Read for the Gold

I have no doubt that history will be made during the upcoming Olympics in Paris. Athletes will set records, longshots will come from behind to medal, and careers will end. Each Olympiad is special, but the 1936 Summer Games were especially noteworthy for a variety of reasons, including the fact it was the last Olympics until 1948.

Held in Berlin and often referred to as “Hitler’s Olympics,” it gave many in the sporting world their first look at life in the Third Reich. Probably the most notable US athlete competing was sprinter and long jumper Jesse Owens, winner of four gold medals. You can read his story in “Triumph: The Untold Story of Jesse Owens and Hitler’s Olympics” by Jeremy Schaap or delve deeper into his life by reading “Jesse Owens: an American Life,” by William J. Baker.

Less successful on the track was Louis Zamperini but his story, particularly after the Olympics, became well known after the publication of “Unbroken: a WW II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption” by Lauren Hillenbrand, soon followed by the film of the same name.

Betty Robinson won the gold medal in the first-ever women’s 100-yard dash in the 1928 Games in Amsterdam, but a horrific accident prevented her from a repeat performance four years later. However, she fought back and took part in the 1936 Olympics; her story can be found in “Fire on the Track” by Roseanne Montillo.

But in my opinion, Daniel James Brown’s “Boys in the Boat” can’t be topped when it comes to books recounting Olympic athletes of any Games but particularly the ones held in 1936. The rags-to-riches story of the University of Washington’s crew team is the epitome of the American dream and after reading the dramatic re-telling of their final race against the German team—in front of Hitler and his cronies, no less—will have you searching for the original footage on YouTube. You’ll be cheering despite knowing the outcome.

If you just aren’t into non-fiction, we can also offer you “Fast Girls” by Elise Hooper, a novel based on the first integrated women’s track team that ran in Berlin in those fateful Games. Even if you don’t enjoy sports that much, it’s a look into a part of women’s history that hasn’t always gotten much attention.

If you’d rather read about the Olympics than watch the events, then we have you covered. You don’t even have to worry about the time difference.