The son of a boat builder and slightly-built, Bert Bushnell knows he's got what it takes to represent his country in the single sculls at the 1948 London Olympics. However, he's shocked to discover that he has been chosen to partner with the Eton and Oxford educated, six-foot four, blue-blood Dickie Burnell. The pair couldn't be more mismatched; but they have just five weeks to overcome their professional and personal differences, push themselves to the physical and emotional limits, and learn to row as a team.
—L. Hamre