The Boys in the Boat
Score Modern
What it's about
In the depths of the Depression, the University of Washington's eight-man rowing crew, the sons of loggers, shipyard workers and farmers, set out to beat the elite teams of the East Coast and Britain, and went on to compete for gold at the 1936 Olympics in Hitler's Berlin. Daniel James Brown centers the story on Joe Rantz, a young man left to fend for himself, who found a family in the boat.
Why it's worth reading
It reached #1 on the New York Times bestseller list and has spent more than 170 weeks on the lists. It's one of the great true sports stories, and you don't need to care about rowing to love it.
You'll love it if you liked
Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience and Redemption, Seabiscuit: An American Legend or The Devil in the White City
Good to know
It's an inspiring, old-fashioned underdog story. A young readers' edition and a film adaptation also exist.
Quick answers
Is The Boys in the Boat worth reading?
Yes. It reached #1 on the New York Times bestseller list and has spent more than 170 weeks on the lists. It ranks #250 of the 2,819 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 82.6 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Boys in the Boat about?
In the depths of the Depression, the University of Washington's eight-man rowing crew, the sons of loggers, shipyard workers and farmers, set out to beat the elite teams of the East Coast and Britain, and went on to compete for gold at the 1936 Olympics in Hitler's Berlin. Daniel James Brown centers the story on Joe Rantz, a young man left to fend for himself, who found a family in the boat.
How long does it take to read The Boys in the Boat?
About 10 hours (416 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after The Boys in the Boat?
If you liked it, try Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand, Seabiscuit: An American Legend by Laura Hillenbrand or The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson.
By the numbers
- Readers94 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller70 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
#1 New York Times bestseller (1 week at #1).
Where it ranks
- #47 of the 198 history books we rank
- #125 of the 1,575 modern books we rank
- #250 of the 2,819 books we rank
Bestseller
- #1 New York Times bestseller (1 week at #1)
- 176 weeks on the New York Times bestseller lists since 2013
Reads as
True story, Adventurous
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