Jim Thorpe: 20Th-Century Jock (Superstar Lineup) [Hardcover]

Robert Lipsyte (Author)

Book Description

Series: Superstar Lineup | Publication Date: October 1993

A biography of the American Indian known as one of the best all-round athletes in history for his accomplishments as an Olympic medal winner and as an outstanding professional football and baseball player.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Lipsyte ( The Contender ; The Brave ) kicks off his Superstar Lineup series of sports biographies with two thoughtful works. Thorpe uses the story of "perhaps the greatest all-around male athlete in American history" as a lens through which to examine the effects of racism on Native Americans, adroitly placing Jim Thorpe in the larger context of Native American history. Lipsyte is particularly good at outlining the chilling effects of the white-run government schools on Thorpe, who later had to fight against an image of himself as "a great performing animal." The same measured approach raises the Schwarzenegger book above the ordinary as well. Here Lipsyte situates Arnold among the famous strong men of history (Samson, Hercules), then places Schwarzenegger's bodybuilding fame in the context of fitness crazes of the past 150 years, skillfully synthesizing some of the important recent work in sports history and sociology. Schwarzenegger emerges warts and all, with Lipsyte touching on reports of the hero's father's Nazi sympathies, Schwarzenegger's steroid use and bullying of weaker people. Both works offer balanced portraits of memorable individuals. Photos not seen by PW . Ages 10-14.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-8-Lipsyte tells the story of one of the great all-round athletes of this century. He writes in his usual fast-paced and clear style, and paints unvarnished portraits of such legendary sports figures as coach Pop Warner. Nor does he gloss over corruption of the past; for example, Thorpe was in college for about six years, doing little else than participating in sports. Most of the emphasis here is on his Native American heritage, and the controversy surrounding the loss of his Olympic gold medals for playing semi-pro baseball. However, for all the concentration on his background, readers don't gain much understanding of what kind of person Thorpe was. Partly this seems due to the fact that he was such a total jock. Sports was his life, and he wasn't one to talk a great deal about himself. Black-and-white photographs and reproductions appear throughout; they are small and of variable quality. Edward Rivinus's Jim Thorpe (Steck-Vaughn, 1990) is for a younger audience; Lipsyte offers fuller and more thoughtful coverage.
Todd Morning, Schaumburg Township Public Library, IL
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 103 pages
• Publisher: Harpercollins Childrens Books; 1st edition (October 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060229888
• ISBN-13: 978-0060229887
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.8 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,631,272 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Sporty Book, November 11, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Jim Thorpe: 20th-Century Jock (Superstar Lineup) (Paperback)

This was a great biograpy. It was a great book about a sports ledgen. Jim thorpe is an Native American sports ledgen. He playde football, baseball, and ran track. He was a great all around athlete. In this book you will learn about his parents, family, friends, and his school days. This book was fasinating to me and it told me about how Jim Thorpe lived his life.