The Boys in the Boat

Title: The Boys in the Boat

Author: Daniel James Brown

Pages: 12 discs

Genre: Non-Fiction, History

Grade: A+

Synopsis: The 1936 eight-oar rowing crew from the University of Washington defied the odds and won National Championships as freshman, junior-varsity and varsity.  They went on to represent the United States at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, where although forced to row against the odds in the worst lanes were able to pull off a stunning upset and win the gold medal.

My Review: If you liked Seabiscuit or Unbroken, then this book is for you.  Similar to those books (especially Seabiscuit), the author takes a sporting event that most of us know very little about and turns it into the most fascinating chronicle of the rowing world in the early to mid-1930s.  Very well written and very well researched, I can't wait to watch the rowing races in the next Olympics!