by Daniel James Brown
Published
Not found
Pages
Not found
Language
English
Publisher
Penguin Audio
Kindle
$13.99
Hardcover
$14.75
Paperback
$9.98
Audiobook
$18.90
Audio CD
Not found
The number one New York Times best-selling story about American Olympic triumph in Nazi Germany, the inspiration for the PBS documentary The Boys of '36 , broadcast to coincide with the 2016 Summer Olympics and the 80th anniversary of the boys' gold medal race. For readers/listeners 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.
Set against the backdrop of a world on the brink of war, "The Boys in the Boat" tells the captivating story of grit, determination, and teamwork. This historical narrative weaves together the remarkable journey of nine young men from humble beginnings who dared to dream of Olympic gold. As they battle both personal and collective challenges, their unwavering spirit becomes a beacon of hope during one of history's most turbulent times.
Through the lens of this extraordinary crew, the book delves into themes of persistence, unity, and the relentless pursuit of excellence, offering readers a profound reflection on the human spirit.
The power of teamwork can overcome even the greatest obstacles. Individual hardships are often the stepping stones to collective success. The pursuit of excellence requires resilience and unwavering dedication.
The Boys in the Boat encapsulates the journey of the University of Washington's eight-oar crew and their quest for Olympic glory in Nazi Germany. Daniel James Brown meticulously recounts how these rowers hailing predominantly from working-class backgrounds forged an incredible bond. A bond strong enough to challenge the world's elite competitors.
Brown's narrative shines a spotlight on Joe Rantz a young man coping with a tumultuous past yet finding solace and purpose in rowing. Through Joe's eyes readers experience the intensity of the races the harshness of training and the thrill of competition. His personal journey adds an emotional depth to this historical saga.
The narrative converges on the dramatic tension of the 1936 Berlin Olympics an event overscored with political significance and national pride. As the American crew faces daunting adversaries and a hostile environment the stakes of their mission become undeniably pronounced. Against this backdrop The Boys in the Boat" becomes more than a tale of athletic achievement.
It unveils the universal human struggle for dignity purpose and victory over seemingly insurmountable odds. Through compelling storytelling it illustrates how perseverance and unity can lead to extraordinary accomplishments.
The book's meticulous research is brought to life through vivid immersive storytelling that captures the essence and emotion of the era Readers connect deeply with the human element as it explores each team member's personal challenges and how these feed into their collective triumph It is a celebration of resilience showcasing how adversity can be transformed into strength through collaboration ambition and the unyielding pursuit of dreams.
Not found
Not found
Not found
Not found
Based on 90317 ratings
In 1936, nine working-class boys from the University of Washington went to the Berlin Olympics in a quest for the gold medal. Their sport: rowing, a sport of which George Yeoman Pocock said, "That is the formula for endurance and success: rowing with the heart and the head as well as physical strength." It is an emotional, mental, and physical sport which, in this particular case, asks that nine human beings be in perfect tune with each other. Author Daniel James Brown does an excellent job of putting his story into the context of the world stage, a time in which Hitler was determined to become master of the world-- and also a time when the world was still in the grip of the Depression. At the heart of The Boys in the Boat is Joe Rantz of the University of Washington rowing team. At the age of ten, he was abandoned by his parents. Joe's father was willing to follow the lead of his second wife, a woman who decided that there were too many mouths to feed and that this child had to go. At one point, she told him, "Make your own life, Joe. Stay out of ours." Brown builds his story from the boys' journals and vivid memories, and it's a true Cinderella story. These boys were competing in an elite sport normally thought of as belonging to the privileged rich of the East Coast. Often compared to Laura Hillenbrand's Unbroken, I found The Boys in the Boat more in tune with another of her books, Seabiscuit: An American Legend, with its emphasis on sport, the Depression, and a fascinating cast. As much as I savored the stories of the boys on the University of Washington rowing team, I also appreciated the in-depth look at the sport of rowing itself. I never knew how popular it was in the 1930s or how demanding it was. If you're in the mood for a thrilling, eye-opening, often heart-wrenching, slice of history, I highly recommend The Boys in the Boat.
I’m usually not into nonfiction books, but the author brought this story so alive with his skilled writing and storytelling, I was completely draw in. Each rowing race should have been relatively the same (the men paddle, right?), but somehow Brown made every race different and exciting. This 1936 crew was very special, and Brown did them justice. Highly recommended.
Oh, my. How do I describe this book--and the extraordinary value of reading it together with your team? If I write a dull, been-there-read-that review, you might surmise the book is equally dull. It's not! What if...I bet the farm and predicted that "The Boys in the Boat" will be my 2014 book-of-the-year pick? (Would that get your attention?) What if...I said this true story of "Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" included my pick for the most exquisite description--I've ever read--of what a high performance team looks like? What if...I told you that Bill Butterworth, the author of