Path Lit by Lightning: The Life of Jim Thorpe
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- Create Date：2022-07-03 06:19:37
- Update Date：2025-09-07
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- Author：David Maraniss
- ISBN：1476748411
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Summary
A riveting new biography of America’s greatest all-around athlete by the bestselling author of the classic biography When Pride Still Mattered。
Jim Thorpe rose to world fame as a mythic talent who excelled at every sport。 He won gold medals in the decathlon and pentathlon at the 1912 Stockholm Olympics， was an All-American football player at the Carlisle Indian School， the star of the first class of the Pro Football Hall of Fame， and played major league baseball for John McGraw’s New York Giants。 Even in a golden age of sports celebrities， he was one of a kind。
But despite his colossal skills， Thorpe’s life was a struggle against the odds。 As a member of the Sac and Fox Nation， he encountered duplicitous authorities who turned away from him when their reputations were at risk。 At Carlisle， he dealt with the racist assimilationist philosophy “Kill the Indian， Save the Man。” His gold medals were unfairly rescinded because he had played minor league baseball。 His later life was troubled by alcohol， broken marriages， and financial distress。 He roamed from state to state and took bit parts in Hollywood， but even the film of his own life failed to improve his fortunes。 But for all his travails， Thorpe did not succumb。 The man survived， complications and all， and so did the myth。
Path Lit by Lightning is a great American story from a master biographer。
Jim Thorpe rose to world fame as a mythic talent who excelled at every sport。 He won gold medals in the decathlon and pentathlon at the 1912 Stockholm Olympics， was an All-American football player at the Carlisle Indian School， the star of the first class of the Pro Football Hall of Fame， and played major league baseball for John McGraw’s New York Giants。 Even in a golden age of sports celebrities， he was one of a kind。
But despite his colossal skills， Thorpe’s life was a struggle against the odds。 As a member of the Sac and Fox Nation， he encountered duplicitous authorities who turned away from him when their reputations were at risk。 At Carlisle， he dealt with the racist assimilationist philosophy “Kill the Indian， Save the Man。” His gold medals were unfairly rescinded because he had played minor league baseball。 His later life was troubled by alcohol， broken marriages， and financial distress。 He roamed from state to state and took bit parts in Hollywood， but even the film of his own life failed to improve his fortunes。 But for all his travails， Thorpe did not succumb。 The man survived， complications and all， and so did the myth。
Path Lit by Lightning is a great American story from a master biographer。
Reviews
Translator Monkey
，
It's difficult to read this without drawing on the current context of multi-millionaire athletes。 Thorpe's story is tragic from that perspective， and I admit it will be just as tragic if read in a vacuum - but this is more a celebration of what Thorpe was able to achieve against a far different backdrop， that of the systemic racism pitted against indigenous peoples trying to maintain a foothold （or merely survive） in "developed" countries。Maraniss does a great job presenting the entire story; we It's difficult to read this without drawing on the current context of multi-millionaire athletes。 Thorpe's story is tragic from that perspective， and I admit it will be just as tragic if read in a vacuum - but this is more a celebration of what Thorpe was able to achieve against a far different backdrop， that of the systemic racism pitted against indigenous peoples trying to maintain a foothold （or merely survive） in "developed" countries。Maraniss does a great job presenting the entire story; we're introduced （or re-introduced） to a number of names， many familiar， and how they shaped the Thorpe story overall。 Lots of work went into this book， and it shows。 A pleasure to read， in spite of the inevitable outcome。 。。。more
Hali M
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An in-depth writing on the life of Jim Thorpe。 A very interesting and engaging book。
Susan Sanders
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DNF at 66%。 It seemed like every fact within 6 degrees of Jim Thorpe was wedged into this book。
Tim C
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Thank you Simon & Schuster， David Maraniss and Goodreads for an advanced copy of the book to review。 David Maraniss has written an extremely detailed and enjoyable biography about the legendary Jim Thorpe。 His life swung back and forth between extreme highs and lows。 I noticed several of these arcs that stood out throughout the book that I will discuss below。 First， Thorpe's education at the Carlisle Indian Industrial School in Carlisle， Pennsylvannia had a profound impact on his life both for b Thank you Simon & Schuster， David Maraniss and Goodreads for an advanced copy of the book to review。 David Maraniss has written an extremely detailed and enjoyable biography about the legendary Jim Thorpe。 His life swung back and forth between extreme highs and lows。 I noticed several of these arcs that stood out throughout the book that I will discuss below。 