I know, me and a book about sports? I don’t think so. But trust me, it is a little different with Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown. First, it came highly recommended from people I trust. Second, it is about rowing, a sport to which I have some experience and sentimental attachment.
Boys in the Boat recounts the journey of men’s eight crew to the 1936 Olympics in Berlin. Brown enters this narrative through Joe Rantz and his fellow crew mates at the University of Washington. Although rowing is often associated with blue bloods and the Ivy League elite, in the case of the Washington crew this could not be further from the truth. The students who comprised the crew often came from rough backgrounds and truly suffered during the years of the Great Depression. This makes Boys in the Boat a story of underdogs triumphing over adversity and making good on the world stage of the Olympic.
One of the strengths of Brown’s book lays in his descriptions of rowing. When a boat gets its ‘swing’ it is a magical thing. It gives those in the boat a feeling of transcendence that is hard to describe, but Brown manages it. As a former coxswain I also appreciated the attention and credit Brown gave to this member of the crew. If the oarsmen are the brawn, the cox is the brain. The two parts are not separate, but must be able to communicate almost without words. Again, there is a bit of transcendence in this relationship that Brown captures without getting all wishy washy and spiritual.
Who would like this book? Like most sports stories about an underdog triumphing, The Boys in the Boat will appeal to more than just your typical sports fans. It gives important insight into life in the Pacific Northwest during the Great Depression. Many of the boys were from logging and mining families and felt the impact of the economic downturn acutely. Boys in the Boat also grabs you by the seat of your pants and compels you to keep reading. Even though you already know they will make it to the Olympics, you want to know how they get there. I highly recommend reading it.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest and fair review.
52 books or bust 
Is this one of those novel style non fictions like Erik Larson is good at? I wouldn’t mind reading a sports book as long as there was a little more to it. Although I read The Art of Fielding and actually loved it and that was all about baseball!
Yeah, i’d say this is high on narrative. It almost feels like fiction. I’ve always toyed with reading The Art of Fielding, but I worried that it was too sporty.
Excellent – I love those kinds of books!
The Art of Fielding is actually really great. Baseball is a big part of it but I found that it was written in a way that almost made it secondary. I’m sure those that are big fans of the game enjoy that aspect but those of us that aren’t are able to get beyond it and still enjoy it.
I enjoyed The Art of Fielding, and I tend to avoid sports books. I listened to the audio, and I thought the characters and setting in particular were well-drawn and interesting.
I will have to add The Boys in the Boat to my library list.
I have heard a lot about this, but I rarely enjoy books about sports so never bothered to check it. Still, like you said, this book has come recommended from a lot of people I trust, so maybe I should consider reading it.
I feel confident recommending it. It’s good literary non fiction.
I don’t usually read sports books either but I’ve heard so many good things about this one, I might have to pick it up too 🙂
So much for me thinking it was you who recommended it!
Ohhh I loved this book 😀 (and everything else that Brown has written!)
I don’t know anything else he’s written. Better check it out.
Rowing, huh? That reminds me of two things. One, the Winkelvoss twins. Two, The Casual Vacancy. This sounds like it would probably be a better reference point for me as far as rowing goes. I may have to pick it up!
It is just such a good story, you don’t need to be interested in rowing at all. Though I’m sure that after reading the book you’ll be at least a little more interested in it.
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