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Native American Son: The Life and Sporting Legend of Jim Thorpe
The first comprehensive biography of the legendary figure who defined excellence in American Jim Thorpe, arguably the greatest all-around athlete the United States has ever seen.
With clarity and a fine eye for detail, Kate Buford traces the pivotal moments of Thorpe’s incomparable growing up in the tumultuous Indian Territory of Oklahoma; leading the Carlisle Indian Industrial School football team, coached by the renowned “Pop” Warner, to victories against the country’s finest college teams; winning gold medals in the 1912 Olympics pentathlon and decathlon; defining the burgeoning sport of professional football and helping to create what would become the National Football League; and playing long, often successful—and previously unexamined—years in professional baseball.
But, at the same time, Buford vividly depicts the difficulties Thorpe faced as a Native American—and a Native American celebrity at that—early in the twentieth century. We also see the infamous loss of his Olympic medals, stripped from him because he had previously played professional baseball, an event that would haunt Thorpe for the rest of his life. We see his struggles with alcoholism and personal misfortune, losing his first child and moving from one failed marriage to the next, coming to distrust many of the hands extended to him. Finally, we learn the details of his vigorous advocacy for Native American rights while he chased a Hollywood career, and the truth behind the supposed reinstatement of his Olympic record in 1982.
Here is the story—long overdue and brilliantly told—of a complex, iconoclastic, profoundly talented man whose life encompassed both tragic limitations and truly extraordinary achievements.
With clarity and a fine eye for detail, Kate Buford traces the pivotal moments of Thorpe’s incomparable growing up in the tumultuous Indian Territory of Oklahoma; leading the Carlisle Indian Industrial School football team, coached by the renowned “Pop” Warner, to victories against the country’s finest college teams; winning gold medals in the 1912 Olympics pentathlon and decathlon; defining the burgeoning sport of professional football and helping to create what would become the National Football League; and playing long, often successful—and previously unexamined—years in professional baseball.
But, at the same time, Buford vividly depicts the difficulties Thorpe faced as a Native American—and a Native American celebrity at that—early in the twentieth century. We also see the infamous loss of his Olympic medals, stripped from him because he had previously played professional baseball, an event that would haunt Thorpe for the rest of his life. We see his struggles with alcoholism and personal misfortune, losing his first child and moving from one failed marriage to the next, coming to distrust many of the hands extended to him. Finally, we learn the details of his vigorous advocacy for Native American rights while he chased a Hollywood career, and the truth behind the supposed reinstatement of his Olympic record in 1982.
Here is the story—long overdue and brilliantly told—of a complex, iconoclastic, profoundly talented man whose life encompassed both tragic limitations and truly extraordinary achievements.
496 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2010
24 people are currently reading
207 people want to read
About the author
Kate Buford
6 books11 followersI was born and grew up in California, and later went to school at Trinity College, Dublin, and Columbia. After a first career as a law librarian on Wall Street, I became a writer. BURT LANCASTER: AN AMERICAN LIFE (Knopf, 2000) was my first book, followed by NATIVE AMERICAN SON: THE LIFE AND SPORTING LEGEND OF JIM THORPE (Knopf, 2010). I live in Virginia and New York.
Writing narrative nonfiction is a grueling but rewarding task. My two biographies are serious, literary treatments of iconic Americans performing in two of the most popular American pastimes: the movies and sports. I relish going deep into the psyches and backgrounds of people who may be widely known in the popular culture but not truly understood or respected.
Both Jim Thorpe and Burt Lancaster lived fascinating, eventful lives that left a formative mark on todays sports and movies, respectively. Their pursuit and achievement of excellencewith all the attendant struggles and triumphsis inspiring. And illuminating: popular culture is who we are, and the more we learn about its pioneers the more we can appreciate these universal passions of our timeand thus, ourselves.
"
Writing narrative nonfiction is a grueling but rewarding task. My two biographies are serious, literary treatments of iconic Americans performing in two of the most popular American pastimes: the movies and sports. I relish going deep into the psyches and backgrounds of people who may be widely known in the popular culture but not truly understood or respected.
Both Jim Thorpe and Burt Lancaster lived fascinating, eventful lives that left a formative mark on todays sports and movies, respectively. Their pursuit and achievement of excellencewith all the attendant struggles and triumphsis inspiring. And illuminating: popular culture is who we are, and the more we learn about its pioneers the more we can appreciate these universal passions of our timeand thus, ourselves.
"
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December 3, 2022
I knew very little about Jim Thorpe, only that he was a great athlete and a Native American. Now I know quite a bit about, not just him, but the time he lived which made it all the more interesting. Thorpe grew up when the nation infantilized Native Americans and actively sought to destroy the culture. He was sent to faraway boarding schools which helped fragment his identity. When he began playing football, it was at a time when the game was in its infancy with regular changes to adapt to. Baseball as well. He transitioned to the popular western hero movies where the Cowboys routinely routed the Indians. Buford a terrific research and I appreciate how she presented Thorpe as a man with amazing accomplishments, but also deeply flawed because of injustice of the times and his own personal weaknesses. I don't know if he is the greatest athlete of all times, but he sure is up there.
