A view of the Depression, the dust storms, the national mood. Hoovervilles. Genuine "hard times." Useful context for the 1930s. How the perception of "hard times" has evolved.
Many of the 1930s Washington stories resonated with stories we were hearing about the Depression when growing up in 1960s Iowa - vivid memories - and relatively fresh, the Depression didn't end until WWII. (It would be like us today talking about events from late 1990s.) They wouldn't have been surprised to hear of children in Washington working like adults, folks doing without, they were doing their version of the same. Describes a hand-cranked cream separator. Laying asphalt - classic summer job. Making do.
Just before embarking for Berlin - author describes the 1936 heat wave as the rowers spend time in NYC. EMG family always talked about that summer - crop wilted, dragging mattresses onto lawn to be able to sleep. (At age 7, he thought it was an adventure.)
While in NYC hotel - author mentions the rowers meeting Joe Fortenberry (captain of Olympic basketball team) - Antiques Roadshow tells us he was credited with the first slam dunk, and with prompting a rule change to outlaw defensive goaltending. Hitler required outdoor basketball - gold medal game was played in sand in a driving rainstorm. Appraised his gold medal at $100-150k.
Pocock as a mystical figure - compares to who? Horse whisperers. Author says Pocock's grandfather worked on Stanley's Lady Alice!
History of rowing; how it doesn't start, but becomes, elite. Development of shells. This was interesting.
Got a little carried away at the end - Hitler watching the US overtake Germany as a harbinger of WWII outcome. But OK.
A view of rowing as a sport of national interest - interesting and it was hard to believe - this is the early 1930s, not that long ago. Boxing, baseball, horse racing, ? Then I see the movie "After Office Hours" on TMC - 1935 - in theater lobby, Clark Gable et al are discussing the races at Poughkeepsie!
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