Product Description

'The rivalry is brilliantly told'

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #24375 in Books
• Published on: 2009-03-02
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 320 pages

Review
`The Boat Race is the most divisive event in rowing...an extraordinary and gripping story of a battle between brothers' --Sir Matthew Pinsent

'This is an excellent book. The Livingstons provide a great insight into the effect that sport can have on the relationship between siblings. Their description of the events around the dramatic 2003 Boat Race also captures the essence of this unique contest and make compelling reading.'
--Jonny Searle, Olympic Champion 1992

Review
Jumping from boat to boat, from brother to brother, you feel every physical and emotional strain as they haul their boats along the river, seeking to claim familial supremacy.

Review
Blood Over Water stands out from the mass of sporting memoirs thanks to the authors' open portrayal of their relationship as the build-up to the race intensifies.

Customer Reviews

Far more than just another sports book
Blood Over Water is as much about the struggle between heroism and humanity as about the race between Oxford and Cambridge. It's a terrifying read in places. It's not just the overwhelming intensity of the training regimes inflicted on Boat Race athletes. Nor was it, for me, the actual pain of racing and losing, although that's described in searing detail too.

Instead, the most disturbing and darkly fascinating aspect was the insight into the brothers' psychological journey. We get a privileged glimpse into James and David Livingston's absolute focus, their obsession and hunger for a single victory. It's heroic and admirable. But how can you be a hero and retain your humanity? When the system teaches you to hate your opponents, what happens when your enemy turns out to be your own brother?

The Livingston brothers take us on a thrilling journey through these dark places and ultimately show us that the ultimate victory is one of friendship, whoever has the medal. It's a real page-turner of a story that should be read by far more than just the rowing fraternity. It's about hope, fear, pain, love and all the rest that make us human.

A gripping and inspirational read...
One of the best sports books that I've read. The two seperate accounts make the story all the more interesting, and because both have sacrificed so much in the pursuit of glory, you end up not really minding who wins. A dead heat would've been the perfect result...

A cracking read, that is very hard to put down.

Great look at the athlete's perspective of The Boat Race
This is a great sports story - given it was the closest Boat Race ever and had brothers competing against each other for the first time in 100 years - but the real story here is that of the all-consuming lifestyle that is training for The Boat Race. Readers will get a close-up look at the student-athlete experience at Oxford & Cambridge, with a healthy emphasis on the 'athlete' portion, and will better understand the obsessive nature of all elite athletes.

David and James did a superb job of conveying the mounting pressure on the rowers at Oxford and Cambridge, with everything riding on the result of a single race at the end of seven months of training. Readers gain insight on the ups and downs that are part of the selection process for the 8 seats in each crew. It took me a little time to get used to the back and forth format between the brothers' points of view, but once I got used to the rhythm, I really enjoyed it, and I think any fan of The Boat Race would enjoy it too.