December 1, 2010
I wrote the book, so I give it five stars.
LIBRARY JOURNAL: "This is the definitive biography of a legendary figure in American history, in and out of sports."
WASHINGTON POST - "Buford ... knows about mythic heroes and draws a complex portrait of Jim Thorpe: from his superhuman athletic talents to his all-too-human flaws."
KIRKUS REVIEWS - "An impeccably researched biography of one of the world's greatest all-around athletes, a symbol of racial injustice and untapped potential."
TUCSON CITIZEN - "This book is written with razor sharp clarity, rock solid scholarship, and a prose that is as elegantly executed as it is at times heartbreaking. "Native American Son," meticulously researched, is a book that finally sets the record straight to provide justice at last to a legitimate American icon."
AMERICAN HERITAGE - "A professional biographer has proved what sound research and skillful writing can do: reveal a singular man, animate the times of his life, and illuminate the complexities of our world today, which Jim Thorpe helped to shape."
LIBRARY JOURNAL: "This is the definitive biography of a legendary figure in American history, in and out of sports."
WASHINGTON POST - "Buford ... knows about mythic heroes and draws a complex portrait of Jim Thorpe: from his superhuman athletic talents to his all-too-human flaws."
KIRKUS REVIEWS - "An impeccably researched biography of one of the world's greatest all-around athletes, a symbol of racial injustice and untapped potential."
TUCSON CITIZEN - "This book is written with razor sharp clarity, rock solid scholarship, and a prose that is as elegantly executed as it is at times heartbreaking. "Native American Son," meticulously researched, is a book that finally sets the record straight to provide justice at last to a legitimate American icon."
AMERICAN HERITAGE - "A professional biographer has proved what sound research and skillful writing can do: reveal a singular man, animate the times of his life, and illuminate the complexities of our world today, which Jim Thorpe helped to shape."
August 21, 2011
A person of incredible athletic talent on the gridiron, track, and diamond who struggled so mightily with every other aspect of adult life. Such was the life of Jim Thorpe. Today, we still see athletes who can be so totally in command of themselves on the field of play and without the ability to handle life off of it.
Buford does a very thorough job of describing both the glory and the pathos. The intertwining of the condition of Native Americans in the first half of the 20th century adds to the story, as does the mythologizing of American football and the rise of professional sports.
It is not necessary to be a sports fan to enjoy this book.
A very good read.
Buford does a very thorough job of describing both the glory and the pathos. The intertwining of the condition of Native Americans in the first half of the 20th century adds to the story, as does the mythologizing of American football and the rise of professional sports.
It is not necessary to be a sports fan to enjoy this book.
A very good read.
August 2, 2011
Buford takes an in-depth look at the life of Jim Thorpe. She wades admirably through the layers of myth and legend and gives us a portrait of a greatly gifted man who was victimized by others, but who also caused or worsened many of his problems through his own behavior. Buford also gives a detailed portrait of Native American life at the turn of the century and the government and society's attitudes toward Native Americans.
November 1, 2019
Jim Thorpe is a guy I knew very little about prior to reading this book. I knew he played football and was an Olympic athlete, and that he was Native American. I also remember him placing in the top 10 in a Sportscentury ranking of greatest athletes of all time (looking it up now, it appears he was ranked 7th). I had some problems with the rankings on that list at the time, and with years of hindsight I still do, but after having read a book on Jim Thorpe I can say he’s one of the toughest guys to contextualize in the bigger picture for his athletic accomplishments. That was one of the more interesting things about reading this book, but reading about the decline of one of the first global celebrities was just as fascinating.
First, why was Thorpe such a sensation? Although he was a successful football player prior to the Olympics in 1912, it seemed that prior to his competing the decathlete was considered the best all-around athlete due to the versatility that was needed to win that event. When Thorpe competed in that event (as well as the pentathlon) he dominated his competition, winning 8 out of the 15 events he competed in. He also did respectably in long jump and high jump events. His range of victory was bigger than any competitor for a few decades afterwards, and his lack of resources/training beforehand indicate he could have done even better. Example, Thorpe competed with shoes that weren’t his, and had only learned to throw a javelin for the Olympics in the months leading up to the competition.
When Thorpe returned to college, he had a spotlight on him and continued to excel at football. Over the next twenty years, he would compete professional in the Major League Baseball, as well as professional and minor leagues baseball and football. He wouldn’t have the same athletic achievements after his 1911 to 1913 stretch, but some of that is explainable. There wasn’t a National Football League that was anything like what there was even in the 1950’s. Thorpe went from team to team, often signing with gimmick organizations that were only using Native Americans on their teams, or were based around factory gambling. When he played baseball, he signed with the Giants and had a manager who didn’t trust him and hardly played him. When he finally got away to independent and minor league teams, he was a .330 hitter with power. I got the impression that he could have been an all-star at either football or baseball if that had been his focus and it had been structured.
