Book by Daniel James Brown
The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics
The front cover art of
The Boys in the Boat
|
Author
| Daniel James Brown
|
---|
Original title
| The Boys in the Boat
|
---|
Language
| English
|
---|
Genre
| Narrative nonfiction
|
---|
Publisher
| Penguin Books
|
---|
Publication date
| June 4, 2013
|
---|
Media type
| Print
|
---|
Pages
| 404
|
---|
ISBN
| 978-0670025817
|
---|
The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics
is a
non-fiction novel
written by
Daniel James Brown
and published on June 4, 2013.
Background
[
edit
]
The Boys in the Boat
is a true story based on the struggles and sacrifices made by the
University of Washington rowing team
to compete at
rowing at the 1936 Summer Olympics ? Men's eight
.
[1]
Joseph Sutton-Holcomb from
The Seattle Times
writes that Brown got the idea to write this book when his neighbor Judy Willman said that her father,
Joe Rantz
, was a fan of his works and wanted to have a conversation with the author.
[2]
That conversation with Joe Rantz about life during the
Great Depression
led to an in-depth chat about his time as a rower at the
University of Washington
.
[2]
In an interview with Joseph Sutton-Holcomb from
The Seattle Times
, Brown emphasized that the reason he spent so much time on the build-up to the race was because he thought “it's much more meaningful if you know the nine guys involved on some kind of personal level, and if you knew what the German boys wearing swastikas on their chests represented, that they weren't just another bunch of kids in a boat.”
[2]
Plot
[
edit
]
The Boys in the Boat
is about the
University of Washington
eight-oared rowing
crew
that represented the United States in
rowing at the 1936 Summer Olympics ? Men's eight
in
Berlin
, and narrowly beat out Italy and Germany to win the gold medal. The main character is Joe Rantz. Rantz had a tough time growing up and was abandoned by his family for several years to fend for himself.
There are two backstories. One illustrates how all nine members of the Washington team came from lower-middle-class families and had to struggle to earn their way through school during the depths of the
Depression
. Along with the chronicle of their victories and defeats in domestic competition, the reader learns the importance of the synchronization of the eight rowers as they respond to the commands of the
coxswain
and his communications with the
stroke
, consistent pacing, and sprint to the finish.
The second backstory begins with a depiction of
Hitler
decreeing construction of the spectacular German venues at which the Games would take place. Along the way, the book also describes how the
Nazis
successfully covered up the evidence of their harsh and inhumane treatment of the Jews and other minorities so as to win worldwide applause for the Games, duping the
United States Olympic Committee
, among others.
All comes together with a description of the final race. During the 1930s, rowing was a popular sport with millions following the action on the radio. The victorious Olympians became national heroes. In accordance with the strictures of
amateur athletics
, the boys sank into relative obscurity after their victory but were still better off than their parents and for the rest of their lives proud of their accomplishment. After their win, they would come together every few years to row again.
Reception
[
edit
]
Timothy Egan
of
The New York Times
wrote, "Against all odds, Brown’s book has become a global phenomenon. The Boys in the Boat is about who we used to be. And who we still could be. Like the best history, its then and now wow factor is both embarrassing (to the present) and inspiring (to the future)."
[3]
Laurence Raw, from
The Journal of American Culture
, addressed this book as being researched beautifully and highlights the woes and triumphs experienced during the Great Depression.
[4]
Along with the book’s praise, the book received many awards, including the 2014
Washington State Book Award
.
[5]
Overall, the book received positive reactions.
The Guardian
stated
,
"The US rowing team's victory at Hitler's 1936 Olympics is charted in a dramatic Depression-era account destined for Hollywood.
"
[6]
The News Journal
includes a positive review from John Schoonver, a coxswain at St. Andrews School in 1959, who claimed that "It [the book] shows a remarkable story about the perseverance of young rowers.”
[7]
In July 2014, The
Delhi Press
addressed that “One of the protagonists is Joe Rantz, a poor boy, whose determination to overcome odds makes him an ideal hero. The author learned the details of Rantz's brilliant rowing career from the athlete himself.”
[8]
According to The Delhi Press, the author worked hard to create a book to inspire many generations.
[8]
The
Smithsonian
highlighted how it's not a surprise that this novel has been brought to cinematic development.
[9]
The figurative language and imagery Brown utilizes allows the audience to feel what the rowers are experiencing.
[9]
Joseph Sutton-Holcomb from
The Seattle Times
claims that this book is more than a heartfelt coming-of-age sports saga because it exemplifies what can be accomplished when people come together.
