Path Lit by Lightning: The Life of Jim Thorpe
- Downloads：8281
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2022-08-08 11:21:36
- Update Date：2025-09-07
- Status：finish
- Author：David Maraniss
- ISBN：1797140817
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Reviews
Bargain Sleuth Book Reviews
，
For this and other book reviews， visit www。bargain-sleuth。comI’ve long been a fan of David Maraniss since he wrote When Pride Still Mattered: A Life Of Vince Lombardi some years ago。 A Madison， Wisconsin native， Maraniss has a day job in Washington but writes biographies on the side。 Path Lit by Lightning is his 12th book。 Coincidentally， this biography of Jim Thorpe is coming out just weeks after Thorpe made the news once again， when his Olympic titles were returned to him officially and his re For this and other book reviews， visit www。bargain-sleuth。comI’ve long been a fan of David Maraniss since he wrote When Pride Still Mattered: A Life Of Vince Lombardi some years ago。 A Madison， Wisconsin native， Maraniss has a day job in Washington but writes biographies on the side。 Path Lit by Lightning is his 12th book。 Coincidentally， this biography of Jim Thorpe is coming out just weeks after Thorpe made the news once again， when his Olympic titles were returned to him officially and his records added to the books。Thorpe was a Native American who was sent to the Carlisle Indian School， one of many institutions in this country that attempted to assimilate the indigenous population and get them to follow the white man’s rule。 The school， which taught all ages， was well-known for it’s sports teams， competing against ivy league colleges every season。Jim Thorpe was not a great student， and he hated school so much that he ran away several times。 But when he found sports， his life changed。 It turned out that not only did he like sports， he excelled at everything he tried。 Under the teachings of Pop Warner （yes， that Pop Warner that all those younger kids’ football leagues are named after） That would lead Thorpe to the 1912 Olympics， where he competed in both the pentathlon and the decathlon。 Can you imagine a modern-day athlete competing in BOTH competitions？About six months after the Olympics， it was “discovered” that Thorpe played minor league baseball for pay prior to the Olympics。 I say discovered because no one actually hid the fact that Thorpe played ball; he played under his own name and was in the newspapers all the time。 At first Olympic officials said there was nothing to be done because any dispute must be made within 30 days of the games， and it was well past that。 But there was pressure from several amateur organizations so Thorpe’s Olympic medals and trophies were taken away from him， despite the fact that other countries regularly paid their “amateur” athletes to train。David Maraniss does a deep dive into Thorpe’s life， giving great detail to every period of Thorpe’s life。 I mean， really deep dive。 This is a hefty book with massive amounts of detail， and at times， it did bog down the book。 Thorpe’s life is well-documented through the many newspaper stories throughout his playing career in major and minor league baseball， the birth of professional football， and the many odd jobs Thorpe held once his playing days were over。 While I appreciate the detail， at times I found myself skimming sections because it was too much。The author doesn’t have to do much to show the racist feelings against Jim Thorpe and his fellow Native American athletes。 It’s really cringing to read some of the excerpts from the newspaper reports of the time。 I can’t imagine what it was like to be on the receiving end of such bile。 Throughout his life， Thorpe would also use his heritage by saying he didn’t know any better， he was just a poor， ignorant Indian， whenever things didn’t go his way。 Maraniss portrays a sympathetic look to Thorpe and his plight， showing how white men repeatedly put him in his place， or screwed him over。It was sad to read of Thorpe’s nomadic lifestyle after he left the Carlisle Indian School， and how little time he spent with his wives and children。 I know the time he spent away from his family was because he was trying to earn money to support them， but he often gave away or drank away his earnings。 Other times， he was simply cheated out of money by broken promises from whatever team owner convinced Thorpe to play in their league。 After a while of reading about the same pattern over and over again， I found myself skimming those sections because it was heartbreaking。As sad as Path Lit by Lightning is at times， it’s also a good look at how the world treated indigenous people a century ago， and how far we have come， and how far we still have to go。 And in case you were wondering where the title of the book came from， Path Lit By Lightning is the rough translation of Thorpe’s Indian name。 Pretty accurate if you ask me。 。。。more
Sean Kinch
，
See David Maraniss at Parnassus in Nashville， in conversation with his son Andrew， on Aug。 25
Christy Johnston
，
Such a wonderful read。 And delightful to have Thorpe officially recognized as the sole winner for his two 1912 Olympic gold medals while reading the book。 Looks like an update to th manuscript will be needed before the book is released。
Olive Fellows （abookolive）
，
Review forthcoming in the Christian Science Monitor。
Diane
，
Path Lit by Lightning is the story of Jim Thorpe written by renowned historian and biographer David Maraniss。 This is a very thoroughly researched and detailed biography。 Jim Thorpe has achieved an almost mythical status in American sports history。 He won the pentathlon and decathlon gold medals at the 1912 Olympics， only to have the medals taken away when it was discovered he had played two seasons of minor league baseball。 Despite this setback much of Jim Thorpe’s career was spent in professio Path Lit by Lightning is the story of Jim Thorpe written by renowned historian and biographer David Maraniss。 This is a very thoroughly researched and detailed biography。 Jim Thorpe has achieved an almost mythical status in American sports history。 He won the pentathlon and decathlon gold medals at the 1912 Olympics， only to have the medals taken away when it was discovered he had played two seasons of minor league baseball。 Despite this setback much of Jim Thorpe’s career was spent in professional sports。 He helped to create the National Football League and was in the inaugural class of the Pro Football Hall of Fame。 He also played major league baseball for the New York Giants and barnstormed basketball with an all-Indian team。