Monday, May 16, 2016

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

The Boys in the Boat: The True Story of an American Team's Epic Journey to Win Gold at the 1936 Olympics The Boys in the Boat: The True Story of an American Team's Epic Journey to Win Gold at the 1936 Olympics by Daniel James Brown
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I am amazed that a book about rowing could be exciting and moving. After having seen the movie, Race, about Jesse Owens competing in the 1936 Berlin Olympics, I really didn't think this book would hold my interest. I was wrong. From the very beginning, the author does a wonderful job of drawing the reader into the story of one of the "boys", Joe Rantz. We learn about his really difficult childhood, growing up in Washington State during the Great Depression. He was left on his own at the age of 15. But the bigger story is that of this remarkable crew team, that beat the odds. It is a story of a group of remarkable young men, who stove to be the best. There are lots of great photographs, and, I wasn't bored at all.

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