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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A great story of perseverance and hard work.
I loved this book. The story of Joe Rantz, the dedication of the rowing team. The
history included in the story. Great book,
This book was so well written, I’m in awe. Yes, the true story was epic in itself, but Brown’s skills as a writer completely draw you in as a reader. I feel like I’ve lived through the depression, and that I sat near Hitler at the Nazi Olympics, watching an epic finish by young men that personified what it was to be dreamers with hearts of lions. …
A great, true historical rowing tale that draws you in & finds you cheering on for these young American boys & makes you feel good in the process whenever they win. Was a popular selection in our book club. Loved this story & highly recommend.
A lovingly crafted saga of sweat and idealism that raised goosebumps from the first page. I was enthralled by the story’s play of light and shadow, of mortality and immortality, and its multidimensional recreation of the pursuit of excellence. This meditation on human frailty and possibility sneaks up on you until it rushes past with the speed of …
In 1936 nine working-class American boys burst from their small towns into the international limelight, unexpectedly wiping the smile off Adolph Hitler’s face by beating his vaunted German team to capture the Olympic gold medal. Daniel James Brown has written a robust, emotional snapshot of an era, a book you will recommend to your best friends.
I really can’t rave enough about this book. Daniel James Brown has not only captured the hearts and souls of the University of Washington rowers who raced in the 1936 Olympics, he has conjured up an era of history. Brown’s evocation of Seattle in the Depression years is dazzling, his limning of character, especially the hardscrabble hero Joe …
I live in the PNW and for quite some time would pass the UW Shell House on my way to and fro. It sits on the edge of Lake Washington by a road that connects to some walking trails along the lake. Until recently, I’ve never lived more than 5 miles from it. I never had a clue of the backstory of the building and always kind of associated it with the …
Although we know the outcome of this book, the journey is amazing. I learned things about racing, shells, wood, the depression, Seattle, Germany, and WWII that I didn’t know before. Hadn’t heard of Pocock before, but I loved his inspirational thoughts. It is a great story, and extremely well written. I would recommend this book to anyone and …
5++ STARS!!
Seriously, one of the best books I’ve ever read. This author turned a non-fiction account into a poignant, nail-biting, and cinematic event. I was transfixed by the superb writing that endeared me to nearly every character involved. This wasn’t just the story of the 1936 Olympic crew team’s win, but every step that got them there, as …
Although this book was a true story it was as exciting as a novel. The main character and all of the boys in the rowing sport worked so hard and endured so much. I never realized so much work went into this sport.
Along with learning about rowing I also learned so much American and European history. The main character had as hard of an …
This book us really four different stories. The first, most obvious from the title is about the 1936 9 man crew team’s path to the Olympics. If that was all the book was about it would have been a very good read. I was surprised at how exciting a printed description of a race could be. However, the book was about much more than that. On a larger …
I was somewhat dubious as to whether an 80-year-old story about rowing could capture and hold my attention. I shouldn’t have been: one of the more memorable books I read in the past year was The Great Match Race, which is about horse racing, for heaven’s sake. Moreover, throughout Boys in the Boat, Daniel James Brown, like Match Race author …
What a great read. It’s was also a good history lesson. Recommend this to anyone interested in spirit and love of Country.
It gave me a view of the hardships of the 1920’s and 30’s that I never really understood before.
This book was truly a gift, as it sparked me back into reading again after too long of a hiatus due to illnesss. In my top five novel’s that I have read.
LMM
Loved this book. Very inspiringly.
Definitely a 5 star read!
This is one of my favorite books. The story is told so well and there is so much detail, it’s hard to believe that it isn’t fiction. It was interesting to find out that rowing was such a popular sport in the United States in the early 20th century. And the stories of the main characters sheds a light on what life was like in the U.S. during the …
We read this for our bookclub and everyone loved it! For a non-fiction book, the author kept us involved from the first page. It was about a crew team from Washington State University that went to the 1936 Olympics. The author interviews the only surviving member of the team and so he is the main character. I learned about life after the …