So what does the most famous athlete in the world do in the early 1900’s without a massive player contract? Mostly, Jim hustled. He moved around the country, playing for different teams, occasionally coaching, eventually just being a name to draw crowds who barely took the field. When he was done with that, he was an extra in movies, he had bad business investments. He drank throughout his life, and got out of control when he did. He could lose his temper, lashing out at coaches and reporters and his kids. The author here pulls no punches at Thorpe’s abysmal parenting. Thorpe’s entire family life was a mess. He was married three times, his first two wives divorced him and his third was a financial vampire who seemed to marry him just to earn money any way he could. His children all barely knew him, and Jim made little effort to rectify that. His first child died as a toddler and it seemed he never invested in parenting again afterward.
I finished this book knowing all I wanted to about Jim Thorpe. I think we’ve overrated his athletic achievements some, with many of his football accomplishments being anecdotal and his Olympic records being as impressive on its own, but somewhat dependent on how you value those events. He benefitted by being the first athlete to gain national fame, and amazingly his being stripped of his gold medals when it was discovered he had played minor league baseball contributed his being a sympathetic figure. Journalists like Grantland Rice were as important to Thorpe being a household name for a hundred years as to Thorpe’s achievements on the field.
Besides learning about Thorpe as a person and as an athlete, Kate Buford also did a nice job of contextualizing the very different world Thorpe lived and competed in. There’s a ton of information here on Native American culture and law in that period. There’s great writing about the history of the Olympics to that point, the development of collegiate football and the evolution of the rules in the game. I learned a ton reading this book, and even with the subject living the second half of his life as a name more than as a person I was interested all the way through.
First, why was Thorpe such a sensation? Although he was a successful football player prior to the Olympics in 1912, it seemed that prior to his competing the decathlete was considered the best all-around athlete due to the versatility that was needed to win that event. When Thorpe competed in that event (as well as the pentathlon) he dominated his competition, winning 8 out of the 15 events he competed in. He also did respectably in long jump and high jump events. His range of victory was bigger than any competitor for a few decades afterwards, and his lack of resources/training beforehand indicate he could have done even better. Example, Thorpe competed with shoes that weren’t his, and had only learned to throw a javelin for the Olympics in the months leading up to the competition.
When Thorpe returned to college, he had a spotlight on him and continued to excel at football. Over the next twenty years, he would compete professional in the Major League Baseball, as well as professional and minor leagues baseball and football. He wouldn’t have the same athletic achievements after his 1911 to 1913 stretch, but some of that is explainable. There wasn’t a National Football League that was anything like what there was even in the 1950’s. Thorpe went from team to team, often signing with gimmick organizations that were only using Native Americans on their teams, or were based around factory gambling. When he played baseball, he signed with the Giants and had a manager who didn’t trust him and hardly played him. When he finally got away to independent and minor league teams, he was a .330 hitter with power. I got the impression that he could have been an all-star at either football or baseball if that had been his focus and it had been structured.
So what does the most famous athlete in the world do in the early 1900’s without a massive player contract? Mostly, Jim hustled. He moved around the country, playing for different teams, occasionally coaching, eventually just being a name to draw crowds who barely took the field. When he was done with that, he was an extra in movies, he had bad business investments. He drank throughout his life, and got out of control when he did. He could lose his temper, lashing out at coaches and reporters and his kids. The author here pulls no punches at Thorpe’s abysmal parenting. Thorpe’s entire family life was a mess. He was married three times, his first two wives divorced him and his third was a financial vampire who seemed to marry him just to earn money any way he could. His children all barely knew him, and Jim made little effort to rectify that. His first child died as a toddler and it seemed he never invested in parenting again afterward.
I finished this book knowing all I wanted to about Jim Thorpe. I think we’ve overrated his athletic achievements some, with many of his football accomplishments being anecdotal and his Olympic records being as impressive on its own, but somewhat dependent on how you value those events. He benefitted by being the first athlete to gain national fame, and amazingly his being stripped of his gold medals when it was discovered he had played minor league baseball contributed his being a sympathetic figure. Journalists like Grantland Rice were as important to Thorpe being a household name for a hundred years as to Thorpe’s achievements on the field.
Besides learning about Thorpe as a person and as an athlete, Kate Buford also did a nice job of contextualizing the very different world Thorpe lived and competed in. There’s a ton of information here on Native American culture and law in that period. There’s great writing about the history of the Olympics to that point, the development of collegiate football and the evolution of the rules in the game. I learned a ton reading this book, and even with the subject living the second half of his life as a name more than as a person I was interested all the way through.
