"The University of Washington's 1936 eight-oar crew transformed the sport and grabbed the attention of millions of Americans. The sons of loggers, shipyard workers, and farmers, the nine boys, in the depths of the Great Depression, showed the world what beating the odds really meant. They defeated elite rivals from California and eastern schools to earn the right to compete against the German crew rowing for Adolf Hitler in the Olympic Games in Berlin....

"Out of the depths of the Great Depression comes the astonishing tale of nine working-class boys from the American West who at the 1936 Olympics showed the world what true grit really meant. With rowers who were the sons of loggers, shipyard workers, and farmers, the University of Washingtons eight-oar crew was never expected to defeat the elite East Coast teams, yet they did, going on to shock the world by challenging the German boat rowing for Adolf...

In this wise and thrilling book, Criag Lambert turns rowing-personal discipline, modern Olympic sport, grand collegiate tradition-into a metaphor for a vigorous and satisfying life.

In 1936, nine boys from the University of Washington took the rowing world and a nation by storm, when their eight-oar crew team captured the gold medal at the Olympics in Berlin. The boys' victory, and their obstacles, inspired a nation struggling to emerge from the depths of the Depression.

"The story of the lost world of professional rowing in America, a sport that attracted crowds of thousands, widespread betting, and ultimately corruption that foretold its doom. This book also discusses the rise of amateur rowing as America's first collegiate sport, its growth over the twentieth century, and current popularity for both men and women competing at all levels of the sport"--

"Born with severe asthma and enormous dreams, James Gardiner began his life in conflict with himself. Little Jimmy wanted to reach for the stars like his science-fiction icons and become a sports superstar like the paper heroes that adorned the walls of his childhood bedroom. But as a frequent visitor to the local hospital, viewing the world through the plastic walls of an oxygen tent, such dreams seemed like they would always be firmly out of reach....