The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown

Excellent!  That is the first word I can think of to describe this book. It is excellent.  Well written, informative and deeply personal, it takes the reader on the same journey the University of Washington crew took from the first time in a boat through the rest of their lives.  Intensely personal, private and public at the same time, the reader believes they know the boys of this remarkable story.  They could have been your grandfather or other relative.  They struggled, were successful, overcame unthinkable odds and persevered.  I found myself practically on the edge of my seat as they raced, especially in the Olympics.  

While the story is primarily of Joe Rantz, it also includes the other men of the team and the coaches.  The Depression touched lives in many different ways but it touched all lives. How each of these men worked to stay in school, to pay for travel related to the competitions and to simply have food in their stomachs is amazing.  I believe the difficulties each encountered gave them the fortitude needed to win races just as it caused them to falter from time to time.

When I think of today’s youth, I know many of them live hard lives. I wonder how many could survive when told they are on their own at age ten and still go on to become an Olympic Gold Medalist?  I am sure some could because the human spirit is uniquely able to overcome great odds to survive. Others can barely get up to make it to the refrigerator. Joe and the other guys took what jobs were available, many requiring hard labor. This made each even better at the task before them. 

This book is a story of the true human and even American spirit.  Tom Brokaw’s, The Greatest Generation, is like this. I believe these nine young men are part of that Great Generation as well.  They represented the nation with honor and lived full lives contributing to society.  They were human with fears and doubts but once they became one team, they remained so. 

I thoroughly enjoyed this book.