Insider Rowing

Spending more time at home huddled against the chill of winter? Looking for a way to feed your head over the holidays? Now is a great time to pick up a few rowing (or non-rowing) books and increase your knowledge. I’ve put together two lists of good reads that should help you get through the indoor season. This one features rowing books. Tomorrow I’ll do non-rowing. Any suggestions? Feel free to comment or drop me an email.

Ben’s Picks for Rowing Books

A Golden Age: The Autobiography, by Sir Steven Redgrave – Any discussion of rowing over the last 30 years will inevitably lead to Sir Redgrave and His five Olympic golds. This autobiography is excellent, chronicling his first strokes as a schoolboy to his last strokes after the Sydney final. This book is intelligently written with a high level of detail, a fair amount of humor and self-deprecation, and offers insight on every page. Will be of special interest to anyone who wants to know what rowing is like across the pond. $10 new on Amazon, you can find this one for less than two bucks used.

The Amateurs, by David Halberstam – Excellently researched and masterfully written by a Pulitzer Prize winner, The Amateurs is a classic. Features the stories of Tiff Wood, Charlie Altekruse, John Biglow, and Joe Bouscaren on their quest to make the 1984 Olympic team, and will get you inside what it takes to be an elite rower. I’m a big Halberstam fan so this one holds a special place for me. You can find it on Amazon for about ten bucks new, or less than three used.

Assault on Lake Casitas, by Brad Alan Lewis – Assault is a classic and is cited by many rowers as a favorite because of its intensity and engaging quality. This one gets the reader inside the head of an elite athlete and brings you “close to the metal.” Lewis also offers keen insight into the sport and doesn’t pull punches on any blemishes or areas of hypocrisy in our fine sport. You can find the second edition on jlrowing.com site for $15.

Red Rose Crew, by Daniel Boyne - A solid historical perspective on the evolution of women’s rowing in the 70’s, this one features some of the big figures in the sport like Carrie Graves and Harry Parker. Details the US women’s eight from the 1975 World Championships to the 1976 Olympics. Red Rose Crew is engaging, well researched, and reads like a good sports novel. $10 new, $2 used.

Seat with a View, by Steve Segaloff – Not quite as well written or as insightful as some of the heavy hitters above, I still love Scrappy Segaloff’s chronicle of his time at the controls of the US Men’s eight and the run-up to the Atlanta Olympics. This one, of course, is great for any budding coxswains out there, and will give you an idea of what it’s like to be in the driver seat. Also features many of the great personalities in US men’s rowing and their coach, Mike Spracklen.

Honorable mentions: A Lifetime in a Race, by Matthew Pinsent, and The Shell Game, by Stephen Kiesling.