November 18, 2019
Jim Thorpe lived a fascinating life and this book just puts it all out there, the good,the bad and the ugly. Some of these stories I had heard or read about but I was shocked and amazed about the ones had not. So many people used him,he had his own struggles with living his life and he had failed marriages. I must admit I struggled reading it because it was just so dry and it was overly detailed.
November 21, 2017
I read this book because I wanted to learn about Jim Thorpe, someone I knew very little about. Mission accomplished. I now think that I know everything about every play that Thorpe made in any football game, baseball game, or track meet and any one line he had in any Hollywood movie he was in. Learning about the unexpected (to me) connection between Native American history and the history of collegiate football was interesting as was learning about the role of Native Americans in 1930s Hollywood. However, this book was so exhaustive that it was exhausting. In many ways that level of detail did a disservice to the emotional story that was Thorpe's life.
November 19, 2019
Native American Son: The Life and Sporting Legend of Jim Thorpe is a biography of Jim Thorpe, a legendary athlete and Olympian. Kate Buford, a noted American author wrote this biography.
James Francis Thorpe was an American athlete and Olympic gold medalist. A member of the Sac and Fox Nation, Thorpe became the first Native American to win a gold medal for the United States. Considered one of the most versatile athletes of modern sports, he won Olympic gold medals in the 1912 pentathlon and decathlon, and played American football (collegiate and professional), professional baseball, and basketball.
Buford covers Thorpe's life of high triumphs and bitter despair in extensive detail. Thorpe, a mixed-blood Sac and Fox Indian from Oklahoma who starred for the legendary Carlisle, Pennsylvania, Indian school's college football team, won the decathlon and pentathlon in the 1912 Olympics in Stockholm, prompting the king of Sweden to declare him the most wonderful athlete in the world.
The next year, however, Thorpe was stripped of his gold medals after it was discovered he had violated the amateur athletic code by playing minor league baseball. The loss haunted him throughout his hardscrabble life in which he abused alcohol, married three times, constantly needed money, and was an absentee father.
His peripatetic story included myriad roles: avid hunter and fisherman, professional baseball player in the major and minor leagues, pro football player, bit actor with often degrading nonspeaking Indian roles in many westerns as well as in other movies, including King Kong, merchant marine during World War II, security guard at a Ford plant, bar and restaurant owner, supporter of American Indian causes, and regular speaker on the lecture circuit.
Native American Son: The Life and Sporting Legend of Jim Thorpe is written and researched extremely well. It is an impeccably researched biography of one of the world’s greatest all-around athletes, a symbol of racial injustice and untapped potential. Buford’s attention to detail is largely a strength, but it occasionally breeds long stretches in which the minutiae of Thorpe's endless cycle of hopeful new beginnings followed by failures to capitalize obscure the narrative core of the tragedy of a groundbreaking athlete succumbing to obstacles both external and internal.
All in all, Native American Son: The Life and Sporting Legend of Jim Thorpe is a well-written biography of Jim Thorpe, a noted athlete and Olympian.
James Francis Thorpe was an American athlete and Olympic gold medalist. A member of the Sac and Fox Nation, Thorpe became the first Native American to win a gold medal for the United States. Considered one of the most versatile athletes of modern sports, he won Olympic gold medals in the 1912 pentathlon and decathlon, and played American football (collegiate and professional), professional baseball, and basketball.
Buford covers Thorpe's life of high triumphs and bitter despair in extensive detail. Thorpe, a mixed-blood Sac and Fox Indian from Oklahoma who starred for the legendary Carlisle, Pennsylvania, Indian school's college football team, won the decathlon and pentathlon in the 1912 Olympics in Stockholm, prompting the king of Sweden to declare him the most wonderful athlete in the world.
The next year, however, Thorpe was stripped of his gold medals after it was discovered he had violated the amateur athletic code by playing minor league baseball. The loss haunted him throughout his hardscrabble life in which he abused alcohol, married three times, constantly needed money, and was an absentee father.
His peripatetic story included myriad roles: avid hunter and fisherman, professional baseball player in the major and minor leagues, pro football player, bit actor with often degrading nonspeaking Indian roles in many westerns as well as in other movies, including King Kong, merchant marine during World War II, security guard at a Ford plant, bar and restaurant owner, supporter of American Indian causes, and regular speaker on the lecture circuit.
Native American Son: The Life and Sporting Legend of Jim Thorpe is written and researched extremely well. It is an impeccably researched biography of one of the world’s greatest all-around athletes, a symbol of racial injustice and untapped potential. Buford’s attention to detail is largely a strength, but it occasionally breeds long stretches in which the minutiae of Thorpe's endless cycle of hopeful new beginnings followed by failures to capitalize obscure the narrative core of the tragedy of a groundbreaking athlete succumbing to obstacles both external and internal.
All in all, Native American Son: The Life and Sporting Legend of Jim Thorpe is a well-written biography of Jim Thorpe, a noted athlete and Olympian.
