the odds and finding hope in the most desperate of times—the improbable, intimate account of how nine working-class boys from the American … working-class boys from the American West showed the world at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin what true grit really meant.
It was an unlikely quest from the start. With a team composed of the sons of loggers, shipyard workers, and farmers, the University of Washington’s eight-oar crew team was never expected to defeat the elite teams of the East Coast and Great Britain, yet they did, going on to shock the world by defeating the German team rowing for Adolf Hitler. The emotional heart of the tale lies with Joe Rantz, a teenager without family or prospects, who rows not only to regain his shattered self-regard but also to find a real place for himself in the world. Drawing on the boys’ own journals and vivid memories of a once-in-a-lifetime shared dream, Brown has created an unforgettable portrait of an era, a celebration of a remarkable achievement, and a chronicle of one extraordinary young man’s personal quest.
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Enjoyed this book
Leading up to the 1936 Olympics, all the background on the UW crew members and lots about the world of crewing including details about the shells. Entertaining and informative.
I read this for my book club and loved it so much my husband read it and several
friends.
Excellent!
Wonderful.
Should be required reading for every American student. Inspirational, historical, character-illuminating. I have recommended it over and over. And everyone I know who has read/listened to it agrees that it is a remarkable book.
My son was Captain of his H.S. Crew Team, and we live in the Hudson Valley, near F.D.R.’s home & the Hudson River. I’ve also visited Berlin & Seattle, so I can picture many of the points referenced in the book.
A wonderful book. I was reluctant to read it since I knew nothing of rowing but since it was on my book club list, I decided to give it a chance. Was I mistaken! It was well worth the time since not only did I learn about rowing, I found the struggles that many of the characters endured. Great read.
Loved cheering on these guys.
Our nephew had been on a rowing team in college. This book was about the US rowing team that won the Olympics. There’s lots of training that goes into a winning team.
Best story of its type I have read in years. What good people.
Fabulous!! I’ve read it & recommended it to many friends. Amazing & true.
The is one of my favorite books and I have read it several times. I have also required the people to work for me to read it as it is a tremendous story of teaming and trust. Many people have forgotten the stories of the Depression era and what people had to do to survive and the rise of fascism. This story brings this all into sharp focus as it …
Boys in the Boat is a wonderful story, very well-written. My own father rowed crew for Cal just after the events of this book; he too was a farm boy, recruited from the fields of California’s Central Valley, so for me this was like reading his autobiography. Very highly recommended (even without family ties to crew).
A must read! The truth is better than any fiction…
Great book
Loved this book! It was a different kind of book for me but I enjoyed the story of the rowing team and felt myself rooting for them all throughout the book1!
A wonderful well researched book. I learned so much from that time of history and the boys are interesting and inspirational. I read it a while ago but the story had still stuck with me. I loved it!
It takes an incredible writer to make a story this exciting when everyone knows the outcome.
It started out slow but once the characters were defined and the action began I really liked it.