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Undefeated: Jim Thorpe and the Carlisle Indian School Football Team
Jim Thorpe: super athlete, Olympic gold medalist, Native American.
Pop Warner: indomitable coach, football mastermind, Ivy League grad.
Before these men became legends, they met in 1907 at the Carlisle Indian School in Pennsylvania, where they forged one of the winningest teams in the history of America’s favorite sport. Called “the team that invented football,” Carlisle’s innovative squad challenged the greatest, most elite teams—Harvard, Yale, Army—audaciously vowing to take their place among the nation’s football powers.
This is an astonishing underdog sports story—and more. It’s an unflinching look at the U.S. government’s violent persecution of Native Americans and the school that was designed to erase Indian cultures. It’s the story of a group of young men who came together at that school, the overwhelming obstacles they faced both on and off the field, and their absolute refusal to accept defeat.
Pop Warner: indomitable coach, football mastermind, Ivy League grad.
Before these men became legends, they met in 1907 at the Carlisle Indian School in Pennsylvania, where they forged one of the winningest teams in the history of America’s favorite sport. Called “the team that invented football,” Carlisle’s innovative squad challenged the greatest, most elite teams—Harvard, Yale, Army—audaciously vowing to take their place among the nation’s football powers.
This is an astonishing underdog sports story—and more. It’s an unflinching look at the U.S. government’s violent persecution of Native Americans and the school that was designed to erase Indian cultures. It’s the story of a group of young men who came together at that school, the overwhelming obstacles they faced both on and off the field, and their absolute refusal to accept defeat.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published January 17, 2017
281 people are currently reading
3208 people want to read
About the author
Steve Sheinkin
45 books696 followersFrom: http://stevesheinkin.com/about/
I was born in Brooklyn, NY, and my family lived in Mississippi and Colorado before moving back to New York and settling in the suburbs north of New York City. As a kid my favorite books were action stories and outdoor adventures: sea stories, searches for buried treasure, sharks eating people… that kind of thing. Probably my all-time favorite was a book called Mutiny on the Bounty, a novel based on the true story of a famous mutiny aboard a British ship in the late 1700s.
I went to Syracuse University and studied communications and international relations. The highlight of those years was a summer I spent in Central America, where I worked on a documentary on the streets of Nicaragua.
After college I moved to Washington, D.C., and worked for an environmental group called the National Audubon Society. Then, when my brother Ari graduated from college a few years later, we decided to move to Austin, Texas, and make movies together. We lived like paupers in a house with a hole in the floor where bugs crawled in. We wrote some screenplays, and in 1995 made our own feature film, a comedy called A More Perfect Union (filing pictured below), about four young guys who decide to secede from the Union and declare their rented house to be an independent nation. We were sure it was going to be a huge hit; actually we ended up deep in debt.
After that I moved to Brooklyn and decided to find some way to make a living as a writer. I wrote short stories, screenplays, and worked on a comic called The Adventures of Rabbi Harvey. In 2006, after literally hundreds of rejections, my first Rabbi Harvey graphic novel was finally published.
Meanwhile, I started working for an educational publishing company, just for the money. We’d hire people to write history textbooks, and they’d send in their writing, and it was my job to check facts and make little edits to clarify the text. Once in a while I was given the chance to write little pieces of textbooks, like one-page biographies or skills lessons. “Understanding Bar Graphs” was one of my early works. The editors noticed that my writing was pretty good. They started giving me less editing to do, and more writing. Gradually, I began writing chapters for textbooks, and that turned into my full-time job. All the while, I kept working on my own writing projects.
In 2008 I wrote my last textbook. I walked away, and shall never return. My first non-textbook history book was King George: What Was His Problem? – full of all the stories about the American Revolution that I was never allowed to put into textbooks. But looking back, I actually feel pretty lucky to have spent all those years writing textbooks. It forced me to write every day, which is great practice. And I collected hundreds of stories that I can’t wait to tell.
These days, I live with my wife, Rachel, and our two young kids in Saratoga Springs, New York. We’re right down the road from the Saratoga National Historical Park, the site of Benedict Arnold’s greatest – and last – victory in an American uniform. But that’s not why I moved here. Honestly.
I was born in Brooklyn, NY, and my family lived in Mississippi and Colorado before moving back to New York and settling in the suburbs north of New York City. As a kid my favorite books were action stories and outdoor adventures: sea stories, searches for buried treasure, sharks eating people… that kind of thing. Probably my all-time favorite was a book called Mutiny on the Bounty, a novel based on the true story of a famous mutiny aboard a British ship in the late 1700s.
