A poor beginning ends in triumph

The Boys In The Boat
By: James Brown
4/28/17
Michael Vital


   A long, dark scary road to excellence. Overcoming many hardships and obstacles to obtain one of the highest athletic achievements that many will dream of, but only some will receive. Imagine yourself in the time of  World War 2. Hitler was at reign and many people were living in fear. In 1936 the Summer Olympics were held in Berlin, the capital of Germany. At this time Hitler only wanted his "perfect Nazi specimens" to win the medals. Yet, it was one Jewish boy from Ireland who stole the most valuable medal in the rowing event, away from the Germans. Joe Rantz, abandoned by his family, is the definition of a work-horse. After seeking a way to a better life he ends up at the University of Washington, where he meets a rowing coach by the name of  Mr. Ulbrickson. At Washington, Ulbrickson plans to draft his very strong rowing team into the Olympics. Joe was very intrigued by the art of rowing and decided to give it a whirl. Soon enough he became noticed , and caught the eye of  Mr. Ulbrickson. Among-st the strong competition, Joe somehow made the team. The very inexperienced  Jewish rower went on to lead his team to a very prominent victory over the Germans. Written by James Brown, this book is a very true, and sad nonfiction story. Expressing many ideas of  perseverance and overcoming  hardship.

  There has not been many books that I have found this year that really dragged me in and allowed me to read onward. This book, allowed me to do so. If it wasn't for the lack of time I had to read each day, I probably would have sat in my room finishing the book in one day. This book is a very exciting read, and I definitely recommend you check it out. The character Joe and his constant 100% effort through all obstacles really spoke to me. As a student-athlete I am always pushing through obstacles and consonantly working my hardest on and off the field and in the classroom. One of the most important themes of the book, which is strength really makes the book speak to me. The language that conveys all this really made me interested in reading this book. Some of the quotes like, "But it's not just about me. It has to be about the boat."(3) and "It doesn't matter how many times you get knocked down, it matters how many times you get back up." Those quotes really show how important your internal strength is in order to overcome great obstacles and overcome hardship.

  Calling all history lovers for this one. If you are in love with history then this book is good for you. It hits a lot of interesting  topics during WW2 that will make you enjoy the reading very much. This is also a book  any sports fan or athlete should be reading as it consistently expresses how important having a positive attitude is. Overall, this is a must read, and you can quote me on that.