Boat Race 2003

http://www.bloomsbury.com/bloodoverwater
On a blustery, overcast April day in 2003, David and James Livington raced against each other in the 149th Oxford-Cambridge Boat Race, watched by over eight million people. It was the first time brothers had battled each other in this gladiatorial and quintessentially British tradition for over a hundred years. Only one could be victorious.

Told in alternating narratives, Blood over Water, published by Bloomsbury in March 2009, is an emotional and searching joint self-portrait, and an account of a brotherly relationship tested to breaking point.

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• Oxford
• Cambridge
• Boat
• Race
• Livingston
• brothers
• Blood
• Over
• Water
• Bloomsbury
• Publishing
• Racing
• Thames

[ClydeRowing]

Look back to the seventies, Dave Sawier, Ag Michelmore, Al Shealey etc, there were always non Brits in the crews, and rightly so! Any student of the university can trial for the crew, and the uni admits people based on academic merit, not nationality or race. Restricting membership of a uni club on the basis on nationality or race is just wrong

[richieoakley]

hey, great race, super performance from both of ye guys. just reading the book now - really enjoying it.

great insight. as a former cox for years with UCD in Dublin it's a really great read. thanks for writing it

[liamunderscoret]

Does anybody know where I could watch the whole race?

[MrChaostheory66]

It's strange. Despite not having rowed for an age, I find myself doing breathing exercises as I watch the clip. I can hear my coach shouting :

"Catch, Drive, Finish, Recovery!"

Excellent race. My chicken legs would have given up after 5K.

[05swanbe]

@davidalivingston83 Brilliant book. I'm currently rowing as a J17 at Hampton, and it is truly inspirational. My one criticism would be that I deliberately chose not to find out which crew won before I read it, but then halfway through there was a picture with the caption 'crossing the finish line ahead of Cambridge', which somewhat ruined the surprise. In later editions it might be better to have that picture at the end.

[srsly101]

@Pipweed go try it then come back to us k? :)

[Pipweed]

boat racing is gay. race horses or fast cars or somethin but not fuckin boats. thats for gays/retards

[PurpleAlbatross]

@davidalivingston83

Oh my god, it's the actual David Livingston! I'm reading your book right now! Amazing stuff. I'm Cambridge myself, but still... Congratulations on a truly epic win. I remember when this happened, it was the only boat race since I was a kid that I didn't watch and I've kicked myself ever since! I read about it afterwards though, and after novicing last year and seeing you guys on TV at the last race I just had to get the book. Just unbelievable.

Respect.

[DaveBond21]

Fantastic finish, and great to hear the best Boat Race commentator Barry Davies.