I went to Syracuse University and studied communications and international relations. The highlight of those years was a summer I spent in Central America, where I worked on a documentary on the streets of Nicaragua.
After college I moved to Washington, D.C., and worked for an environmental group called the National Audubon Society. Then, when my brother Ari graduated from college a few years later, we decided to move to Austin, Texas, and make movies together. We lived like paupers in a house with a hole in the floor where bugs crawled in. We wrote some screenplays, and in 1995 made our own feature film, a comedy called A More Perfect Union (filing pictured below), about four young guys who decide to secede from the Union and declare their rented house to be an independent nation. We were sure it was going to be a huge hit; actually we ended up deep in debt.
After that I moved to Brooklyn and decided to find some way to make a living as a writer. I wrote short stories, screenplays, and worked on a comic called The Adventures of Rabbi Harvey. In 2006, after literally hundreds of rejections, my first Rabbi Harvey graphic novel was finally published.
Meanwhile, I started working for an educational publishing company, just for the money. We’d hire people to write history textbooks, and they’d send in their writing, and it was my job to check facts and make little edits to clarify the text. Once in a while I was given the chance to write little pieces of textbooks, like one-page biographies or skills lessons. “Understanding Bar Graphs” was one of my early works. The editors noticed that my writing was pretty good. They started giving me less editing to do, and more writing. Gradually, I began writing chapters for textbooks, and that turned into my full-time job. All the while, I kept working on my own writing projects.
In 2008 I wrote my last textbook. I walked away, and shall never return. My first non-textbook history book was King George: What Was His Problem? – full of all the stories about the American Revolution that I was never allowed to put into textbooks. But looking back, I actually feel pretty lucky to have spent all those years writing textbooks. It forced me to write every day, which is great practice. And I collected hundreds of stories that I can’t wait to tell.
These days, I live with my wife, Rachel, and our two young kids in Saratoga Springs, New York. We’re right down the road from the Saratoga National Historical Park, the site of Benedict Arnold’s greatest – and last – victory in an American uniform. But that’s not why I moved here. Honestly.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 758 reviews
April 24, 2018
Update: 2018
Went to Jim Thorpe, PA. Awesome little place! Lots of history before taking Jim Thorpe’s name. If you go, warning, mountainous with narrow streets and not a lot of parking. Be prepared! JTX has a great tour and the Stone Pub (might be getting that name wrong) is a great restaurant that caters to those with food allergies, though anyone can find delicious food there. And the Speakeasy was SO COOL. Great atmosphere and the staff were all incredibly friendly.
Saw the Jim Thorpe memorial and it was very respectful and well-done. I definitely recommend this book and visiting the town if you can!
Original review after this point.
Read this in one sitting while waiting for my car to get out of the shop. Others in the waiting room must have thought I was NUTS. This book made me REACT.
First, at the initial brutality of the game of football. It was a college sport and men DIED, like 19 a year or more. It was almost stopped, but Teddy Roosevelt loved it so much, he "encouraged" those in charge to come up with safer rules and padding and stuff. There was no just defense or just offense player. They did it ALL.
Second, the HORRIBLE prejudice against the Native Americans turned my stomach and made me SO ANGRY. I had to put the book down and just remember to BREATHE.
Third, Jim Thorpe was AMAZING. Seriously, super-human. And he has his Olympic medals RIPPED away because he wasn't an "amateur" sportsman, he has played two seasons of paid baseball. He won track and field. What does that have to do with baseball? Nothing, he was Native American and prejudice ran high. Those who attacked him did so well outside the time frame for medal removal and even those who were silver to his gold didn't want the medals, they said HE won, not them. His American naysayers didn't care and one day when he wasn't in his rooms, someone snuck in and TOOK HIS MEDALS AND TROPHY AWAY!!!!!
That was another, "remember to breathe" moment.
Oh, yeah, and as a Native American? He was a ward of the state, NOT considered an American citizen (the irony) AND couldn't control his own money!!!!!!
Breathe Jen, breathe.
Really great book, didn't QUITE reach five stars, more a 4.5, rounded down to 4, but HIGHLY recommend. Just get the paperback. It'll break less when you throw it in anger at the unfairness of what Thorpe and other Native Americans went through. I wish it included the struggle the female Native Americans went through, as well as the men. Maybe enough to see what his wife had to deal with. All in all, highly recommended!