June 27, 2017
A well researched history of Jim Thorpe. The book had some information that did not pertain to Jim, which made it lengthy at times. However, it was a great read. As a Native American, I idolize Jim Thorpe's determination, perseverance, and loyalty towards his ambitions, passions, especially towards his Native American community. A very talented man with a tragic ending. It heartbreaking.
November 3, 2023
Before there was Bo Jackson, there was Jim Thorpe, only more so. An Olympic champion (it's complicated), the first football superstar, and a professional baseball player, Buford chronicles the story of, Native American, Thorpe from his Oklahoman upbringing through his sad and lonely end. Brilliantly researched and exceptionally well written.
November 29, 2022
Very well written book of the sad story Jim Thorpe lived after his amazing accomplishments in the Olympic games
December 30, 2022
This was a really well done book that made me fall in love with a local legend.
October 29, 2023
This book was ok, such as it is. But, the epilogue is priceless. In fact, skip the book and just read the epilogue. That would make a fabulous movie!
Read
August 10, 2011This was truly an enjoyable book. I learned a lot about the legendary Jim Thorpe that I had never known before. He excelled not only in track & field and football, but other sports as well – baseball and basketball.
Being of mixed Indian (Sac and Potawatomi) and white heritage, Jim did have to overcome prejudice and discrimination, but his athletic prowess helped him to become one of America’s best-known and most-admired sports figures.
The author includes copious notes and source annotations for further research. However, a lot of the comments are not attributed and appear as though they could be opinion or speculation. At times, it seemed that portions of the book were written by two different people: One writer extolling how Jim made the best of the opportunities that were presented to him, and another writer lamenting the poor Indian being discriminated against and kept down.
Interwoven through Jim’s career, the book also includes two subplots: One, a brief history of football and how it transformed from a rugby style game to the running and passing game we know today. And, two, the conflict between professionalism versus amateurism, what defines them and how they have changed over the years. Unfortunately, Jim was stripped of his Olympic medals when it was discovered that he had been paid for playing minor league baseball one summer between his college years.
As fame grows, so do legends. One legend, apparently perpetuated by the famous sports writer Grantland Rice, was that for a dual track meet between Carlisle and Lafayette, Coach Glenn Scobey “Pop” Warner took only one player – Jim Thorpe. The author unwinds that legend, stating there were eight competitors from the winning Carlisle squad which defeated Lafayette’s squad of thirty of more. Jim took six first-place finishes – accomplishment enough without embellishment.
Jim is portrayed as a confident, but not cocky athlete, although he would sometimes show-off his athletic skills to impress townsfolk. And, more than once while playing football at Carlisle, Jim would call out the play to the opposing team and still gain positive yardage.
After college, Jim went on to excel in professional sports, mainly baseball and football, although he struggled somewhat with baseball.
Unfortunately, fame can’t protect you from tragedy. Jim’s first son died at a young age and Jim battled alcoholism most of his life. Jim’s time away from home, and his drinking, took a toll on his first marriage.
Jim excelled as an athlete, but was not very good at being a husband or father. After his divorce, he seldom saw his three daughters and when he did he almost seemed like a stranger. At one meeting, he called Charlotte “daughter” and she wondered if he even knew her name. His daughter, Gale, said “It was like the big hero coming to visit everybody. It wasn’t like the Father coming to visit his children.”
Later in his career, Jim moved to California and got involved in the movie industry. He appeared in a lot of the “B” westerns and got acquainted with a lot of the early actors and actresses.
The epilogue sums up Jim’s troubled life. Even after death, his soul can’t rest. His third wife, still looking to make money off of his fame, moved his body around for four years in an attempt to find a profitable resting place. Almost thirty years after his death, and about sixty years after he earned them, his amateur status was re-established and his medals from the 1912 Olympics were re-instated.
Being of mixed Indian (Sac and Potawatomi) and white heritage, Jim did have to overcome prejudice and discrimination, but his athletic prowess helped him to become one of America’s best-known and most-admired sports figures.
The author includes copious notes and source annotations for further research. However, a lot of the comments are not attributed and appear as though they could be opinion or speculation. At times, it seemed that portions of the book were written by two different people: One writer extolling how Jim made the best of the opportunities that were presented to him, and another writer lamenting the poor Indian being discriminated against and kept down.
Interwoven through Jim’s career, the book also includes two subplots: One, a brief history of football and how it transformed from a rugby style game to the running and passing game we know today. And, two, the conflict between professionalism versus amateurism, what defines them and how they have changed over the years. Unfortunately, Jim was stripped of his Olympic medals when it was discovered that he had been paid for playing minor league baseball one summer between his college years.
As fame grows, so do legends. One legend, apparently perpetuated by the famous sports writer Grantland Rice, was that for a dual track meet between Carlisle and Lafayette, Coach Glenn Scobey “Pop” Warner took only one player – Jim Thorpe. The author unwinds that legend, stating there were eight competitors from the winning Carlisle squad which defeated Lafayette’s squad of thirty of more. Jim took six first-place finishes – accomplishment enough without embellishment.
