The Boys in the Boat

"Good thoughts have much to do with good rowing. It isn't enough for the muscles of a crew to work in unison; their hearts and minds must also be as one"- George Pocock

Having had some time to slow down and unwind after a year at university, I have been enjoying reading more than the academic articles on Early Modern England that I am used to. The other day, I finished Daniel James Brown’s, “The Boys in the Boat” with tears in my eyes. A heart warming but extraordinary tale of the determination and resilience of one British man and ten American men on their quest to win gold in the men’s eight at the 1936 Olympic rowing regatta in Berlin.

This year, marks the 80th anniversary of the American victory and as the eyes of the world turn to Rio for the upcoming 2016 Olympic games, it is hard to comprehend just how much has changed not only in rowing, but in sport, politics, the global economy and indeed geographical boundaries.

Having fallen into the world of blades, blisters and carbon fibre racing shells this year, the described process of selection of the freshman crew rang a bell, if on a rather different scale. Much of university rowing has largely remained the same, with the emotions and excitement of the varsity matches and collegiate regattas resonating in me as I reflect on my year rowing at Durham.

Whilst I know I, along with many of my friends, could talk about rowing for hours on end, for those not so enthused by ergo time, boat selection politics or the state of the Blue Star fresher boat, this book goes beyond rowing a two thousand meter course to Olympic glory.

The university rowing scene has definitely struck me as a world of the privileged student. It is hard to deny that the enormous costs of the sport, and dare I say it the associated stereotypes, inhibits many from competing. To me, one of those lucky students, this makes the stories of Joe Rantz, seven seat of the Washington University Varsity boat, and the rest of his crew all the more inspiring.

Tucked up in the north-west of the USA, Seattle suffered mightily from the sweeping economic destruction of the Great Depression. For Joe, simply getting enough food and having a bed to sleep on at night required back breaking work, balanced on top of studying for a university degree and the intense nature of training for competitive rowing. James Brown carefully explains the circumstances and adversities that these men faced on their journey to Berlin, not only highlighting the sacrifices of each and every crew member and their coaches but also the amazing racing adrenaline, boat house tensions and coaching dilemmas that are involved in reaching the top of the game.

There wouldn’t be much to rowing if it was not for the boat and although now, the engineering of the latest GB Empacher is incomparable, George Pockock, based in Washington University shell house, produced the contemporary equivalent. His quite words of wisdom and world class craftsmanship were to the envy of every university crew programme in the United States and some would argue, Washington’s secret weapon.

Intertwined with a thoughtful story of persistence, hard graft and fine turning comes the darker reflections on the formation of Hitler’s Nazi state and the extraordinary propaganda success of the 1936 Olympics. Having discussed these games at length during a seminar this year, the experiences of the famed film-maker Leni Riefenstahl in the production of Olympia was an interesting addition.

A millionaire or not a bean to spare, anything is possible in this world. The USA crew did not wear their official uniform on race day so as not to spoil it. Wearing their ragged Washington jerseys instead, it was their hard work, determination and absolute teamwork ensured that it was the bow of the Husky Clipper that crossed that line first.

Daniel James Brown threads a multitude of different aspects of the journey of these incredible young men together to create a golden formula. There are so many small steps to the final race day and currently our GB athletes are taking the final few before storming down the waters of Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas in August. Not to take anything from their successes, I am sure that none of them have experienced anything close to the circumstances faced by the 1936 USA crew.

This is a thought provoking and inspiring read. Rower or not, I would highly recommend “The Boys in the Boat” during the lead up to the XXXI Olympiad and hopefully the equal success of many a British crew.

"Harmony, balance and rhythm. They're the three things that stay with you your whole life. Without them civilisation is out of whack. And that's why an oarsman, when he goes out in life, he can fight it, he can handle life. That's what he gets from rowing." - George Pocock

*Quotes from James Brown, D, "The Boys in the Boat"