Author: Daniel James Brown
I enjoy reading biographies, especially when they tell the story of underdogs who pull off a miracle. This book is no exception as Daniel does an excellent job in researching and telling the story of Joe Rantz and the rest of the young men who rowed the US to a gold medal in the 1936 Olympics in Berlin.
I don’t know how Daniel managed to learn all the details about Joe’s poor and troubled upbringing, but he tells it with an authenticity that makes you feel he was living there with him. Once he moves to the University of Washington the story shifts to the technicalities of rowing. I learnt a lot about the construction of the shell and the co-ordination that is critical for the rowers to get the maximum leverage for their strokes. University of Washington has a traditional rivalry with UC Berkeley and it forces them to up their game. Ultimately they make it through the nationals and then finally head to Berlin for the Olympics.
Their journey and ultimate victory is truly a fairy-tale that is enjoyable to read. The fact that the outcome is well known, did take away some of the suspense and I struggled a bit to finish the book. That is primarily the reason why I have taken away one star in my review!
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