Jim is portrayed as a confident, but not cocky athlete, although he would sometimes show-off his athletic skills to impress townsfolk. And, more than once while playing football at Carlisle, Jim would call out the play to the opposing team and still gain positive yardage.
After college, Jim went on to excel in professional sports, mainly baseball and football, although he struggled somewhat with baseball.
Unfortunately, fame can’t protect you from tragedy. Jim’s first son died at a young age and Jim battled alcoholism most of his life. Jim’s time away from home, and his drinking, took a toll on his first marriage.
Jim excelled as an athlete, but was not very good at being a husband or father. After his divorce, he seldom saw his three daughters and when he did he almost seemed like a stranger. At one meeting, he called Charlotte “daughter” and she wondered if he even knew her name. His daughter, Gale, said “It was like the big hero coming to visit everybody. It wasn’t like the Father coming to visit his children.”
Later in his career, Jim moved to California and got involved in the movie industry. He appeared in a lot of the “B” westerns and got acquainted with a lot of the early actors and actresses.
The epilogue sums up Jim’s troubled life. Even after death, his soul can’t rest. His third wife, still looking to make money off of his fame, moved his body around for four years in an attempt to find a profitable resting place. Almost thirty years after his death, and about sixty years after he earned them, his amateur status was re-established and his medals from the 1912 Olympics were re-instated.
July 14, 2022
Kate Buford has written what is likely to definitive biography of Jim Thorpe. Jim Thorpe is considered by many to be the greatest athlete of the 20th century. Thorpe was a part of the Sac and Fox tribe and grew up on a reservation in Oklahoma with a tough, alcoholic father. After running away from a number of boarding schools in his youth his father finally sent him to the Carlisle Indian Industrial School in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. The boarding school, dedicated to the education and acculturation of Indian youth into white society, is where Thorpe came under the tutelage of Glen Scobey "Pop" Warner who helped coach and guide him in track and football. Thorpe's biggest claim to fame was the infamous gold medals he won in the pentathlon and decathlon in the 1912 Olympics, thereafter being proclaimed the greatest athlete in the world. He was also a football star for the Carlisle Indian Industrial School, helping the team beat such notable gridiron institutions such as Harvard, Penn, and Army (West Point).
Three are really four phases to Thorpe's life. The first being his upbringing on an Indian reservation and mostly left to run free and find his own fun and games. He was a very active outdoorsman which is a partial explanation for this developing into a phenomenal athlete. While unconventional, constantly running, jumping, hunting, and playing games certainly kept him active as a youth.
The second phase was his stint at the Carlisle Indian Industrial School. Once his talents were shaped at Carlyle he became not only a world class athlete, but THE world class athlete.
The third phase was his time as a professional athlete. After leaving Carlisle, Thorpe played both professional baseball and football, but football is where he really made his name and become one of the all-time greats in that sport. In fact, he was part of the founding class of athletes who established football as a professional sport and was among the first class enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. At the time professional football was frowned upon by many but it was a way that Thorpe could continue this athletic career and really the only skill he had to make money.
The fourth phase of his life was his post-athletic career, which for the most part could be called vagabond. He suffered through failed marriages, mostly his own fault, was most estranged from his children, suffered from alcoholism, and was often financial broke. He did manage to parlay his name into many a career as a bit actor in Hollywood playing the role of an Indian in Westerns, and eventually stood up for the rights of Indians to get jobs sometimes going to others (as long as they could pass for Native American) and equal pay with white actors.
One could say that he struggled with is post-Carlisle life because he became used to the structure and loose discipline Carlisle afforded him, and as a pampered athlete mostly had everything taken care of for him. He never really learned true applicable skills there outside athletics, or even personal skills such as money management. Thus his late adult life was often a struggle.
Finally there is the bizarre story of how Thorpe came to be buried in Thorpe, Pennsylvania with his ex-wife basically selling his remains to the town which renamed itself after him. His family is currently in court trying to have his remains returned for burial in Oklahoma. But you can't beat having a town named after you and a beautiful memorial. Maybe he should just be allowed to stay there.
This is a superb biography, and very fascinating look at one of the greatest athletes of all time.
Three are really four phases to Thorpe's life. The first being his upbringing on an Indian reservation and mostly left to run free and find his own fun and games. He was a very active outdoorsman which is a partial explanation for this developing into a phenomenal athlete. While unconventional, constantly running, jumping, hunting, and playing games certainly kept him active as a youth.
The second phase was his stint at the Carlisle Indian Industrial School. Once his talents were shaped at Carlyle he became not only a world class athlete, but THE world class athlete.
