Review of "Battling the Oceans in a Rowboat"

The first thought I had when seeing this title is that the author had to be crazy to try to row across the ocean in a rowboat.  After reading this, I can't say I completely erased that thought, but I came away with a lot of respect for this man.  Here is my review of "Battling the Oceans in a Rowboat."

Title/Author:

“Battling the Oceans in a Rowboat” by Mick Dawson

Tags:

Rowing, adventure, memoir

Publish date:

August 22, 2017

Length:

288 pages

Rating: 

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:

Seeing this title may make the reader wonder how in the world can any person row across the entire ocean in a rowboat. This book by former Royal Marine Mick Dawson explains just how – and he has done it more than once.  It should be noted that early in the book, Dawson explains that this is a specially designed rowboat – it is not the type that one typically sees on a lake or pond.

Encountering practically every type of peril that one can encounter in the open sea, Dawson writes about his adventures in a specially designed rowboat with equal parts humor and melancholy.  It is especially poignant when he writes about family, especially when his father passed away. 

However, that is not the main emotion will take away from the book as Dawson’s courage and endurance in his expeditions.  The first attempt that Dawson attempted at rowing across the Pacific Ocean in 2004 is described in the beginning of the book and the reader will instantly be sucked into the adventure.  Then future attempts, until he is finally successful in this quest, are covered in as exquisite detail as the first.  There are some slow sections of the book when Dawson writes about things such as the repairs made to the boat before a race from San Juan or about his time in the Royal Marines, but they don’t detract from the adventure the reader will take along with Dawson.

This book is a decent read and recommended for readers who like to read about adventure in the high seas. I wish to thank Center Street for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Book Format Read:

E-book (Kindle)

Buying Links:

https://www.amazon.com/Battling-Oceans-Rowboat-Crossing-Atlantic-ebook/dp/B01LZP26IS/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/battling-the-oceans-in-a-rowboat-mick-dawson/1126840693?ean=9781478947516#/

Author Daniel Brown speaks at Marist College

The author of "Boys in  the Boat"'  Daniel James Brown, gave a talk tonight at Marist College in Poughkeepsie,NY.  I attended the  event with  my  wife  Deb and we enjoyed listening to Mr. Brown  share his tale of what inspired him to write the book.  Poughkeepsie was where the Collegiate Regatta was held during the 1930's and where the team in  the book won the collegiate championship before going to the Olympics.

 The idea for the book came out of a  homeowner  association meeting.   Mr. Brown talked  to  another  member whose father wanted to meet him.   That person was the main character of the book and one whose story of the boat and the team is shared throughout the book.   It was a very interesting and entertaining talk.  Mr. Brown explained that between the research into a topic he knew nothing about, the interviews with team membets, family and coaches and the actual writing of the book, it took six years to write the book.  He talked about the joy of doing this research and the bond felt between each team member.  This was followed by a question and answer session and a book signing.  He was gracious enough to not only sign my copy of Boys  in the Boat, but also signed copies of his other two books my wife owns.  It was a very nice evening with the author of one of the year's best books on sports.

Review of "The Boys in the Boat"

This book is about the "other" American Olympic champions in 1936, nine young men from the University of Washington who rowed their way into history.

Title/Author:

“The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics” by Daniel James Brown.

Genre:

Rowing, Crew, Olympics, Non-fiction, historical

Published:

June 4, 2012

Length:

416 pages

Rating: 

5 of 5 stars (outstanding)

Review:

The 1936 Olympics may be best remembered for Jesse Owens winning gold medals, by nine young men from the University of Washington rowing team also had their moment of Olympic history at those games as well.  Their story, from the time they were a rag-tag bunch of college freshmen to a polished team representing America in Nazi Germany, is well-documented in this outstanding book by Daniel James Brown. 

The book is driven by personal stories, especially that of Joe Rentz, a young boy whose father and stepmother abandoned him and his siblings during the Great Depression.  Left to fend on his own, Joe was able to keep the family alive and also find a way to the University of Washington, where he was part of a seemingly rag-tag bunch of young men thrown together to form the freshman rowing crew.

These young men became a team through hard work, camaraderie, excellent coaching, and a lot of perseverance.  The research on this team – everything from the results to the coaches to the lives of the young men – is outstanding.   Much of the knowledge came from accounts provided by either the team members or their surviving family members.   Painstaking detail is written for some of these stories, such as the courtship of Joe and his future wife Joyce, the conditions the team endured in Poughkeepsie during the regatta championships (Washington became the first school to sweep the three events – varsity, junior varsity and freshman), and the experiences they each shared during their time in Berlin at the Olympics.

The events of the time shaped how this team would be viewed at the Olympics, and the author does a good job of writing about the history of that time without getting too deep.  The references made to the rise of the Nazis, the Dust Bowl gripping the country and the effects of the Great Depression all are important to the story but do not take away from the central theme – namely the nine young men from the University of Washington rowing team.

Every aspect of the book is well researched, well written and told in the proper amount of detail.  This was an inspiring tale and a book that kept my interest from beginning to end.  An outstanding read that anyone will enjoy.

Did I skim?

No

 

Did I learn something new?

Yes.  Having no knowledge of rowing, the history of the sport or any of the strategy involved, I found the passages on the actual races undertaken by the Washington crew, whether in their hometown of Seattle, the regattas at Poughkeepsie or the Olympics, the manner in which these races and the strategy involved made me feel like I could coach these men.

Pace of the book: 

Excellent.  It moves between the sport, the personal stories and the current events of the time smoothly.  Each time there is a change, it is for the good of the book so the reader can catch up on that aspect.

Positives:

Just about everything – the research, the writing, the sport and the personal stories, especially that of Joe Rantz.  Even mundane items such as how the team traveled to first Poughkeepsie and then to Berlin for the Olympics was made interesting by the style of the author’s writing. 

Negatives:

No major problems – well edited, researched and written

 Do I recommend? 

Yes.  Just about anyone will enjoy reading this book – whether for the sports, the history or the personal stories.  Even fans of romance will be touched by the story of Joe and his lady Joyce.

Book Format Read:

EBook (Netgalley)

 Buying Links:

http://www.amazon.com/The-Boys-Boat-Americans-ebook/dp/B00AEBETU2/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1373237870&sr=1-1

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-boys-in-the-boat-daniel-james-brown/1114985036?ean=9780670025817