I finished this book just in time to kick off the belated Tokyo 2021 Olympics. Unlike this latest trip to Olympus, I found the story inspiring and thoroughly human.
Brown tells the story of the 1936 US rowing team. Following the story of one of the athletes in particular. His story of individual turmoil combined with family and social rejection make for a near archetypal hero you can’t help but cheer for.
Brown also relates the history of Rowing, particularly in the US in vivid detail, using old newspaper clips and radio broadcasts to outline the place rowing held in depression-era America. The practice of using era-popular culture to understand history is one of which I thoroughly approve.
The third piece of the book is the global context of the race. Hitler’s presence looms menacingly behind every setback and Brown does a good job dramatizing it in a way comparable to “Miracle on Ice”
Overall, the book is interesting and makes you want to get things done in a casual kind of way. Definitely not one you should drop everything to read, but still a stirring tale of challenge, teamwork, and grit if you’ve got the time. If not, here’s a 4-minute video that completely fails to do it justice.