The third phase was his time as a professional athlete. After leaving Carlisle, Thorpe played both professional baseball and football, but football is where he really made his name and become one of the all-time greats in that sport. In fact, he was part of the founding class of athletes who established football as a professional sport and was among the first class enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. At the time professional football was frowned upon by many but it was a way that Thorpe could continue this athletic career and really the only skill he had to make money.
The fourth phase of his life was his post-athletic career, which for the most part could be called vagabond. He suffered through failed marriages, mostly his own fault, was most estranged from his children, suffered from alcoholism, and was often financial broke. He did manage to parlay his name into many a career as a bit actor in Hollywood playing the role of an Indian in Westerns, and eventually stood up for the rights of Indians to get jobs sometimes going to others (as long as they could pass for Native American) and equal pay with white actors.
One could say that he struggled with is post-Carlisle life because he became used to the structure and loose discipline Carlisle afforded him, and as a pampered athlete mostly had everything taken care of for him. He never really learned true applicable skills there outside athletics, or even personal skills such as money management. Thus his late adult life was often a struggle.
Finally there is the bizarre story of how Thorpe came to be buried in Thorpe, Pennsylvania with his ex-wife basically selling his remains to the town which renamed itself after him. His family is currently in court trying to have his remains returned for burial in Oklahoma. But you can't beat having a town named after you and a beautiful memorial. Maybe he should just be allowed to stay there.
This is a superb biography, and very fascinating look at one of the greatest athletes of all time.
September 26, 2013
This a pretty interesting biography of Jim Thorpe. Although his name is probably no longer familiar to the average American, he was arguably the greatest athlete of his day: famous for his 1912 Olympic gold medals (and their subsequent controversial revocation), his stellar college football career at Carlisle, and his involvement with the creation of the AFPA/NFL in 1920. Even those who know of Thorpe are probably not familiar with his baseball career, off-field antics, and troubled personal life (especially after his playing days were over).
Buford ties Thorpe's life together with the early history of baseball, football, and Hollywood plus the treatment of Native Americans by the US government. It is quite interesting how some of the issues of Thorpe's time are still quite alive today, especially the questions and controversies regarding the amateur status of college football. This book also does a good job addressing (and in most cases busting) the many myths associated with Thorpe's life and career.
Jim Thorpe emerges as a tragic figure. A gifted athlete beloved by teammates and fans, but introverted and uncomfortable with his fame. A big heart, but naive and sometimes temperamental. Distant and absent, bothered for the rest of his life by the loss of his Olympic medals and records (restored only posthumously) and rocked by the early death of his first son. An alcoholic who couldn't manage his money, but also short on good support and advice. At the same time, this is not a sob story; for all the bad luck and mistreatment, Jim Thorpe made plenty of his own mistakes.
While not outstanding, this is a very readable and worthwhile biography.
Buford ties Thorpe's life together with the early history of baseball, football, and Hollywood plus the treatment of Native Americans by the US government. It is quite interesting how some of the issues of Thorpe's time are still quite alive today, especially the questions and controversies regarding the amateur status of college football. This book also does a good job addressing (and in most cases busting) the many myths associated with Thorpe's life and career.
Jim Thorpe emerges as a tragic figure. A gifted athlete beloved by teammates and fans, but introverted and uncomfortable with his fame. A big heart, but naive and sometimes temperamental. Distant and absent, bothered for the rest of his life by the loss of his Olympic medals and records (restored only posthumously) and rocked by the early death of his first son. An alcoholic who couldn't manage his money, but also short on good support and advice. At the same time, this is not a sob story; for all the bad luck and mistreatment, Jim Thorpe made plenty of his own mistakes.
While not outstanding, this is a very readable and worthwhile biography.
February 9, 2017
I wanted to read this book because one of my high school gym coaches played football against Jim Thorpe. He said it was like trying to tackle a phone pole. The author does an excellent job covering Jim Thorpe's athletic feats, many of which are well known, but then also devotes a large portion of the book to his life after sports. For many athletes, this part is often given no mention. Although the post-athletic career was often sad, I enjoyed the time and attention given to this aspect of Jim Thorpe's life.
May 6, 2015
When I was a kid I still remember hearing a lot about the legendary football/track/baseball athlete Jim Thorpe, but it seems like as time goes by you hear his name less and less. That's a shame, because in addition to being one of the greatest athletes in American history, he lived a fascinating life.
This book is never stronger than when talking about Thorpe's time at the Carlisle Indian School, where he played football. The school itself represents one of the most underappreciated underdog stories in American history; it was a boarding school for American Indians that managed to produce one of the best -- and a couple years, arguably the best -- college football team in the country. Thorpe was the greatest star it ever had (for more about the school's football team, I highly recommend Sally Jenkins' fantastic "The Real All Americans").
Thorpe was an unbelievably gifted athlete who experienced a combination of increased adulation and mistreatment due to his American Indian heritage.
The book describes his life's many highs, but also its even more plentiful lows. As Thorpe ages it becomes a very sad story about a man from an Oklahoma reservation who was never able to feel completely comfortable in non-Indian society.
