Description
Book SynopsisThe first comprehensive biography of the legendary figure who defined excellence in American sports: Jim Thorpe, arguably the greatest all-around athlete in US history. With clarity and an eye for detail, Kate Buford traces the pivotal moments of Thorpe's incomparable career. At the same time, however, she recounts the difficulties Thorpe faced as a Native American.
Trade Review“This is the definitive biography of a legendary figure in American history, in and out of sports. . . . Essential.”—
Library Journal“A full account of the legend and tragedy of Native American sportsman Jim Thorpe . . . Buford’s account brims with detail, all of it relevant to the telling.”—
Booklist“Buford reports the facts and dispels many fictions about this American icon.”—
Publishers Weekly“Impeccably researched. . . . This retrospective is not the first to tackle the complex life of Jim Thorpe, but it’s the most comprehensive. . . . [It] captures Thorpe’s breathtaking highs and heartrending lows.”—
Kirkus“A professional biography 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.”—
American Heritage“[Buford] lays a firm, clear historical groundwork for the reservation life and Indian world in which Thorpe grew up in Oklahoma. . . . [It] brims with life in its depiction of Hollywood during the 1930s and ’40s. . . . Through Thorpe’s struggles and striving, Buford recreates this period of Los Angeles history in all its glorious strangeness.”—
New York Times (Editors’ Choice)
“[Buford] knows about mythic heroes and draws a complex portrait of Jim Thorpe: from his superhuman athletic talents to his all-too-human flaws.”—
Washington PostTable of ContentsProloguePART I - THE RULES OF THE GAMEChapter One: Beginnings - Oklahoma Territory - 1887-1904Chapter Two: Discovery - Winter 1904-Summer 1907Chapter Three: Warm-up - Fall 1907-Spring 1909Chapter Four: The Minors - Summer 1909-Summer 1911Chapter Five: Football Phenom - Fall 1911-Spring 1912Chapter Six: The Most Wonderful Athlete in the World - Summer-Fall 1912PART II - THE PROFESSIONALChapter Seven: The Public Glare - 1913-1914Chapter Eight: The Majors and Ohio - 1915-1919Chapter Nine: Out of the Public Glare - 1920-1929PART III - LIFE AFTER SPORTSChapter Ten: Hollywood - 1930-1939Chapter Eleven: Divorce, World War, and River Rouge - 1939-1945Chapter Twelve: Rediscovery - 1945-1953Epilogue - 1953-1983AcknowledgmentsNotesSelected BibliographyIndex