Went to Jim Thorpe, PA. Awesome little place! Lots of history before taking Jim Thorpe’s name. If you go, warning, mountainous with narrow streets and not a lot of parking. Be prepared! JTX has a great tour and the Stone Pub (might be getting that name wrong) is a great restaurant that caters to those with food allergies, though anyone can find delicious food there. And the Speakeasy was SO COOL. Great atmosphere and the staff were all incredibly friendly.
Saw the Jim Thorpe memorial and it was very respectful and well-done. I definitely recommend this book and visiting the town if you can!
Original review after this point.
Read this in one sitting while waiting for my car to get out of the shop. Others in the waiting room must have thought I was NUTS. This book made me REACT.
First, at the initial brutality of the game of football. It was a college sport and men DIED, like 19 a year or more. It was almost stopped, but Teddy Roosevelt loved it so much, he "encouraged" those in charge to come up with safer rules and padding and stuff. There was no just defense or just offense player. They did it ALL.
Second, the HORRIBLE prejudice against the Native Americans turned my stomach and made me SO ANGRY. I had to put the book down and just remember to BREATHE.
Third, Jim Thorpe was AMAZING. Seriously, super-human. And he has his Olympic medals RIPPED away because he wasn't an "amateur" sportsman, he has played two seasons of paid baseball. He won track and field. What does that have to do with baseball? Nothing, he was Native American and prejudice ran high. Those who attacked him did so well outside the time frame for medal removal and even those who were silver to his gold didn't want the medals, they said HE won, not them. His American naysayers didn't care and one day when he wasn't in his rooms, someone snuck in and TOOK HIS MEDALS AND TROPHY AWAY!!!!!
That was another, "remember to breathe" moment.
Oh, yeah, and as a Native American? He was a ward of the state, NOT considered an American citizen (the irony) AND couldn't control his own money!!!!!!
Breathe Jen, breathe.
Really great book, didn't QUITE reach five stars, more a 4.5, rounded down to 4, but HIGHLY recommend. Just get the paperback. It'll break less when you throw it in anger at the unfairness of what Thorpe and other Native Americans went through. I wish it included the struggle the female Native Americans went through, as well as the men. Maybe enough to see what his wife had to deal with. All in all, highly recommended!
January 2, 2019
4.5 stars
"In Thorpe's four seasons with [coach] Pop Warner . . . Carlisle compiled an almost impossible forty-three wins . . . Along the way, they managed to pull football, kicking an screaming, out of the Stone Age and into the modern era, putting it on the road to becoming America's favorite sport . . . [but] today many fans have no idea that one of football's all-time greatest teams was the Carlisle Indians." -- Steve Sheinkin
Energetic biography that it as much about Jim Thorpe - arguably America's greatest and most diverse athlete of the first half of the 20th century - as it is about his legendary collegiate coach Glenn 'Pop' Warner, several of Thorpe's teammates, and the history of the now-defunct school.
Thorpe and the other students of the Carlisle Indian School in south-central Pennsylvania were often full- or half-blooded Native Americans from the American midwest. They were sent to C.I.S. in their teen years to assimilate into the white culture (or, as it's put much less politely by a headmaster - "to get the savage out of them") - they were given new, Anglicized names; taught English as a primary language (speaking in their native tongue was strictly forbidden) ; and given vocational training.
The unexpected side effect was the collected innate and consistent athletic ability of several of the young men, which perfectly gelled with the burgeoning college football scene at the start of the 20th century. This was a time when the sport was lethal - an unimaginable nineteen fatalities alone in the 1905 season (!) - but extremely popular, helped by support from President Teddy Roosevelt.
I got a kick out of reading about the team's exploits. After a rough start in their initial seasons they stop being a curiosity and become a steamroller of an organization, regularly taking on and besting top-tier squads from Harvard, Princeton, and other large schools with respected football programs. This (sort of) leads into Thorpe representing the U.S. for track & field in the 1912 Olympics, where he wins several medals. Of course, there was the very unfortunate aftermath with that victory.
Then there's the entire sociological aspect - though on the surface the school appeared to have or represent good intentions, it actually was suppressing or destroying the Native American culture.
Written in a fairly easy to understand style (for the non-football followers) and with a lively pace, Sheinkin's Undefeated was an effective blending of biography, sports, and U.S. history.
"In Thorpe's four seasons with [coach] Pop Warner . . . Carlisle compiled an almost impossible forty-three wins . . . Along the way, they managed to pull football, kicking an screaming, out of the Stone Age and into the modern era, putting it on the road to becoming America's favorite sport . . . [but] today many fans have no idea that one of football's all-time greatest teams was the Carlisle Indians." -- Steve Sheinkin
Energetic biography that it as much about Jim Thorpe - arguably America's greatest and most diverse athlete of the first half of the 20th century - as it is about his legendary collegiate coach Glenn 'Pop' Warner, several of Thorpe's teammates, and the history of the now-defunct school.
