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What Members Thought
Excellent! I would definitely read this again. The audiobook narration by Edward Hermann was very good, too, although it's a shame he never knew the correct pronunciation of Oregon ;-)
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This was my book club pick for this month. I loved other non-fiction books of the same ilk: Seabiscuit, Unbroken, etc. so I figured I would like this one too based on reviews and recommendations. And, guess what? I did like it! Brown did a wonderful job of bringing the story to life. It's clear he did a huge amount of research. The way he wove together what was happening in America and in Germany gave the story a depth that I don't think it would have if he had just told the story of the rowing
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Three cheers for underdogs! This straightforward but remarkable tale affected me deeply. One need not be a rower or sports fan to become completely immersed in this book, which dives effortlessly into the soul of one man, one team, one sport, and one era, forging them into an unforgettable story. Along the way, Brown reveals emotional truths that are strongly appealing and timeless. I can't think of a thing I'd change about this book. Bravo!
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Fantastic true story about great, hard-working, resourceful Americans, the love of sports, and the beauty of becoming part of something bigger than yourself.
"Where is the spiritual value of rowing?...The losing of self entirely to the cooperative effort of the crew as a whole."
Recommended by my father, an example of a great American man. ...more
"Where is the spiritual value of rowing?...The losing of self entirely to the cooperative effort of the crew as a whole."
Recommended by my father, an example of a great American man. ...more
A classic feel-good story, but so much more. Couldn't put it down.
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This is the story of the crew team in the 1936 Olympics in Berlin. While the descriptions of rowing and racing were more interesting than I imagined they would be, the most interesting parts were about the preparations in Germany for hosting the Olympics. Trying to prove to the world that they were not oppressing the Jewish population was quite a planned propaganda move. The politics of the Olympics are interesting. The book is well written and overall engaging.
Despite years of resistance, I found myself very captivated by these boys and their boat.
Shoutout to my teenage self who used to bring Jim Macmillan his dinner several meals a week (I worked in the kitchen of the retirement living facility where he lived). He brought his gold medal with him to the dining room (and everywhere else he went) in a special pouch.
Shoutout to my teenage self who used to bring Jim Macmillan his dinner several meals a week (I worked in the kitchen of the retirement living facility where he lived). He brought his gold medal with him to the dining room (and everywhere else he went) in a special pouch.
thoroughly enjoyed this book, but the author's mispronunciations of Pacific Northwest locations in the audio version was disappointing.
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Dec 14, 2013
Vesra (When She Reads)
marked it as to-read
Shelves:
author-b,
e-book,
b,
action-adventure,
c-brown,
non-fiction,
biographies-memoirs,
pub-viking-adult,
pc-400-499,
book-club
May 06, 2014
Elizabeth
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Jun 09, 2014
Jackie
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Aug 03, 2014
Katy
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Apr 13, 2016
Seulky
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May 20, 2016
Tiffany
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Dec 15, 2016
Jen
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Apr 29, 2018
Tania
marked it as to-read
Dec 30, 2023
Peg
rated it
it was amazing
Shelves:
americas,
germany,
wwii,
nonfiction,
recs-for-janet,
history,
struggles,
read-in-2023,
5-star-reads-2023
Aug 19, 2024
Ching-In
marked it as to-read
