The Boys in the Boat: The True Story of an American Team’s Epic Journey to Win Gold at the 1936 Olympics

This account interweaves Joe Rantz’s personal story with the University of Washington rowers’ path to the 1936 Berlin Olympics. After family hardship during the Depression and other tragedy, Rantz was on his own at fifteen, worked his way to Seattle, entered the university, and tried out for rowing. He and many teammates came from working-class backgrounds. Training, hard work, and growing coordination under their coaches led the crew to represent the United States and win Olympic gold.