First， Thorpe's education at the Carlisle Indian Industrial School in Carlisle， Pennsylvannia had a profound impact on his life both for better and worse。 Like other Native Americans that went to the school， Thorpe received a western education。 However， he was forced to speak English and adopt American customs， dress， etc。，。 The unoffical motto of the school was 'kill the Indian， save the man'。 Cultural genocide was the order of the day。 The school was a former military base and was run on military lines。 Ironically， Thorpe cited this as one of the greatest times of his life （discovery as an athlete？）。While at school， Jim's athletic abilities were noticed and his path to athletic greatness was laid。 He started playing a variety of sports including track and field， football， baseball and athletic marathons as well。 He became a prized member of the football team， which was legendary。 It famously beat the army football team in 1912。 This was a symbolic win for the Native Americans over the US army and a high point for Thorpe。The second major arc was his participation at the 1912 Stockholm Olympics and later participation in professional sports。 Thorpe won medals at Stockholm。 Winning gold medals for the decatholon and pentatholon。 He also received awards from the kings or Sweden and Russia。 King Gustav of Sweden supposedly told him that he was the best athlete in the world while presenting him Sweden's trophy。 After returning back home to a hero's welcome in Boston and New York， his professional participation in football and baseball led to a lengthy sports career。 Over the next several decades， he would play and occasionally coach a long list of teams。 Sports would remain one of the few constants throughout the remainder of his life。The good times did not last long， however。 In less than a year， he would be stripped of his medals and titles。 A newspaper reported that he had previously played in a local baseball league and was paid for it。 The olympics were supposed to be 'amateur' competitions and anyone that played for money was considered professional。 Jim had played under his own name but was not paid。 The school received the money。 Regardless， the medals were taken。 The final arc was his slow descent from greatness and eventual death。 Thorpe started playing in professional football and baseball leagues。 He ended up in local obscure leagues simply trying to make a living。 The final decades of his life were a mixture of holding menial jobs （ex。 street repair）， hustling and playing in various low level leagues。 Thorpe had wanted to be buried in his native Oklahoma after his death。 Unfortunately， his burial became another chance to exploit his name and legacy。 His wife tried to make money off of her deceased husband by agreeing to have him buried in an obscure town in Pennsylvannia。 The town renamed itself Jim Thorpe。 His grave was supposed to be the main attraction of the town and draw in tourists。 This did not happen。 Instead， his family has been fighting with the town for decades trying to get him reburied in Oklahoma。 The author goes into great detail about Thorpe's professional career。 He played on many football and baseball teams。 He played on some for years and others for a much shorter period。 Discussing all of this in detail slowed the pace of the book down。 I think some of it could have been removed or referenced in an appendix。 Maraniss does not paint Thorpe as a saint。 He identifies his fight with alcoholism， abandoning his family and spending issues that were ongoing struggles。 The character of Thorpe is weaved throughout the book and not reduced to several paragraphs or pages。 His stoicism， forgiving nature， willing to assist others and lack of ego are interesting characteristics that surface repeatedly。 By the end of the book， I felt like I knew Jim Thorpe。 。。。more
Owen
，
I think this is a great book with a lot of interesting history in it。 The author did a lot of research and there are many instances where he reports that different sources give different accounts of what happened。 I won a copy of this book， thankful for that， because it was a book that I wanted to read。The book has 575 pages of history （plus 50 pagess of notes and 2 pages for the bibliography） going in depth on US history including native American history， Olympic history， pro and college footba I think this is a great book with a lot of interesting history in it。 The author did a lot of research and there are many instances where he reports that different sources give different accounts of what happened。 I won a copy of this book， thankful for that， because it was a book that I wanted to read。The book has 575 pages of history （plus 50 pagess of notes and 2 pages for the bibliography） going in depth on US history including native American history， Olympic history， pro and college football history， pro and minor league baseball history， movie history and of course Jim Thorpe history。Lots to read and enjoy … I’ll touch on a few points。Jim Thorpe – fantastic multi-sport athlete who shifted from job-to-job over much of his life。 Married 3 times， 7 children， and a native American。Olympic history – along with Thorpe’s gold medals in 1912 and his talents I learned that some foreign athletes received paid leave of absence from work for the 6 months prior the Olympics。 Jim was far from the only one who played minor league baseball in the summer for living expenses， and then competed in the Olympics or played college football。Native Americans – the treatment they received was poor and lacking in so many ways。 Football – Jim was involved in college and pro football before and at the start of the NFL。 He played a lot of years， many times against much younger players。 He played for Pop Warner。 He played both offense and defense， and could run， throw， tackle， and kick as well as anyone。 Baseball – Jim played for MLB and minor leagues teams for a lot of years and did well。 This enabled him to go on a world baseball tour。The movies – they created a good movie about his life in 1951， and people were okay distorting facts perhaps in their mind to make the movie better。It is a rich and long book filled with lots of interesting information， and I’m happy that I read it。 。。。more
