11 Jun Book Review: The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown

Daniel James Brown wasn’t initially setting out to write a bestseller when he started The Boys in the Boat. It grew from a series of conversations with Joe Rantz, one of the rowers at the heart of the story. What Brown unearthed was more than just an underdog sports story—it was a deeply human saga about resilience, unity, and beating impossible odds in a time when hope was in short supply. If you love character-driven narratives that also sweep you into pivotal moments of history, this one will definitely hit you right in the feels.

What’s it about?

The Boys in the Boat tells the true story of nine working-class young men from the University of Washington who rose from obscurity to represent the United States in the 1936 Olympics in Berlin—smack in the middle of Adolf Hitler’s propaganda machine.

The main thread follows Joe Rantz, a young man abandoned by his family and left to fend for himself during the hardships of the Great Depression. Joe’s childhood is a brutal combination of poverty, neglect, and survival. He grows up scraping together meals, living alone in an unfinished house in the woods, and teaching himself that self-reliance is the only way to survive. Trust does not come easily to Joe, which makes his journey into the world of competitive rowing—a sport that demands absolute synchronicity and trust in your teammates—even more remarkable.

Joe enrolls at the University of Washington with the slim hope of escaping his past and building a better future. To fund his education, he tries out for the university’s elite rowing team, a decision that will change the course of his life. The Washington crew team, led by Coach Al Ulbrickson, is not full of the polished, privileged young men rowing for Ivy League schools like Harvard and Yale. These boys are rough-hewn sons of loggers, farmers, and laborers—kids who know hard work better than anyone.

Under Ulbrickson’s gruff but visionary leadership, and with the wisdom of British-born master boatbuilder George Pocock guiding them behind the scenes, the team begins to evolve. Pocock becomes a quiet, philosophical presence, teaching the boys that success in rowing isn’t about brute strength alone—it’s about trust, harmony, and grace under pressure.

The team battles against adversity every step of the way: brutal training sessions, internal rivalries, sickness, equipment failures, and fierce competition from wealthier, more established East Coast programs. Meanwhile, Joe struggles not just physically but emotionally—haunted by fears of abandonment and unworthiness that threaten to hold him back from truly connecting with his teammates.

As they endure grueling training and a string of competitions, the Washington boys earn their shot at the national championship—and, ultimately, a spot at the Berlin Olympics. But nothing about their journey is simple. Injuries, last-minute substitutions, and hostile officials make their Olympic dreams feel constantly on the verge of collapse.

In Berlin, the stakes are higher than ever. Hitler’s regime sees the Games as a stage for Nazi propaganda, and everything about the 1936 Olympics is orchestrated to showcase the supposed superiority of the Aryan race. The American boys, practically anonymous compared to their East Coast rivals, are seen as underdogs among underdogs.

The Olympic race itself is a masterpiece of suspense. A poor lane assignment, sabotaged starting conditions, and physical exhaustion push the Washington crew to their absolute limits. Joe, battling both his past and the pain in his muscles, must find a way to dig deeper than ever before—not just individually, but as part of a perfectly synchronized team.

The climax is as stirring as any fictional story: against all odds, the boys find their perfect swing—the elusive, almost magical moment when all eight rowers and the coxswain move as one, transcending themselves. They surge past their competition in a breathtaking finish to seize Olympic gold for the United States, in the very heart of Nazi Germany’s grand stage.

But Brown’s brilliance lies not just in recounting this victory, but in weaving it so tightly with the boys’ individual stories, showing how every triumph on the water was a hard-won personal battle against fear, despair, and isolation.

What This Chick Thinks

Character-Driven Brilliance

I loved that Joe Rantz isn’t portrayed as some shiny, heroic figure from the start. He’s vulnerable, deeply wounded, and often unsure of his place in the world. Watching his gradual opening up—learning to trust, to belong, to lean on others—is what makes his athletic achievements mean so much more.

Themes of Resilience, Trust, and Hope

At its core, this isn’t just a sports book. It’s a meditation on perseverance, the human need for connection, and the beauty of what people can achieve when they move beyond their personal struggles and work in true harmony. It reminded me that victories aren’t just made up of big moments—they’re built in the long, grinding, unseen hours.

Vivid Historical Context

The setting is almost its own character. The grim realities of the Depression, the political tension leading into World War II, and the chilling spectacle of Berlin under Hitler’s regime are painted so vividly you feel like you’re living it. I especially appreciated how Brown doesn’t over-romanticize the period; he shows it in all its harshness.

Beautiful Writing Style

Brown’s prose is straightforward but often lyrical, especially when describing rowing itself. He captures the magic of perfect motion—the moment when muscle memory, trust, and spirit all come together. Honestly, even if you know nothing about rowing (and I didn’t going in), you’ll still be swept away.

Final Thoughts

The Boys in the Boat is pure inspiration. It’s a story about finding grace and unity in a world falling apart, about ordinary people doing extraordinary things because they believed in each other when it mattered most. If you ever need a reminder that grit, humility, and heart still matter in a cynical world, this is the book.

A definite 9 out of 10 for me.

Try it if you like:

• Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand – A powerful story of survival, resilience, and the human spirit during World War II.
• Seabiscuit by Laura Hillenbrand – Another Depression-era underdog story, focusing on a racehorse who captured America’s imagination.
• Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer – A gripping, intensely personal account of an Everest expedition gone tragically wrong, examining endurance, teamwork, and human limits.