The Boys in the Boat - Daniel James Brown

 

In the pages of History, there are those golden moments of glory in sports and literature that would make for an enthralling story telling. One among of those is an epic journey of courage and glory in the heart of Berlin at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. Daniel James Brown’s “The Boys in the Boat” narrates this epic journey of nine working class American boys who travel to Hitler’s Berlin to represent their country, United states of America, in an unmatched competition of Rowing, but before that they have to go through the unimaginable. “The Boys in the Boat” makes for an amazing journey of these nine boys told from scratch till the end.

In the year 1936, a rowing team from University of Washington had stunned the world by winning a gold medal in the eight-oar crew at the Berlin Olympics. Though the world knew about the win, but what mattered was the journey of those nine men who had given their everything to the game. Yes, it can be said that in the pages of History, the story of this great Olympic race has perhaps been lost to the glamour of the modern sports entertainment. Every great game of sports has its player in the center of it and this was no different.

The book narrates the entire journey of the nine players along with the team coach and the other supporting staff members from the start that could be said to be next to nil until the finishing line of life. At the heart of the book are two principal men, Joe Rantz, and the captain of the ship, George Yeomen Pocock.  The other team mates and support Bobby Moch, Stub Mcmillin, Chuck Day, Shorty Hun Don Hume, Johnny White, Gordy Adam, Roger Morris, Al Ulbrickson and Ky Ebright slowly join in to the form the spirited team.  The story primarily starts in the period before The Great depression of 1929 and slowly enter the depression period and that is when a set of men turn to Rowing. As the story moves on the other players enter the story until finally, they decide to become one big team and from there on starts the real work of learning the game, getting trained, getting disciplined and becoming a sportsman.

The book could be said to be bifurcated five portions. First, the back ground and introduction including the family lives of the players. This portion would be a bit slow but that would also tell the reader a lot about the different shades of the players. Second, the formation of the team, training and learning the tricks that would involve a lot of sweat and unbearable hard work. Third, the participation in the local and national level competitions. Fourth, the epic Olympic Journey and fifth, the final lives of every one associated with the team. Yes, everyone would enjoy all the parts, but to me apart from the fourth section what really touches the reader would be the fifth section where in the final lives of the players are discussed. Someone who would have read the entire book, the last portion would make one numb especially after everything that took place in the first four sections but yes, that is life.

What really comes out fantastically, is the detailing captured by the author of the book. While one reads pages after pages, they wouldn’t have any doubt about the efforts taken by the author through various means to capture the minute details about the personal lives of the players. The game of Rowing has been beautifully described almost making one to fall in love with the game. Reading through the book, one would be treated to some detailed aspects of the game. Consider this. Before I read this book, I hardly knew anything about Rowing or the efforts required to play the sport but after reading this, I am very much impressed with the game.

Like the event itself, the book “The Boys in the Boat” is a treat to read and helps one to be part of the inspiring and thrilling journey of Nine men who won Gold at The Berlin Olympics.