Perspective

This book takes place in the second half of the 20th century. The subjective location is America and the author is male. The author is a journalist. He is writing an incredibly in-depth sporting story. For a journalist, a book is an incredibly long project. David Halberstam is very obviously writing for people who do not understand rowing. It is designed to serve people who have developed an interest in the sport, probably as a consequence of viewing the Olympic Games in 1984.

The author has intentionally written the book for a general audience. Not only are the contents safe for young people, but it is also true that readers could come from all parts of the socio-economic strata and still be interested in this. The book is written with a similar tone and style to newspaper writing; it is clear and accessible. It is clear that he does...