Amy
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I learned a lot in this biography of Jim Thorpe。 It is very detailed and I struggled at times to get through a chapter but it was worth it。 It was very well researched and the writing shows it。 I just wish it wasn't so long。 Thank you for Netgalley for an ARC I learned a lot in this biography of Jim Thorpe。 It is very detailed and I struggled at times to get through a chapter but it was worth it。 It was very well researched and the writing shows it。 I just wish it wasn't so long。 Thank you for Netgalley for an ARC 。。。more
Jan
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Half the size of War And Peace， this book tells the story of the abuse of Native Americans by focusing on one besieged man of the sports world of his time。 Fame has toppled many an overpublicized man， but Jim Thorpe had so many obstacles placed in his path and still survived。 This is an amazing book that takes quite a while to read and absorb。I requested and received a free e-book copy from Simon & Schuster via NetGalley。 Thank you！
Casey Wheeler
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This is an excellent biography of Jim Thorpe who is considered by many to be the greatest and most gifted athlete in our country’s history。 It covers in detail the highs and lows of his life while giving a good understanding through background information of why he lived the life that he did。 I recommend this book to anyone who wants a better understanding of the man， the myth and the legend that is Jim Thorpe。I received a free Kindle copy of this book courtesy of Net Galley and the publisher wi This is an excellent biography of Jim Thorpe who is considered by many to be the greatest and most gifted athlete in our country’s history。 It covers in detail the highs and lows of his life while giving a good understanding through background information of why he lived the life that he did。 I recommend this book to anyone who wants a better understanding of the man， the myth and the legend that is Jim Thorpe。I received a free Kindle copy of this book courtesy of Net Galley and the publisher with the understanding that I would post a review on Net Galley， Goodreads， Amazon， Facebook and my nonfiction book review blog。 。。。more
Kelly Knapp
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From an Indian school to Gold medal winner at the Olympics and beyond， this is a meticulously researched and well-written book about an American Hero。
Laura Valenziano
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WOW what a book！ It's about a man， Jim Thorpe， you've probably heard of - he's award winning football player of Indian Heritage。 Absolutely fascinating and opens up a new area of knowledge about Native Americans in the US。 Even if you aren't a football fan you will want to read this fascinating book！ WOW what a book！ It's about a man， Jim Thorpe， you've probably heard of - he's award winning football player of Indian Heritage。 Absolutely fascinating and opens up a new area of knowledge about Native Americans in the US。 Even if you aren't a football fan you will want to read this fascinating book！ 。。。more
Lee Husemann
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I have read several books about Jim Thorpe over the years but this is by far the most detailed and well researched book describing his triumphs and struggles over his lifetime。 His story is very complex， very interesting and there is a lot of background history in this book and I was not previously aware of。 I really enjoyed this book。Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the ARC of this fascinating read。
Stephanie
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3。5 Stars--Review to follow
Bonnie DeMoss
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This was so long and detailed that I couldn't finish it。 I was looking for an inspiring story of an amazing athlete， and wasn't expecting all the historical research and politics that were included。 I will looker for a lighter read that is more focused on Jim Thorpe。 This was so long and detailed that I couldn't finish it。 I was looking for an inspiring story of an amazing athlete， and wasn't expecting all the historical research and politics that were included。 I will looker for a lighter read that is more focused on Jim Thorpe。 。。。more
Tim Schneider
