Boys In The Boat

Don Hume was very sick, probably with something akin to pneumonia.  But at the moment he was one of eight men rowing for Olympic gold right under the nose of Hitler.    Hume was the one who dictated to the rest of the crew when to pick up the pace and how much.  His eyes were closed.  His head nodded.  The race was lost.  Suddenly, he came out of his seeming stupor.  His body was filled with pain, but he was beyond pain.  His body was spent, as were the seven behind him.  He began to row harder and at the others followed.  The book is about the why and how of it.  It is only in part about rowing, though I found out from zero knowledge that rowing is quite interesting.  It is about the human person, such as Joe Rantz, who can rise up above so much abandonment, fear, loneliness, and doubt, to become a champion person, as well as an Olympian.  Man or women will enjoy this book.  My excuses for mediocrity fell by the wayside as I turned the pages.  Oh, we won the race.  Hitler was not pleased.