Daniel James Brown

The True Story of an American Team's Epic Journey to Win Gold at the 1936 Olympics

The Boys in the Boat

Francine Corry

"And he came to understand how those almost mystical bonds of trust and affection, if nurtured correctly, might lift a crew above the ordinary sphere, transport it to a place where nine boys somehow became one thing—a thing that could not quite be defined, a thing that was so in tune with the water and the earth and the sky above that, as they rowed, effort was replaced by ecstasy. It was a rare thing, a sacred thing, a thing devoutly to be hoped for.

Daniel James Brown captures the essence of time and place in his history of the winning rowing team of the 1936 Olympics, The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. 

Through the stories of the boys who were rowing on that team and most of all, Joe Rantz we can begin to understand elements of the Great Depression and how many were trying to claw their way through it. Brown sets the scene in Washington State and we can envision life on the Puget Sound and what it took to make a living there at that time.

While we begin to understand life in Washington we also become aware of dynamic forces in other parts of the world and how Hitler is changing both the face of Germany but what will also change the face of the world.

Because, Brown ties his story to Joe Rantz it becomes a very personal and emotional tale which the reader invests in. I highly recommend this book.

Daniel Brown

Traces the story of an American rowing team from the University of Washington that defeated elite rivals at Hitler's 1936 Berlin Olympics, sharing the experiences of such contributors as their enigmatic coach, a visionary boat builder and a homeless teen rower. By the author of Under a Flaming Sky.

Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics

Ellie sutliff

Tracie McMurray

I cannot recommend this book enough. Brown weaves together a captivating story. The moment by moment account of the races kept me on the edge of my seat. The details about the 1936 Berlin Olympics were so poignant from the perspective of the athletes. It blew me away! Well done.

Cast aside by his family at an early age, abandoned and left to fend for himself in the woods of Washington State, young Joe Rantz turns to rowing as a way of escaping his past. What follows is an extraordinary journey, as Joe and eight other working-class boys exchange the sweat and dust of life in 1930s America for the promise of glory at the heart of Hitler's Berlin. Stroke by stroke, a remarkable young man strives to regain his shattered self-regard, to dare again to trust in others - and to find his way back home. Told against the backdrop of the Great Depression, The Boys in the Boat is narrative non-fiction of the first order; a personal story full of lyricism and unexpected beauty that rises above the grand sweep of history, and captures instead the purest essence of what it means to be alive. 'The Boys in the Boat is not only a great and inspiring true story; it is a fascinating work of history' Nathaniel Philbrick, author of In the Heart of the Sea 'I really can't rave enough about this book . . . I read the last fifty pages with white knuckles, and the last twenty-five with tears in my eyes' David Laskin, author of The Children's Blizzard and The Long Way Home 'A thrilling, heart-thumping tale of a most remarkable band of rowing brothers' Timothy Egan, author of The Worst Hard Time

An Epic Journey to the Heart of Hitler's Berlin

Charlotte 

A bestseller from the year you graduated high school ✔ (advanced)

Dana Kraft

Great story although I found myself skimming in several places. I did like the focus on trust and giving yourself up for the team. That part is done really well.

Rick Dobrowolski

This was an excellently written book! It was extremely thorough but in an interesting way. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well-written account of an interesting series of events in history. Those who are sports fans would also really appreciate it.

Emma Friedheim

This book made me miss rowing painfully, and reminded me just how beautiful and unique a sport it is. So many moments in this book took my breath away mostly because of the specific vivid memories they evoked of my own rowing days. Finding that swing is truly a spiritual experience, and Daniel James Brown captures that feeling perfectly. As for literary value, the writing isn't anything exceptional but the story speaks for itself so this still deserves 5 stars from me :) I highly recommend for all, but especially athletes and ESPECIALLY current/former rowers (duh). I know someone has already bought the film rights for this book, so let's hope it happens and they do it justice because this could be such an epic movie.

Summer Stanley

Excellent well written non-fiction. Engaging and storied, these men really come to life. I wish there was a little more detail into the setting and rowing in Nazi Germany. I really liked the sections that were included, just wanted more. 

Jessie

This book should be called "Everything You Never Wanted to Know About Rowing and 50 Pages About the 1936 Berlin Olympics".

Loved this story and how it was written. A lot of info provided in a non dry manner.

This is an edition adapted for middle grade and teen readers.

The true story of an American team's epic journey to win gold at the 1936 Olympics

Yoomi

I didn’t think a book about rowing would be interesting and at first, I had a really hard time getting into it. But at the end, I didn’t want to put it down. Even though I knew how it would end, it was exciting and suspenseful to read how it happened.

Tannie Davidson

Chase Perrin

Cannot recommend highly enough. Well written, compelling and moving. An amazing story very well told.

Jamie R

Gianna Rodrigues

Sarah N

caro

Arya Kumar

Cole Slinker

Emily Hendricks 

The #1 New York Times-bestselling story about American Olympic triumph in Nazi Germany, now in a premium mass market edition. Available just in time for The 80th anniversary of the boys' gold medal win as well as the 8/2 broadcast of the PBS /American Experience documentary, The Boys of '36. and the start of the 2016 Summer Olympics. 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 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.

The Boys in the Boat The True Story of an American Team's Epic Journey to Win Gold at the 1936 Olympics

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