[2]
Adaptation
[
edit
]
On March 3, 2011,
The Weinstein Company
acquired the film rights to The Boys in the Boat with
Kenneth Branagh
directing and
Donna Gigliotti
producing.
[10]
[11]
In October 2018,
Lantern Entertainment
(the successor of The Weinstein Company) contracted with
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
to distribute the film worldwide.
[12]
In March 2020, it was announced that actor
George Clooney
would direct the film.
[13]
In November 2021, it was announced that
Callum Turner
was cast in an unspecified role.
[14]
In February 2022, it was announced that
Joel Edgerton
,
Jack Mulhern
,
Sam Strike
, Luke Slattery,
Tom Varey
,
Thomas Elms
, Wil Coban,
Bruce Herbelin-Earle
, and
Hadley Robinson
were cast.
[15]
In March 2022,
Courtney Henggeler
and
James Wolk
joined the cast.
[16]
[17]
The story of the gold medal-winning crew also inspired a 2016
PBS
American Experience
documentary
The Boys of ’36
.
[18]
Awards and honors
[
edit
]
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
Emmons, Mark; Almond, Elliot (April 21, 2015).
"Bay Area native's book showcases bitter rivalry between Cal and Washington in top-selling book"
.
San Jose Mercury News
. Retrieved
March 30,
2022
.
- ^
a
b
c
d
Sutton-Holcomb, Joseph (June 10, 2013).
"Q & A: Daniel James Brown on 'The Boys in the Boat'
"
.
Seattle Times
. Retrieved
March 30,
2022
.
- ^
Egan, Timothy (April 17, 2015).
"Opinion | the Boat to Lift All Tides"
.
The New York Times
.
- ^
Raw, Laurence. "The Boys in the Boat: An Epic Journey to the Heart of Hitler's Berlin."
The Journal of American Culture
, vol. 39, no. 1, 2016, pp. 115-116
.
- ^
Kelleher, Antonia (November 16, 2015).
"Daniel James Brown's 'The Boys in the Boat' is published on June 4, 2013"
.
HistoryLink
.
- ^
Parini, Jay (July 13, 2013).
"The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown ? review"
.
TheGuardian.com
.
The US rowing team's victory at Hitler's 1936 Olympics is charted in a dramatic Depression-era account destined for Hollywood
- ^
"'The Boys in the Boat'."
The News Journal
, Wilmington, DE, Apr 19, 2016.
- ^
a
b
"The Boys in the Boat." Alive, Delhi, no. 381, 07, 2014, pp. 88.
- ^
a
b
Schama, Chloe. "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics." Smithsonian, vol. 44, no. 3, 06, 2013, pp. 102.
- ^
"Weinstein Company Captures Book Proposal On 1936 U.S. Olympics Crew Team"
. deadline.com. March 3, 2011
. Retrieved
September 21,
2013
.
- ^
"Weinsteins acquire Olympic rowing tale"
.
Variety
. March 3, 2011
. Retrieved
September 21,
2013
.
- ^
McNary, Dave (October 30, 2018).
"Weinstein Film 'Boys in the Boat' Saved by MGM, Lantern Entertainment"
.
- ^
"Clooney set to direct Berlin Olympics true life drama"
. March 9, 2020 – via www.rte.ie.
- ^
Kroll, Justin (November 1, 2021).
"Callum Turner To Star In George Clooney And Grant Heslov's 'Boys In The Boat' Adaptation For MGM"
.
Deadline
.
- ^
Kroll, Justin (February 10, 2022).
"George Clooney's 'Boys In The Boat' Adaptation With MGM, Spyglass And Smokehouse Sets Top Tier Cast"
.
Deadline
. Retrieved
March 11,
2022
.
- ^
Grobar, Matt (March 2, 2022).
"George Clooney's 'The Boys In The Boat' Adds 'Cobra Kai' Star Courtney Henggeler"
.
Deadline
. Retrieved
March 11,
2022
.
- ^
Kroll, Justin (March 7, 2022).
"James Wolk Joins George Clooney's Adaptation Of 'The Boys In The Boat' For MGM"
.
Deadline
. Retrieved
March 11,
2022
.
- ^
"The Boys of '36"
.
American Experience
. PBS. 2016
. Retrieved
August 3,
2016
.
- ^
"New York Times Best Sellers Paperback Nonfiction - nytimes.com"
.
The New York Times
. Retrieved
June 29,
2014
.
- ^
"ABA Announces 2014 Indies Choice and E.B. White Read-Aloud Award Winners - bookweb.org"
. April 15, 2014
. Retrieved
June 29,
2014
.
- ^
"Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction and Nonfiction Awards & Grants"
. February 6, 2014
. Retrieved
February 15,
2015
.