THE BOYS IN THE BOAT: NINE AMERICANS AND THEIR EPIC QUEST FOR THE GOLD AT THE 1936 BERLIN OLYMPICS, by Daniel James Brown, has been selected for our 2014 community-wide-reading experience, Greenwich Reads Together. Perrot is pleased to host a discussion of the book, led by Marcia Clay Hamilton, on Wednesday, October 22nd, 2014, at 7:30 PM.
ABOUT THE BOOK
Gordon Adam, Chuck Day, Don Hume, George “Shorty” Hunt, Jim “Stub” McMillin, Bob Moch, Roger Morris, Joe Rantz, John White, Jr.—these were the boys in the boat, the University of Washington’s 1936 crew, a team that transformed the sport and grabbed the attention of millions of Americans in the depths of the Depression. The sons of loggers, shipyard workers, and farmers, the boys defeated elite rivals first from eastern and British universities and finally the German crew rowing for Adolf Hitler in the Olympic Games in Berlin.
At the emotional heart of the story is Joe Rantz, a teenager without family or prospects, who rows not for glory, but to regain his shattered self-regard and to find a place he can call home. The crew is assembled by an enigmatic coach and mentored by a visionary, eccentric British boat builder, but it is their trust in one another that makes them a victorious team. They remind the country of what can be done when everyone, quite literally, pulls together—a perfect melding of trust, determination, and optimism.
Drawing on the boys’ own diaries and journals, their photos and memories of a once-in-a-lifetime shared dream, THE BOYS IN THE BOAT is a portrait of an era, a celebration of a historic achievement, and a chronicle of one extraordinary young man’s personal quest.
WHAT IS GREENWICH READS TOGETHER?
Greenwich Reads Together is a community-wide reading experience which will engage all of Greenwich in exploring a single book. The goal of Greenwich Reads Together is to deepen engagement in literature through reading and discussion and to build community connections. The Steering Committee leading this effort includes Greenwich Library, Greenwich Alliance for Education, Greenwich Arts Council, Greenwich Historical Society, Greenwich Pen Women and the Greenwich Public and Independent Schools.Visit our website, http://www.greenwichreadstogether.org, to find book, film and music suggestions for further exploration, as well as discussion guides, links to interviews with the author and much more.
