This is a nonfiction work of the 20th century. It is about a handful of Olympic level athletes. The author is a journalist, who won a Pulitzer Prize for his work for the Americans while Americans are participating in military conflicts in Viet Nam. The book begins with an Olympic trial, which goes largely unnoticed. There is very little press. The sport is rowing. This requires high speed, high effort, and teamwork. In this sport individual performance is more intimately associated with the success of the team than is found in many other sports.

The author devotes significant time to each of four major rowing champions. He also educates people about some class-related issues while he does this. Most rowers are upper middle class. The importance of money may manifest somewhat differently amongst this group. David Halberstam gives readers a good realistic sense for this without making too much of it during the course of the book. The financial aspects of the sport of rowing are also involved. He explains how and where there actually is money in it and also shows that the rowing stars tended to do it so passionately that they engaged in it even though it did not make them money. In that regard, money is shown by rowers to be barely relevant; only to the extent that is absolutely unavoidable, does money matter.

The author introduces the rowing world to readers. For those who know the sport, it will be repetitive. For those being introduced to it by this book the information is very helpful. Halberstam has written this book for readers who have seen the Olympic rowing championships and may want to learn more about the sport as a result. The story takes readers through the 1984 Olympic Games and then gives some details about how the main players are doing the year afterward. The entire book is rather short than long, at just over 200 pages.