I highly recommend "The Boys in the Boat, Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics". The author, Daniel James Brown, focuses on one of the young men who was a part of the Washington crew team, but the scope of the book also gives you a much wider picture of world events. Fascinating, inspirational and, even though you know where it is heading, even suspenseful.
http://www.danieljamesbrown.com/book.../#.U9-hbGPA7fg