This is a wonderful and true story about the 1936 University of
Washington varsity crew, eight young men who rowed into history. Daniel
James Brown writes so well that history becomes personal, the distant
past becomes immediate, and the now dead men and women are alive again
in the mind of the reader. He describes the sport of rowing in great
detail and with accuracy, no mean feat for someone who never rowed. His
writing is comparable to David Halberstam, author of The Amateurs, in
quality and in scope. In fact, Mr. Brown has surpassed him with this
book. The author, who is unfortunate enough to share a name with Dan
Brown of DaVinci Code infamy, does a thorough report on the men in the
boat, their families, their coaches, the history of the 1930's, and the
science of sport.
Many of the old luminaries of American rowing
are in this story, the good, the bad, and the legendary, including Hiram
Conibear, Tom Bolles, Al Ulbrickson and George Pocock. The story of the
Pocock racing shell, which was still the best racing boat in the US
when I started rowing, is detailed, along with the life story of George
Pocock, his personality, and his contributions to Washington crews.
At
times the author gets a bit over enthusiastic, and comes close to
melodrama. Some of the rowing details were overwrought, particularly
during the races. He describes the crews as "furiously hacking at the
choppy water..." That doesn't describe the sport of rowing, except for
raw beginners. Nevertheless, I only have minor complaints: it is a well
written story.
This is a recommended read for anyone who has
suffered through a season of rowing. It brought back all the anxiety of
fighting for a seat in the boat, the hours of self doubt, the pain of
training in bad weather, with bad combinations of rowers, and the joy of
getting it right, feeling the boat fly. This is an inspirational story,
one that will lift you up, and it is wonderful, not only because Brown
is a great writer, but because it is true.
