Path Lit by Lightning

De: David Maraniss

Narrado por: David Maraniss

A biography of America’s greatest all-around athlete that “goes beyond the myth and into the guts of Thorpe’s life, using extensive research, historical nuance, and bittersweet honesty” (Los Angeles Times), 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. Most famously, he won gold medals in the decathlon and pentathlon at the 1912 Stockholm Olympics. A member of the Sac and Fox Nation, he 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 awesome talent, Thorpe’s life was a struggle against the odds. At Carlisle, he faced the racist assimilationist philosophy “Kill the Indian, Save the Man.” His gold medals were unfairly rescinded because he had played minor league baseball, and his supposed allies turned away from him when their own reputations were at risk. 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 survived, determined to shape his own destiny, his perseverance becoming another mark of his mythic stature.

Path Lit by Lightning “[reveals] Thorpe as a man in full, whose life was characterized by both soaring triumph and grievous loss” (The Wall Street Journal).

©2022 David Maraniss. All rights reserved. (P)2022 Simon & Schuster, Inc. All rights reserved.

Perfect summer read

David Maraniss has written many of the best political and sports biographies of our time. His latest, on Jim Thorpe, is one of his best. He illuminates the incredibly compelling and heartbreaking story of the greatest athlete of all time. His avuncular narration adds to the whole experience . 5 stars.

Too Long

If you’re a die hard Thorpe fan or just want to know every minute detail of the man’s life, this is the book for you. But, if you’re looking for the highlights give this a pass. I still have 6 hours left and I’ll finish it, but I toned out mentally 5 chapters ago. The narrator (also the author) is bone dry in delivery.

He was great.

I love the ending quote from Grace Thorpe. Her father was indeed great. Mr. Maraniss gives a deep, thorough understanding of Jim Thorpe - all the deserved accolades, balanced by an equal, if not greater weight of obstacles and challenges. The reading or listening of the book is not for the faint of heart or interest… but we’ll worth the effort.

Good content but a slog

This is an important story to tell. The author made the cardinal mistake of reading his own book. Kind of emotionless. Leave to the pros who could possibly have brought the book to life. Though maybe not. It was more like a well researched chronological biography that you would expect from a college student. There was little “story telling”. And I am sure there were stories to tell. I am glad I read it as there really is quite a bit of good content. But listener beware.

History well done

Maraniss masterfully tells his story through a trail of artifact, leaving the reader to come to come to the only feasible interpretation: Thorpe’s greatness is undeniable.

Pace of the story

Hard to discern what Thorp felt in most situations. But I guess that was part of the entire narrative.

Authors can’t always narate

Made it 70% through the story before it became monotonous. A big part of the issue is that the author did not add any interest by being the narrator but rather detracted with his scratchy voice. A professional actor or reader would have improved the experience.

Worthy of the National Book Award

Some books are written for obscurity. They arrive, are read and disappear. Others last, sometimes by generation, sometimes across generations. David Maraniss’ Path Lit by Lightning should be counted among the latter. Lengthy, detailed and emotional, Path explores the ling and winding life of Jim Thorpe, athlete extraordinaire, entrepeneur and wanderer. Elegantly written, Maraniss explores the myths and promises that shaped Thorpe’s life and, by doing so, redefines greatness, solitude and glory.

If Only

If only Jim Thorpe was born in more modern times where he could be appreciated and trained to his potential. If only he were more educated. If only he had not been taken advantage of. If only he was not troubled or drank. If only….

The planets aligned and then collided for this man, caught in the cusp of history that was rapidly changing, as Native Americans were forcibly pulled into the white man‘s world.

If he had not attended Carlisle, if he had not been put into such a lonely and rough situation, would we even know of Jim Thorpe; so talented and so troubled? His situation created the world’s greatest athlete but also ruined him. A sad, but interesting story of a man who gave his all, the best that he knew how.

Outstanding!

This is one of the best biographies I’ve ever read/listened to. It takes the reader/listener through the evolution of many sports leagues, illuminates who Pop Warner really was, and how GREAT Jim Thorpe was. Thorpe’s life spans a lot of history that I wasn’t previously intimately acquainted with. I learned so much. The story is tragic but inspiring at the same time. It is told with incredible balance. While a long story, my attention was held throughout. Now I’m eager to read the author’s other book!!