[Loscho_Enews] Daniel James Brown at Everett Public Library

[Cameron Johnson]

The rowers from the University of Washington gave Hitler a black eye...and stole away the gold. It was the Berlin Olympics, 1936, and the crew race heard 'round the world.

Author Daniel James Brown talks about his book The Boys in the Boat at 2pm Sunday October 13 in the Everett Performing Arts Center, 2710 Wetmore Avenue in Everett.

The boys in the University of Washington Men's Eight were not the scions of rich families, but sons of working stiffs:  fishermen, loggers, farmers. They lacked refinement in a gentleman's sport, but they learned to row an eight-man shell well enough to sweep the collegiate rowing championship and qualify to represent the United States in the "Nazi Olympics."
At the Olympic rowing stadium in Grünau, Hitler and his henchmen looked on, expecting the dominant German contingent to win its sixth race of the day. Race officials did their best to rig the race, unaccountably putting the fastest-qualifying Huskies in the wind-whipped outer lane, reserving the protected inner lanes for Axis partners Germany and Italy.
It didn't matter. In a time when rowing was a huge spectator sport-comparable in interest to the Kentucky Derby or the World Series-on the biggest stage of all, nine guys from Washington State set the sporting world on its ear.
Books will be on sale at the event.

This program is free.


Cameron A. Johnson
Public Programs

Everett Public Library
2702 Hoyt Avenue
Everett, WA  98201
425-257-7640
425-257-8092 (fax)
cjohnson at everettwa.gov

As little as possible,
As much as necessary.
                           -R. Daneel Olivaw


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