Daniel James Brown

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  • #1 New York Times Bestselling Author of 'Boys in the Boat', 'Facing the Mountain', and More
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Daniel James Brown is the author of #1 New York Times bestseller The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. A story that captures the world's attention and quickly skyrocketed to the top of bestseller lists, The Boys in the Boat is about American Olympic triumph in Nazi Germany and served as the inspiration for the PBS documentary “The Boys of ‘36'." It is an irresistible story about beating the odds and finding hope in the most desperate of times, and an improbable, intimate account of how nine working-class boys from the American West showed the world what true grit really meant, and is now being made into a movie directed by George Clooney and Grant Heslov

Brown's other books include Under a Flaming Sky: The Great Hinckley Firestorm of 1894, which traces the personal stories and social, economic, and environmental causes of the Great Hinkley Fire, The Indifferent Stars Above: The Harrowing Saga of a Donner Party Bride, which follows the footsteps of Sarah Graves, a young bride who left her home in Illinois in the spring of 1846, only to become one of a handful of the ill-fated Donner Party members who attempted to hike out of the Sierra Nevada to save herself and her family, and his second New York Times bestseller, Facing the Mountain: A True Story of Japanese American Heroes in World War ll, a gripping World War II saga of patriotism, highlighting the contributions and sacrifices that Japanese immigrants and their American-born children made for the sake of the nation.

In his captivating presentations, Brown shares the remarkable stories covered in his work, bringing history to life to leave audiences inspired.

 

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Rave Reviews About Daniel James Brown
Dan Brown has made a lot of people happy! He has such a great story to tell and he tells it with so much personal joy and authenticity. I am sure it is no surprise to you that he was beyond gracious and enthusiastic to staff and patrons throughout the reception. Our audience was rapt throughout his lecture and after the Q&A (which people did not want to end) the hall erupted with a buzz of everyone sharing how much they loved the lecture. "Best yet!" was a common refrain. His kindness, passion, strong character, and humility shined through. Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures is glad to know Daniel James Brown. Thank you for sending him our way.

A Sample of the Groups That Have Hosted Daniel James Brown
  • Kinetic
  • Rosamond Gifford Lecture Series
  • Newport Beach Public Library Foundation
  • Arts & Letters Live
  • Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures
  • Congress of Neurological Surgeons
News Interview - The Boys in the Boat | PBS Hawaii, Long Story Short [26:17] - Get Sharable Link
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The Boys in the Boat

In his presentations, Daniel James Brown shares the remarkable story from his New York Times bestselling book, The Boys In The Boat, now being made into a movie directed by George Clooney and Grant Heslov. Out of the depths of the Depression comes an irresistible story about beating the odds and fin ...

In his presentations, Daniel James Brown shares the remarkable story from his New York Times bestselling book, The Boys In The Boat, now being made into a movie directed by George Clooney and Grant Heslov. Out of the depths of the Depression comes an irresistible story about beating the odds and finding hope in the most desperate of times—it is the improbable, intimate account of how nine working-class boys from the American West showed the world at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin what true grit really meant.

It was an unlikely quest from the start. With a team composed of the sons of loggers, shipyard workers and farmers, the University of Washington’s eight-oar crew team was never expected to defeat the elite teams of the East Coast and Great Britain, yet they did, going on to shock the world by defeating the German team rowing for Adolf Hitler. The emotional heart of the tale lies with Joe Rantz, a teenager without family or prospects, who rows not only to regain his shattered self-regard but also to find a real place for himself in the world. Drawing on the boys’ own journals and vivid memories of a once-in-a-lifetime shared dream, Brown shares this remarkable story. It is an unforgettable portrait of an era, a celebration of an incredible achievement and a chronicle of one extraordinary young man’s personal quest.

Daniel James Brown is sure to inspire and captivate any audience.

Facing the Mountain

Daniel James Brown shares the gripping story of his New York Times Bestselling book, Facing The Mountain: A True Story of Japanese American Heroes in World War II, a World War II saga of patriotism, highlighting the contributions and sacrifices that Japanese immigrants and their American-born childr ...

Daniel James Brown shares the gripping story of his New York Times Bestselling book, Facing The Mountain: A True Story of Japanese American Heroes in World War II, a World War II saga of patriotism, highlighting the contributions and sacrifices that Japanese immigrants and their American-born children made for the sake of the nation: the courageous Japanese-American Army unit that overcame brutal odds in Europe; their families, incarcerated back home; and a young man who refused to surrender his constitutional rights, even if it meant imprisonment. 