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Jim Thorpe has been a hero of mine since I read a biography of him aimed at children when I was a kid。 Given that that was almost certainly in the mid 70s， I have to assume that it was an incredibly white-washed biography。 But that didn't change the fact that I was mesmerized by the idea of this native American coming out of obscurity to become the world's greatest athlete。 And it wasn't just the title that comes with winning the decathlon （it didn't at the time）。 Thorpe was， quite simply， the g Jim Thorpe has been a hero of mine since I read a biography of him aimed at children when I was a kid。 Given that that was almost certainly in the mid 70s， I have to assume that it was an incredibly white-washed biography。 But that didn't change the fact that I was mesmerized by the idea of this native American coming out of obscurity to become the world's greatest athlete。 And it wasn't just the title that comes with winning the decathlon （it didn't at the time）。 Thorpe was， quite simply， the greatest athlete of his and almost certainly of all modern time。 He didn't just win the decathlon and the pentathlon in the 1912 Stockholm Olympics。 He also performed respectably （though he didn't medal） in the long jump and the high jump。 He was unquestionably the greatest American football player of the early game， both collegiate and professional。 He was a respectable professional baseball player who was ill-used by his managers （mostly John McGraw） or he may have ended up being better。 He won ballroom dancing competitions and was， reportedly， a better than average basketball player。 So when I saw that I could get an ARC of this book on Netgalley I jumped on it。 And man am I glad I did。 I was familiar with David Maraniss by name， though I've not yet read his bios of Vince Lombardi or Roberto Clemente。 After this book， I absolutely will。 Not only does Maraniss give us and excellent and comprehensive bio of Thorpe， he also works to strip away a lot of the myths that come with being "The World's Greatest Athlete。" Thorpe's life was half-mythical while he was still alive and those myths grew and perpetuated after his death。 Marnaiss also gives us the context necessary to understand Thorpe's life within the time period in which he lived。 I've seen some complaints about the book having "too much detail" or going in to tangents about the politics of the day。 But you simply cannot understand Thorpe's life or career without the background of times that shaped him。 Thorpe was born in 1887 in what was then still the Indian Terrtory。 That was the same year that the Dawes Act （The General Allotment Act） was passed， which had an enormous effect on every single Native American in the U。S。， including Thorpe。 His education was a product of the Indian boarding school system， which was set up to systematically destroy the students very identities as Indians。 And while it was that system that allowed Thorpe to show that he could excel at sports， you have to understand it in order to understand the Carlisle School and， by extension the man。 And Thorpe was a man。 Greatest Athlete or not， he was flawed as we all are。 Maraniss does an excellent job of avoiding making this a hagiography。 It's well known that Thorpe's life was frequently effected by alcohol。 The author does a good job of showing this。。。but also of showing that the myth of Thorpe as the "drunken Indian" is largely that， a myth。 Thorpe was a binge drinker。 Going significant time without ill effect from booze before going on a bender that would cause problems。 He shows that Thorpe was struggled in his relationships with his three wives and with his children， but with the necessary context that much of that struggle was as a result of Thorpe being absent for long periods trying to hustle up money。 And， ultimately， that was Thorpe's biggest failing。 He was simply unable to handle money。 He was far too giving， readily giving money to anyone who needed it to the detriment of himself and far too trusting of others who would use his fame and fail to come through with the green in the end。 I really appreciated the context that Maraniss put in to the controversy surrounding the stripping of Thorpe's Olympic medals。 He was absolutely fed to the wolves by Pop Warner and the administration at Carlisle， who very clearly knew he had played minor league baseball for money。 They absolutely knew it because almost every other college athlete did the same thing。 It was simply a fact of life。 It was also enlightening to look at what the "ideal of the amateur athlete" was at the time。 Because， essentially， you were supposed to be a white male of the leisure class in order to be a "true amateur。" The classism exuded by the likes of James E。 Sullivan （head of the Amateur Athletic Union） and Avery Brundage （a teammate of Thorpe's who later was head of the U。S。 Olympic Committee， President of the IOC and a massive Nazi sympathizer） was palpable and chilling。 Ultimately this is a great biography of one of the greatest athletes of all time。 A man who should have because of the circumstances of his birth been on the very fringes of society， but ascended to incredible heights of fame。 A man who represented the U。S。， when he wasn't even a citizen of the country （nor were teammate and fellow Carlisle student Lewis Tewanima or teammate Duke Kahanamoku）。 And yet， nothing in the book changed my mind。 For all his flaws， Jim Thorpe had just as many， probably more， positive attributes。 And he remains a hero。 And he will always be， in my opinion， the World's Greatest Athlete of all time。 My thanks to Netgalley and to the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book。 。。。more
David
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