A good read about a very fascinating man.
This book is never stronger than when talking about Thorpe's time at the Carlisle Indian School, where he played football. The school itself represents one of the most underappreciated underdog stories in American history; it was a boarding school for American Indians that managed to produce one of the best -- and a couple years, arguably the best -- college football team in the country. Thorpe was the greatest star it ever had (for more about the school's football team, I highly recommend Sally Jenkins' fantastic "The Real All Americans").
Thorpe was an unbelievably gifted athlete who experienced a combination of increased adulation and mistreatment due to his American Indian heritage.
The book describes his life's many highs, but also its even more plentiful lows. As Thorpe ages it becomes a very sad story about a man from an Oklahoma reservation who was never able to feel completely comfortable in non-Indian society.
A good read about a very fascinating man.
August 26, 2011
This a great American story on so many levels. This gives the reader so many insights into what makes someone "American" and how poorly some Americans treat one another built on ignorance and prejudice. If you don't understand someone, if they don't conform to whatever "normal and right" is, then there must be something wrong with them. Maybe, like many people we can say one thing and do just the opposite.
Native Americans, have for the most part been horribly mistreated in a most unchristian-like manner by Americans who call themselves Christians. At times Jim Thorpe, like other native Americans was treated well, but these times were too few and far between.
Like many athletes, managers, team owners, and fans alike, no matter what the sport it is, winning means everything. As long as you're winning life is good. What keeps everyone going after a defeat is the possibility that the next game might be a win.
Native Americans, have for the most part been horribly mistreated in a most unchristian-like manner by Americans who call themselves Christians. At times Jim Thorpe, like other native Americans was treated well, but these times were too few and far between.
Like many athletes, managers, team owners, and fans alike, no matter what the sport it is, winning means everything. As long as you're winning life is good. What keeps everyone going after a defeat is the possibility that the next game might be a win.
May 16, 2023
Wonderful book fit for a champion. Modern day history has hidden a hardworking athlete like Jim Thorpe. He was one of the athletes, along with Jesse Owens and Jackie Robinson who paved way for minorities to play in baseball, basketball and football. The pictures that Buford includes are captivating. And, shows a young man determined to overcome obstacles in his path. Jim Thorpe is not only an icon in Native American history, but an icon in cultural history in the United States. The one subject I question is this: Why did he have to dress as the stereotypical Native American image in Hollywood? Thorpe's biography -- beautifully written -- reminds me of a modern day Samson.
I provided a detailed summary here: http://www.dvel.me/G3Da5T
I provided a detailed summary here: http://www.dvel.me/G3Da5T
April 27, 2014
I really liked this book. It was a hard read, and I say that not as a criticism, but it was packed with so much information.
When I started the book, I thought uh oh, too academic, but the author Buford really did a good job of weaving Thorpe's life into the history of the times and the native american experience.
It took me a long time to complete the book as I juggle 5-6 at a time, but it was well worth the time and I really learned a lot about the man and the struggle native americans and of the early athletes compared to today.
Great book.
When I started the book, I thought uh oh, too academic, but the author Buford really did a good job of weaving Thorpe's life into the history of the times and the native american experience.
It took me a long time to complete the book as I juggle 5-6 at a time, but it was well worth the time and I really learned a lot about the man and the struggle native americans and of the early athletes compared to today.
Great book.
July 24, 2013
Jim Thorpe has remained as a sports icon but intimate details of his life have been glossed over. This book lays out his troubled educational journey, his competitive spirit, his battle with the public persona, and his marriages. I walked away with an appreciation for this man with the spirit of a champion, the heart of a child and the bulk of a giant. This was a great read about a misunderstood American icon.
November 7, 2013
I had to read it for class. It was a really good story. I didn't feel like it focused enough on Jim Thorpe. There was a lot about football and the Native Americans in general. While I felt this helpful the story, there were times I forgot I was reading about Jim. This was overall though and entertaining and informative read.
May 23, 2011
Jim Thorpe's a fascinating character. So gifted, and so profligate. You read this wonderful biography and you feel inspired and frustrated at the same time. There's so much more to his story than I knew. Really a uniquely American tragedy.
November 6, 2016
I couldn't finish this book. It was just too heavy and overly detailed—the author's research was, in every sense, exhaustive. Also, Thorpe's story is depressing. Through faults of his own and others, his life spiraled downward. I realized that I wasn't enjoying myself and gave up.
Currently reading
March 10, 2012I am about 1/4 way thru this book. Interesting book about the early life of a man described by many as the greatest athlete ever.
October 13, 2012
Read this if only to learn about the crazy story of his burial. Too crazy to be fiction.
August 8, 2016
This is a well-researched biography of Jim Thorpe, the first decathlon athlete. Thorough with many photos, very thorough family history.
January 29, 2011
Mind blowing how poor and sad thig great athlete's life was.
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