The Boys in the Boat
Daniel James Brown tells the story of the University of Washington's eight-oar crew, sons of loggers, farmers, and shipyard workers who rowed their way out of the Great Depression and onto the world stage. At the center is Joe Rantz, a young man nearly abandoned by his family, who finds belonging in the boat. Brown weaves their training and races with the rise of Nazi Germany, building toward the 1936 Olympics where the team raced for gold in front of Hitler. The book is as much about trust and teamwork as it is about sport. Satya Nadella has pointed to it as a model of the teamwork he wanted at Microsoft.
Themes & atmosphere
What you might want to know about The Boys in the Boat
The questions readers send us most often, answered without spoilers.
The true story of nine working-class rowers from the University of Washington who came together to win gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics.
Yes. It tells the real story of the University of Washington rowing crew that won gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, centered on team member Joe Rantz.
Nadella has called it a wonderful illustration of teamwork, which he made a core part of his focus when he became Microsoft's CEO.
The Boys in the Boat was written by Daniel James Brown, published in 2013 by Penguin Books.
The Boys in the Boat is 416 pages in standard print editions, though page counts vary slightly between hardcover, paperback, and large-print formats.
At an average reading pace of about 250 words per minute, The Boys in the Boat takes most readers 6 to 9 hours to finish.
The Boys in the Boat is available in hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats from Amazon, Bookshop.org, ThriftBooks, and most major bookstores.