I had not heard of this book but a friend who
read it lent me his copy, saying, “You absolutely have to read this book.” So I
read it and it’s now one of my all-time favorites.
The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics by Daniel James
Brown is the true story of an unlikely group of nine boys from the University
of Washington who overcame extreme adversity to win a gold medal in rowing in
the 1936 Berlin Olympics. How these working class boys—the sons of
fishermen, loggers, miners, and manual laborers—prevailed over rowing teams from elite Eastern
colleges and went on to Olympic glory is an unforgettable story. I couldn’t put
down the final chapters.
