I have just finished one of the best books I have ever read. The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown. Its meticulous research about the 9 crew members but in particular one by the name of Joe Rantz includes the preparations by Germany to hold the games in an attempt to spin Nazi Germany as modern and civilized.

Against huge odds, they — a crew from the University of Washington in Seattle — won the Berlin Olympics in 1936 while Hitler watched on. But the challenges they met to get there during the depression of the 30s are detailed with suspense, setbacks and triumph. There are many levels in the book including the ecology, economics and politics of the era. But also the psychology of individuals — especially Joe Rantz — as it came together in the relationships of the coach, the boatbuilder and the men in the boat. Faith in one another and trust that each will have the others’ back — literally — is a thread that evolves and is slowly revealed as they face the ultimate challenge in Berlin.