Thorpe and the other students of the Carlisle Indian School in south-central Pennsylvania were often full- or half-blooded Native Americans from the American midwest. They were sent to C.I.S. in their teen years to assimilate into the white culture (or, as it's put much less politely by a headmaster - "to get the savage out of them") - they were given new, Anglicized names; taught English as a primary language (speaking in their native tongue was strictly forbidden) ; and given vocational training.
The unexpected side effect was the collected innate and consistent athletic ability of several of the young men, which perfectly gelled with the burgeoning college football scene at the start of the 20th century. This was a time when the sport was lethal - an unimaginable nineteen fatalities alone in the 1905 season (!) - but extremely popular, helped by support from President Teddy Roosevelt.
I got a kick out of reading about the team's exploits. After a rough start in their initial seasons they stop being a curiosity and become a steamroller of an organization, regularly taking on and besting top-tier squads from Harvard, Princeton, and other large schools with respected football programs. This (sort of) leads into Thorpe representing the U.S. for track & field in the 1912 Olympics, where he wins several medals. Of course, there was the very unfortunate aftermath with that victory.
Then there's the entire sociological aspect - though on the surface the school appeared to have or represent good intentions, it actually was suppressing or destroying the Native American culture.
Written in a fairly easy to understand style (for the non-football followers) and with a lively pace, Sheinkin's Undefeated was an effective blending of biography, sports, and U.S. history.
February 7, 2017
Steve Sheinkin consistently knocks narrative non-fiction out of the park. He keeps the story moving while providing the right amount of detail to both inform and interest the reader. He also has a knack for picking excellent subject matter. How awesome to learn more about Native American history, the history of American football and the amazingly talented Jim Thorpe all at once.
I think one of his writing gifts is to scratch that non-fiction itch that many young readers, especially boys, seem to have without rubbing it raw. He never hits you over the head with the sense that you are reading something "educational." My boys both really enjoyed his book, Bomb, and I think they will like this one just as much.
As a side note, members of my book group who aren't football fans still loved this book. Don't pass it by just because you don't love the gridiron.
I think one of his writing gifts is to scratch that non-fiction itch that many young readers, especially boys, seem to have without rubbing it raw. He never hits you over the head with the sense that you are reading something "educational." My boys both really enjoyed his book, Bomb, and I think they will like this one just as much.
As a side note, members of my book group who aren't football fans still loved this book. Don't pass it by just because you don't love the gridiron.
March 21, 2017
EDIT: 3.5 stars
Lots of feelings about this one... http://readingwhilewhite.blogspot.com...
Lots of feelings about this one... http://readingwhilewhite.blogspot.com...
September 2, 2018
I am not a fan of college or professional football, but I decided to read this book about football before the razzle-dazzle, big money, and prima donnas took over. I also wanted to learn about the Carlisle Indian School, which was located not far from where I live. If you like football, you probably already know some of the background of the sport, which almost died early in the late 19th/early 20th century when a number of young men died while 'playing' the game. Teddy Roosevelt's role in persuading teams to cut down on the violence, and new innovations, which emphasized more scoring, made a difference. A difference, which was taken advantage by men like Pop Warner, who took the Carlisle team to new heights of winning.
As part of this 'glory' Warner made use of a young man from Oklahoma, a young man who could run and kick, and who had all the attributes of a great athlete--Jim Thorpe. Thorpe also was a free spirit, who would frequently take off from school because of the restrictions, and the fact that he really did not like learning. Much of the book deals, in detail, with the games played by Carlisle. The games are interesting, but even more so are the lives of the students at The Carlisle Indian Industrial School.
In 1879, Richard Henry Pratt started his goal of turning 'savages' into good citizens by eliminating all that was Indian about these young men and women. By the time Thorpe arrived at the school in the early 20th century, the school had educated many, but had also destroyed much of their souls. It was the classic reasoning--they were doing it for their own good. Ironically, those who were on the team were given more freedom than other students. The team brought in money, but the players played a grueling schedule, especially on the road, to compensate.
In 1912 Thorpe also showed his prowess at track and field by winning two gold medals at the Stockholm Olympics. They were taken away in 1913 for suspect reasons, but seven decades later, after his death, were returned. This episode was another demoralizing moment in the life of the 'world's greatest athlete', just one of many.
I still don't like football, but now I can understand how much it must have meant to a man like Thorpe.