Based on Daniel James Brown's extensive interviews with the families of the protagonists as well as deep archival research, he portrays the kaleidoscopic journey of four Japanese-American families and their sons, who volunteered for 442nd Regimental Combat Team and were deployed to France, Germany, and Italy, where they were asked to do the near impossible. Brown also tells the story of these soldiers' parents, immigrants who were forced to shutter the businesses, surrender their homes, and submit to life in concentration camps on U.S. soil. Woven throughout is the chronicle of a brave young man, one of a cadre of patriotic resisters who stood up against their government in defense of their own rights. 

In all of his talks, he weaves impeccable research and masterful storytelling, bringing history to life and leaving audiences inspired.

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<p>In his captivating presentations, Daniel James Brown shares the remarkable stories covered in his <em>New York Times</em> Bestselling book <em><strong>Facing the Mountain</strong></em>, bringing history to life and leaving audiences inspired</p>

In his captivating presentations, Daniel James Brown shares the remarkable stories covered in his New York Times Bestselling book Facing the Mountain, bringing history to life and leaving audiences inspired

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Boys in the Boat DANIEL JAMES BROWN comes a gripping World War II saga of patriotism, highlighting the contributions and sacrifices that Japanese immigrants and their American-born children made for the sake of the nation: the courageous Japanese-American Army unit that overcame brutal odds in Europe; their families, incarcerated back home; and a young man who refused to surrender his constitutional rights, even if it meant imprisonment. The book was featured in DateBook with a rave review the week of it's release. In Facing the Mountain: A True Story of Japanese American Heroes in World War ll, they came from across the continent and Hawaii. Their parents taught them to embrace both their Japanese heritage and the ways of America. They faced bigotry, yet they believed in their bright futures as American citizens. But within days of Pearl Harbor, the FBI was ransacking their houses and locking up their fathers. And within months many would themselves be living behind barbed wire. Facing the Mountain is an unforgettable chronicle of war-time America and the battlefields of Europe. Based on Daniel James Brown's extensive interviews with the families of the protagonists as well as deep archival research, he portrays the kaleidoscopic journey of four Japanese-American families and their sons, who volunteered for 442nd Regimental Combat Team and were deployed to France, Germany, and Italy, where they were asked to do the near impossible. Brown also tells the story of these soldiers' parents, immigrants who were forced to shutter the businesses, surrender their homes, and submit to life in concentration camps on U.S. soil. Woven throughout is the chronicle of a brave young man, one of a cadre of patriotic resisters who stood up against their government in defense of their own rights. Whether fighting on battlefields or in courtrooms, these were Americans under unprecedented strain, doing what Americans do best--striving, resisting, pushing back, rising up, standing on principle, laying down their lives, and enduringBrown weaves impeccable research and masterful storytelling from his newest book, bringing history to life and leaving audiences inspired. 

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Daniel James Brown is The New York Times bestselling author of The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, now being made into a movie directed by George Clooney and Grant Heslov. Brown's other books include Under a Flaming Sky: The Great Hinckley Firestorm of 1894, which traces the personal stories and social, economic, and environmental causes of the Great Hinkley Fire, The Indifferent Stars Above: The Harrowing Saga of a Donner Party Bride, which follows the footsteps of Sarah Graves, a young bride who left her home in Illinois in the spring of 1846, only to become one of a handful of the ill-fated Donner Party members who attempted to hike out of the Sierra Nevada to save herself and her family, and his second New York Times bestseller, Facing the Mountain: A True Story of Japanese American Heroes in World War ll, a gripping World War II saga of patriotism, highlighting the contributions and sacrifices that Japanese immigrants and their American-born children made for the sake of the nation.

The author grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and attended the University of California at Berkeley. He taught writing at San Jose State University and Stanford before becoming a technical writer and editor, first in Silicon Valley and later at Microsoft. He now writes narrative nonfiction books full time. His primary interest as a writer is in bringing compelling historical events to life as vividly and accurately as he can.

He lives in the country outside of Seattle, Washington with his wife, two daughters, and an assortment of cats, dogs, chickens, and honeybees. When he is not writing, he is likely to be birding, gardening, fly fishing, reading American history, or chasing bears away from the bee hives.