Four Men In A Boat

When Great Britain won gold at the Sydney 2000 Olympics coxless four, seven million people watched and voted it the greatest sporting moment of the year. This moment, and Steve Redgrave's fifth Olympic gold medal, has eclipsed the long and troubled journey four men made to peak at exactly the right time. Tim Foster brings vividly to life what it's like to be one of four headstrong, and at times conflicting, personalities and reveals how close they all came to implosion as the Sydney Olympics approached. FOUR MEN IN A BOAT is structured around the 2000m final itself, with Tim Foster analysing the story of the crew as they progress towards the gold medal. He also gives a compelling insight into the hardships of sport at the highest level, and what it takes for four men to come together and win Olympic gold.

"When does a man quit the sea?" asked E.B. White. "Does he quit while he's ahead, or wait till he makes some major mistake?" Skipper and the crew seem to thrive pushing for the latter. Sailing alongside killer whales. Flying the Canadian flag upside down while coasting blithely into Victoria. Debating who gets left behind the day they have to squeeze into the three-man lifeboat. Interrogated by the US Coast Guard. Running aground. Losing themselves in blinding sea fog. Standing rapt beneath Taps' benediction as the American flag retires in Roche Harbor. For Kjell, John, Ed, and Skipper, sailing is about far more than simply passing time on the water. It's about the love of familiar faces and the thirst for new horizons-on land or sea. It's about the bond created by the sheer accumulation of memories, just a few of which are in this book. What else could explain why four grandpas (all north of sixty) spend four days navigating the San Juan islands every summer for fifteen years, when only one of them grew up sailing and he (given the opportunity) might cheerfully capsize the boat?

Now a Major Motion Picture Directed by George Clooney The #1 New York Times–bestselling story about the American Olympic rowing triumph in Nazi Germany—from the author of Facing the Mountain. For readers of Unbroken, out of the depths of the Depression comes an irresistible story about beating the odds and finding hope in the most desperate of times—the improbable, intimate account of how nine working-class boys from the American West showed the world at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin what true grit really meant. It was an unlikely quest from the start. With a team composed of the sons of loggers, shipyard workers, and farmers, the University of Washington’s eight-oar crew team was never expected to defeat the elite teams of the East Coast and Great Britain, yet they did, going on to shock the world by defeating the German team rowing for Adolf Hitler. The emotional heart of the tale lies with Joe Rantz, a teenager without family or prospects, who rows not only to regain his shattered self-regard but also to find a real place for himself in the world. Drawing on the boys’ own journals and vivid memories of a once-in-a-lifetime shared dream, Brown has created an unforgettable portrait of an era, a celebration of a remarkable achievement, and a chronicle of one extraordinary young man’s personal quest.

Three Men in a Boat published in 1889, is a humorous account by English writer Jerome K. Jerome of a two-week boating holiday on the Thames from Kingston upon Thames to Oxford and back to Kingston. The book was initially intended to be a serious travel guide, with accounts of local history along the route, but the humorous elements took over to the point where the serious and somewhat sentimental passages seem a distraction to the comic novel. One of the most praised things about Three Men in a Boat is how undated it appears to modern readers - the jokes have been praised as fresh and witt

Too many people fear death. Keith Tornheim confronts it in all its possibilities. His poems are straightforward, tender, compassionate and with even a touch of humor. For the living there is a need to deal with the transition of those alive to being deceased. He also expertly helps the living deal with memories of those who have died. Keith Tornheim has elegantly presented the readers of this book with scenarios that offer guidance to the emotion of seeing a loved one or friend on their final journey or those who are forever gone. -- Zvi A. Sesling, author of Fire Tongue

A decade after their wild boat ride adventure on the Thames river, J, Harris, and George reunite for another vacation. Older, richer, and fatter, but not wiser, the three men stumble through mishaps and surprises as they journey to Germany. First saying their goodbyes, J and Harris seek the approval of their wives, worried about leaving their kids. Their wives are supportive, secretly considering their husbands’ trip from home as a vacation for themselves as well. Still a bachelor, George tells his aunt about the trip before they depart. First arriving in a boat, the men journey through Germany, stopping in Hamburg, Hanover, and Berlin. When they are able, they stay in hotels and inns, and when they are desperate, the sleep in the barns of kind farmers. After a long journey, the men finally arrive at their destination. Planning on completing a cycling tour through the German Black Forest, the men take a single rider and a tandem bicycle, making a solemn compromise to take turns being the solo rider. As they set out on their bike ride, the friends are amazed by the beauty and serenity of the forest, until they start to realize that everything looks familiar. Lost in the woods and going in circles, the three men must find a way home from their adventure before they get caught in the impending rain storm. Through sketches and detailed observations, Jerome K. Jerome’s Three Men on the Bummel provides a fascinating perspective on the landscape and culture of 20th century Germany. With drunken adventures, sword fights, and misfortunate weather, Three Men on the Bummel is an exciting and charming travelogue, humorous and enjoyable even for modern audiences. This edition of Three Men on the Bumel by Jerome K. Jerome is presented in an easy-to-read font and features an eye-catching new cover design. With these accommodations, this edition is accessible and appealing to contemporary audiences, restoring Jerome K Jerome’s work to modern standards while preserving the original wit and charm of Three Men on the Bummel.

Ten explorers. Four boats. One Grand Canyon. MEN ON BOATS is the true(ish) history of an 1869 expedition, when a one-armed captain and a crew of insane yet loyal volunteers set out to chart the course of the Colorado River.