Customer Reviews

Assault on Lake Casitas

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Assault on Lake Casitas, by Brad Alan Lewis, is an absolute must-read book for Rowers, but it is also an amazing book for anyone who has ever fought to be the best then can be. As the story of one man's battle for olympic gold, Assault has a powerful momentum and a good story intertwined with Lewis's ideas about excellence, strength, and determination. It is written in a tight, powerful style that pushes the reader forward and makes your pulse pound. My coxswain used to read the second-to-last chapter to my boat as psych before every race, and it is the most inspirational thing i've ever heard.

I have been a collegiate rower for four years, and this is one of the best rowing stories I have found. For rowers and other competitive athletes, Lewis coherently describes his obsession for Olympic gold. Readers are sucked into the vivid details of Lewis' training and the personalities of 1984 U.S. sculling. Reading the Assault on Lake Casitas helped inspire my highest level of workout intensity. For novice rowers this book is a necessity. I look forward to reading it a second time.

I'm a rower and I didn't know anything about this book before I read it. I met Brad Lewis while I was at the San Diego Crew classic in March 2003 and I was very impressed with his character, so I bought his book. The competetive shark found in the book was chillingly inspirational on what it takes to be a champion, but I must admit that the Brad in the eighties is not the same Brad of today. Ever since he stopped competing, he has calmed that anger within him. I think it has made him a better Journalist because his writing keeps getting better.
Read this book if you are interested in knowing what goes through the head of a competetive rower and the sacrifices Brad made to get that gold medal.

as a long time, fanatic, and not especially talented rower i was pretty surprised i had never heard of this book when lewis himself foisted it on a friend of mine at the 2004 head of the charles. after leafing past the disturbing cover art, the book itself traces his long quest for gold culminating in the 1984 LA olympics. this book is all rowing, so if you are interested in crew, or any seriously competitive athletics, like i suspect you'll find reading it to be the purest pleasure, if not, let's just say there's no love angle to carry it along. but for those in pursuit of excellence: what a tremendous read! lewis is relentless, and he's a superb story-teller. i'm so happy to finally discover a companion to the only other great rowing book i've ever found, also culminating in the 1984 olympics, david halberstam's `the amateurs'.

I bought this book a couple of years ago when I was doing some rowing. I also bought it because of the great reviews at Amazon.com. I will add my voice to those who have written here: this is a very special story and is much more than a book about rowing--it is a book about overcoming obstacles, persevering in the face of unbelievable odds and understanding that the process is as valuable and prized as the final result. It is not a book about the means justifying the ends. It is a book about building a foundation and building upon that foundation and not taking any shortcuts. Lewis is a superb writer and the speed of his narrative matches the strength of his oar strokes. I have given it as a gift to people I really care about.

For those acquainted, even indirectly, with the world of rowing, this book represents a fantastic story of a rebellious rower and his desire to win an olympic gold medal on his own terms. After his dramatic loss in the single scull trials on Lake Carnegie, being denied a spot in one of the national selection camp boats, and having to relocate to the east coast despite his west coast upbringing, he somehow won the national trials, made the team, and then won the olympics. He became the best in the world months after being denied a spot as one of the top 6 in his own country. This was, and still is, unprecedented in almost any sport ever. Take that inspirational story and couple it with Lewis' knack for capturing the aggression of a young non-conformist and "Assault On Lake Casitas" becomes the second best rowing book ever. (The best rowing book ever is "The Amateurs" by David Halberstam. If you read either of these books, it is imperative that you read the other. If you've read none, it is imperative you read both.)

This book changed my life. It took the feelings I had about rowing, life, perseverance and captured them in Brad Lewis' beautiful prose. Intensity of spirit and determination have never been captured like this, thank you Brad...you are a gifted writer and athlete...NOBODY BEATS US! I read the chapter of the race countless times over four years of collegiate rowing, and the words of your book became a mantra for our eight...The Idiot Years is also a very insightful and moving book of reflection and regret...Wanted: Rowing Coach is a blast...When will we get another work of fiction/nonfiction? You are an inspiration to me!