By Daniel James Brown
I had the privilege of working with Marshall Gillette, an 88-year-old WW2 veteran who served with me as a tour guide at the Newport mansions. Marshall was raised on an island in the Mississippi River; he and his siblings had to row to the mainland to attend schools, see the doctor, shop, or just about anything else that did not revolve around their island farm. When I asked him what life was like, he said, "Read The Boys in the Boat."
Out of the depths of the Great Depression come nine young men, undergrads at the University of Washington, who set out to qualify for the university rowing team - then go on to win the gold medal at the 1936 olympics. The story is told mostly through the experience of oarsman Joe Rantz, who survives a childhood of great hardship, including the early death of his mother. As a result, young Joe grows up pretty much on his own, supporting himself from a young age, putting himself through college, and developing the self-discipline needed to become an effective member of a team. The author stresses the rigor seeming to affect every muscle of the body, the demanding practice schedule, often in inclement weather, and the importance of working as a team. He also highly credits the coach (Al Ulbrickson) and the designer of the boats (George Pocock) as essential elements in the team's success. The Washington oarsmen successfully take on skilled teams on both coasts (including Univ of California and Princeton) to represent the United States in Berlin. But their crowning moment comes when they defeat Hitler's well-financed and storied German team in Berlin.
No comments:
Post a Comment