The Boys in the Boat (Young Readers Adaptation): The True Story of an American Team's Epic Journey to Win Gold at the 1936 Olympics

In this chapter, Brown details the preparations for the 1936 Berlin Olympics and the journey of the University of Washington crew team to Germany. Initially, Adolf Hitler opposed hosting the games due to his racist ideology, but his advisors convinced him it could be used to portray Nazi Germany positively to the world. The Nazis embarked on extensive construction projects for the Olympics while simultaneously implementing discriminatory laws against Jews and other minorities.

Brown describes the growing unease in the United States about Nazi Germany’s actions, including a failed attempt to boycott the Olympics. Despite these concerns, the American athletes, including the Washington crew, prepared to compete. The team traveled to New York for training, experiencing the city’s attractions and realizing their new role as representatives of the US.

The chapter highlights personal moments for team members, such as Bobby learning about his Jewish heritage and Joe contemplating the meaning of liberty atop the Empire State Building. As they departed for Germany, the crew understood they were not just competing for gold, but also representing American values of trust, respect, and fair play. Brown portrays their journey as both an athletic endeavor and a symbolic stand against the rising tide of fascism in Europe.

The American rowing team traveled to Berlin via ship. Upon arriving in Hamburg, the team was greeted by cheering crowds and Nazi symbols. They were housed in a police academy near the Olympic rowing course. In the lead-up to their races, the team struggled, facing challenges such as weight gain, colds, and difficulty regaining their form. Meanwhile, Coach Ulbrickson grew concerned about their performance and the potentially unfair layout of the racecourse.

Tensions rose among the international crews, culminating in a brawl during mealtime. As the preliminary heats approached, the American team focused on centering themselves and improving their performance. They began to bond more closely, discussing strategies and quoting their mentor, George Pocock, to each other.

Brown portrays the team’s gradual improvement. Don Hume, the team’s stroke, returned to the boat despite suffering from an illness, and the crew found their rhythm again.

The team faced their preliminary race against formidable opponents, including Great Britain. Despite Don’s illness and weight loss, he insisted on rowing. The American crew started poorly but ultimately surged ahead, defeating the British and setting a new Olympic record.

Brown describes the team’s elation following their victory, contrasting it with coach Ulbrickson’s ongoing concerns about Don’s health. The author then shifts focus to the team’s experiences in Berlin, noting their positive impressions of Germany while hinting at the hidden atrocities occurring under Nazi rule.

As the final race approached, the American team faced many challenges. They were assigned the least favorable lane, potentially putting them at a significant disadvantage. Brown notes that the German Olympic Committee altered the rules for the finals, assigning the best lanes to Germany and its closest ally, Italy, while relegating potential adversaries like Great Britain and the United States to the least favorable positions.

Don’s condition worsened, prompting Ulbrickson to consider replacing him. However, the team rallied together, insisting that Don should row with them. Brown portrays this moment as a testament to the crew’s unity and determination, with the team captain and others pleading their case to Ulbrickson. The chapter concludes with Ulbrickson’s decision to bring Don along.

Brown recounts the climactic rowing competition at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. As rain fell and wind gusted, a massive crowd of 75,000 spectators gathered at the Langer See. The American team, despite Don Hume’s illness and their disadvantageous lane position, determinedly prepared for the most important race of their lives.

The American and British boats were delayed at the start because their coxswains failed to hear or see the starter’s signal due to the wind and their positioning on the course. Brown subtly implies potential bias in the starting procedure by noting that the official starter turned slightly toward the German and Italian boats before giving the starting command.

Despite the setback, coxswain Bobby Moch guided the team through the turbulent waters of the outside lane. As they approached the halfway point, the Americans trailed behind Italy, Germany, and Britain. With Don appearing unwell and unresponsive, Moch desperately urged the team to increase their pace.

Brown portrays the dramatic final stretch of the race, with the American boat surging forward in the last 300 meters. The three leading boats—America, Italy, and Germany—battled fiercely as they neared the finish line. When the crowd’s chanting drowned out his voice commands, Moch resorted to banging wooden handles against the boat’s knocker boards, creating vibrations the rowers could feel as he signaled for more effort. The team increased their pace to 44 strokes per minute, a rate they had never reached before.

As the three leading boats crossed the finish line nearly simultaneously, confusion reigned over who had won, with Hitler and his officials initially celebrating. When the official announcement revealed the Americans’ victory by a fraction of a second, Hitler abruptly left the viewing area without comment. In the aftermath, the exhausted American rowers, still gasping for breath and overwhelmed by pain, drifted past the grandstands in a daze, not immediately comprehending their triumph until the results were clarified.

The chapter concludes with the aftermath of the race, describing the team’s gold medal ceremony. Brown emphasizes the profound sense of unity and trust the team had developed, which ultimately led to their victory.

The Epilogue discusses the aftermath of the 1936 Olympics. Brown describes how Nazi Germany quickly resumed its persecution of Jews and other marginalized groups after the games concluded. The author notes that within three years, World War II had begun, ultimately claiming tens of millions of lives.

Brown then shifts focus to the American rowers’ lives after the Olympics. Most of the crew members returned to the University of Washington, winning another national championship in 1937. Joe married Joyce and settled near Seattle, where they raised a family. During World War II, several crew members contributed to the war effort through engineering and medical roles.

The author highlights how the rowers maintained their bonds throughout their lives, meeting regularly and even rowing together at reunions. Brown describes his own visit to Berlin in 2011, where he reflected on the historical significance of the 1936 race. He suggests that Hitler’s witnessing of the American victory foreshadowed Germany’s eventual defeat.

Brown concludes by mentioning that while the rowers have passed away, their legacy lives on through the preserved Husky Clipper boat and the continuing tradition of rowing at the University of Washington.