Jim Thorpe, Original All-American

By: Joseph Bruchac

Narrated by: Joseph Bruchac

Jim Thorpe was one of the greatest athletes who ever lived. He played professional football, major league baseball, and won Olympic gold medals in track and field. But his life wasn't an easy one. Born on the Sac and Fox Reservation in 1887, he encountered much family tragedy, and was sent as a young boy to various Indian boarding schools: strict, cold institutions that didn't allow their students to hold on to their Native American languages and traditions. Jim ran away from school many times, until he found his calling at Pennsylvania's Carlisle Indian School. There, the now-legendary coach Pop Warner recognized Jim's athletic excellence and welcomed him onto the football and track teams.

Focusing on Jim Thorpe's years at Carlisle, this book brings his early athletic career, and especially his college football days, to life, while also dispelling some myths about him and movingly depicting the Native American experience at the turn of the 20th century. This is a book for history buffs as well as sports fans: an illuminating and lively listen about a truly great American.

©2007 Joseph Bruchac (P)2007 Random House, Inc.

Well told and sourced; great listen for youth and adults

Growing up with many challenges in an impoverished dairy farming family in Northeastern Oklahoma, one of my few refuges was in books. In books, I found hero’s that inspired me, that taught me, and that helped me. Jim Thorpe’s story was one of my favorites - and one that inspired me to excel and push past any obstacles in my path.

I listened to Joseph Bruchac’s telling of the story on the road with my kids during a family vacation to the town of Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania. I wanted them to understand how special Jim was, was to me, and was to others. I especially wanted them to understand the hardships endured by our ancestors, and how they did (and we can) persevere.

This telling of Jim Thorpe’s story is fantastic, Joseph Bruchac’s attention to detail, accuracy, and sourcing shines through. My kids (aged two to eighteen) all enjoyed the story (easily as much as me), and they asked us to resume it each chance we had after a pause.

In criticism, the volume on the narration isn’t fully consistent chapter to chapter. Some chapters are clearly louder than others, otherwise this audiobook is essentially perfect.

Please listen to this book and never forget what a human can do - even against the odds.

the life story of Jim Thorpe

liked the transparency of the story. the true story of how his life was.
I didn't like how the story was read in the first person like Jim himself was telling the story. it came off as bragging and egotistical. it was not written by Him and that was very misleading.

Better then the movie

This story was very well told by Joseph Bruchac. He took his time on this beautiful story about a great athlete. So if you love sports like I do. Then you will love this story about the greatest athlete of all times.

Learn about Jim Thorpe

I disliked learning that Jim’s Olympic medals were taken away. This was a powerful look at how racism affected his life but did not defeat him! A true American hero!
Declan H.

Burgoo Mark's Feed store

narrative was fine. Interesting story about Jim Thorpe. good for football fans and history buffs.

Enjoyed this interesting tell of Jim's life.

What does Joseph Bruchac bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I felt like Jim was telling me his story.

Any additional comments?

Jim didn't write this but I hope it was a somewhat accurate account of his life. He deserves a no BS re-telling of is life. His life was not all happiness but the reader and story always took an up beat mood even in the down times in his life. It is a reminder of how tough life was for him and others of his time.
I was always interested in what was next and wish I could have listened to this in one take.

Felt like I was listening to Mr Thorpe

What a sport hero. If I had kids, this is the type of sports player I would want them to aspire to. Well told story.

An uplifting if painful story of greatness

An enjoyable and far from comprehensive tale of a man whose courage and determination outshone all of his records. I've met some of his descendants and his legacy of honor continues.

Eh.....

this book is very enjoyable, but short and comes to a complete abrupt unsatisfying end

Not very sporty

I purchased this book to learn more about Thorp’s achievements in sports awa his failures in life but this book contained very little of that. If you are interested in learning about the Carlisle school for Indians then this is the book for you. If a reader had never heard of Thorp, listening to this book would leave you with the opinion that he was a nice young man who happened to play football and baseball.