First published 2022
David Maraniss reconstructs the life of Jim Thorpe, the Sac and Fox Nation athlete who dominated American sports in the early twentieth century. Maraniss chronicles Thorpe's journey from All-American football player at Carlisle Indian School to Olympic champion, capturing gold in both decathlon and pentathlon at Stockholm in 1912. The author documents Thorpe's professional sports career, including his time with John McGraw's New York Giants baseball team and his eventual recognition as a charter member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Maraniss reveals how institutional racism systematically undermined Thorpe's accomplishments. Olympic officials revoked his gold medals over his brief minor league baseball stint. School and sports administrators deserted him during controversies. His final decades brought alcoholism, broken marriages, and financial hardship as he wandered between states taking odd jobs and minor Hollywood roles. This biography demonstrates how Thorpe preserved his dignity despite betrayal and personal demons while cementing his legacy in American athletics.
Genres: biography, 20th-century, sports, american-history
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: redemption, underdog
Setting: Carlisle Indian School, New York, Stockholm
Period: 1912
672 pages · Hardcover · Simon & Schuster
Content warnings: racism