As the author points out much of what is known about Jim Thorpe is the myth， rather than the reality。 This is an important book that demythologizes， as much as possible， the Jim Thorpe story。 Born into the Sac and Fox Indian tribe， the author shows how much of Jim Thorpe’s life mirrors the larger story of Indian and American life in the 20th century。 Born in 1887 at the time when the last of the tribes were being located west of the Mississippi River， Thorpe was named Wa-Tho-Huk which translates as “Bright Path” or the more poetic interpretation that Maraniss claims since Thorpe was born during a lightning storm， “Path Lit by Lightning。”What this book really highlights well is the fact that Jim Thorpe’s life was divided between the Indian world and the white world。 He was as true as he could be to his Indian ancestry while trying to make a living for himself and his family in a white man’s world。 He also forged paths in professional sports， a career completely new to Indians or whites。 Later in life， after his sports career faded away， Thorpe took up acting bit parts in movies and became an early advocate of Indian roles played by Indian actors。It's hard to know if a white man writing an Indian story is appropriate or not。 David Maraniss does try to frame the story from the Indian view as well as the white view。 I think the narrative leans more white than Indian， but that might be due to a lack of material from the Indian point of view。 Of course， that lack is most likely caused by white people’s inattention and casual racism throughout Jim Thorpe’s life。 Also， Thorpe knew that his popularity depended in many ways on the white person’s approbation。 Even his autobiography may be framed for a white audience， rather than written from an Indian point of view。 It’s difficult to tease out one view from the other and the only thing we know for certain is that Jim Thorpe was never in control of the narrative。This book is very well worth reading simply as a biography of one of the most popular athletes of all time。 It is also worth reading as a history of American Indian life in the early 20th century。 I think even if you think you know Jim Thorpe and early American Indian history， you will learn something from this book。I’m very glad to have had the chance to read this book from #SimonandSchuster。 I believe notice that this book was available to read came in a promotional email from #NetGalley。 I don’t think I went looking for it， but I’m very glad I found it！ 。。。more
Ellen
，
Path Lit by Lightning， a new biography of Jim Thorpe by David Maraniss， is a remarkable book。 It is a thoughtful， complex portrait of Thorpe， his times， and the contradictions of being both a mythologized hero and an oppressed minority。 At its core。 Maraniss tells Thorpe’s story carefully throughout his twists and turns of his famous life， narrating the famous moments of his career on both the football field and the track。 We see his amazing athletic gifts in all these venues。 Maraniss also does Path Lit by Lightning， a new biography of Jim Thorpe by David Maraniss， is a remarkable book。 It is a thoughtful， complex portrait of Thorpe， his times， and the contradictions of being both a mythologized hero and an oppressed minority。 At its core。 Maraniss tells Thorpe’s story carefully throughout his twists and turns of his famous life， narrating the famous moments of his career on both the football field and the track。 We see his amazing athletic gifts in all these venues。 Maraniss also does a credible job of winnowing of fact from the fiction that has grown up about some of these moments。 Those looking for a sports story will not be disappointed here。 However， there is much more to Maraniss’ tale。 He also explores the cultural context of Thorpe’s life。 Maraniss brings us into the halls of the Carlisle Indian Industrial School and explores the complexities of forced assimilation and the contradictions this policy inevitably created。 In this portion of the book Maraniss presents vivid portraits of the college administrators and coaches that shaped Thorpe， his achievements and， ultimately， his tragedy。 Throughout this process， Maraniss works carefully to be a fair and honest guide through complex cultural waters。 His portrait of Thorpe， Pop Warner and other vital figures is nuanced， well researched and compelling。 Finally， this is a thoughtful portrait of not only Thorpe but also the reality that finally shaped， mythologized， and， ultimately， discarded him。 It is well worth the investment of time and energy it takes to explore this portion of American sports history that many have heard of but few have explored。 Maraniss’ text is a welcome and important contribution to this broader and more nuanced story。 。。。more
Alma
，
Sympathetic to Thorpe’s plight and other Native Americans， Maraniss’ well-researched biography draws on rich primary source materials to supply information on Thorpe as well as important figures and events of the time。 One hundred and ten years after Jim Thorpe’s victories plans are still under way to restore his records because， though the IOC finally gave medals to his family in 1983， Thorpe’s results are still not part of the Olympic record。 Read more details about this important book on my b Sympathetic to Thorpe’s plight and other Native Americans， Maraniss’ well-researched biography draws on rich primary source materials to supply information on Thorpe as well as important figures and events of the time。 One hundred and ten years after Jim Thorpe’s victories plans are still under way to restore his records because， though the IOC finally gave medals to his family in 1983， Thorpe’s results are still not part of the Olympic record。 Read more details about this important book on my blog: https://shouldireaditornot。wordpress。。。。 。。。more
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
，
An in-depth writing on the life of Jim Thorpe。 A very interesting and engaging book。
Susan Sanders
，
DNF at 66%。 It seemed like every fact within 6 degrees of Jim Thorpe was wedged into this book。
Tim C
，
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
，
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
，
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
，
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
，
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
，
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
，
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
，
3。5 Stars--Review to follow
Bonnie DeMoss
，
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
，
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
，