As part of this 'glory' Warner made use of a young man from Oklahoma, a young man who could run and kick, and who had all the attributes of a great athlete--Jim Thorpe. Thorpe also was a free spirit, who would frequently take off from school because of the restrictions, and the fact that he really did not like learning. Much of the book deals, in detail, with the games played by Carlisle. The games are interesting, but even more so are the lives of the students at The Carlisle Indian Industrial School.
In 1879, Richard Henry Pratt started his goal of turning 'savages' into good citizens by eliminating all that was Indian about these young men and women. By the time Thorpe arrived at the school in the early 20th century, the school had educated many, but had also destroyed much of their souls. It was the classic reasoning--they were doing it for their own good. Ironically, those who were on the team were given more freedom than other students. The team brought in money, but the players played a grueling schedule, especially on the road, to compensate.
In 1912 Thorpe also showed his prowess at track and field by winning two gold medals at the Stockholm Olympics. They were taken away in 1913 for suspect reasons, but seven decades later, after his death, were returned. This episode was another demoralizing moment in the life of the 'world's greatest athlete', just one of many.
I still don't like football, but now I can understand how much it must have meant to a man like Thorpe.
March 6, 2017
4.25
As a sports and football fan I have heard the name Jim Thorpe numerous times. He is one of those legends you hear about, but it was so long ago it is hard to really appreciate their feats because the game has changed so much. It was really interesting to learn that the game has changed so much because of Jim Thorpe and the teams he was a part of. The football aspects of this book were interesting, but the best part by far was the discussion of Jim's evolution as a person and the cultural struggles of Native Americans to find a place in a nation that devalued and even attempted to eliminate their culture.. The story of the Carlisle School was one that I was not familiar with at all and I am so happy I am now well versed in it so as to keep alive the memory of those who struggled against the intended cultural extermination of a people. I wish there had been a little more focus on the cultural aspects of this book and less on individual football games, but overall it was enjoyable.
As a sports and football fan I have heard the name Jim Thorpe numerous times. He is one of those legends you hear about, but it was so long ago it is hard to really appreciate their feats because the game has changed so much. It was really interesting to learn that the game has changed so much because of Jim Thorpe and the teams he was a part of. The football aspects of this book were interesting, but the best part by far was the discussion of Jim's evolution as a person and the cultural struggles of Native Americans to find a place in a nation that devalued and even attempted to eliminate their culture.. The story of the Carlisle School was one that I was not familiar with at all and I am so happy I am now well versed in it so as to keep alive the memory of those who struggled against the intended cultural extermination of a people. I wish there had been a little more focus on the cultural aspects of this book and less on individual football games, but overall it was enjoyable.
February 24, 2018
This is an amazing historical account that does not pull any punches. We see Pop Warner and Jim Thorpe as they were and the historical events taking place around them. The game of football evolved from a slugfest into the game of finesse we see today in many respects due to the genius of Warner and the athletic talents of the Carlisle Indian athletes. They were smaller and lighter than their opponents, but achieved statistics that even the elite four could not touch. The account of the Carlisle vs Army(West Point) is especially interesting with Ike and Omar Bradley being a key players on the Army team.
I highly recommend Sheinkins' books. He sheds so much light on subjects that even adults may know only a few facts about(if any).
I highly recommend Sheinkins' books. He sheds so much light on subjects that even adults may know only a few facts about(if any).
April 11, 2018
3.5 stars actually
This was actually a pretty decent book. Like, I don't really like nonfiction at all, but I feel like this author had a way of making it... I don't know... not fiction... but just better. It wasn't just spewing out facts, but it had emotions and feelings behind each and every single word. I thought this was a good book, and that's saying a lot since it was nonfiction and about football/football players. So yeah!
This was actually a pretty decent book. Like, I don't really like nonfiction at all, but I feel like this author had a way of making it... I don't know... not fiction... but just better. It wasn't just spewing out facts, but it had emotions and feelings behind each and every single word. I thought this was a good book, and that's saying a lot since it was nonfiction and about football/football players. So yeah!
December 5, 2023
had to read for history class but actually got interested in this. it's better than the benedict arnold book. I actually didn't struggle to get through this one. worth the read!
February 7, 2017
Steve Sheinkin writing about Jim Thorpe? You had me at hello.
Sheinkin pays homage to football legend Jim Thorpe with his signature compulsively readable style and tons of archival photographs. It's obvious that Sheinkin is taking great care to write of indigenous nations with respect, always identifying the nations to which people belong. Beyond that, I don't have the expertise to evaluate Sheinkin's treatment of culture here. He condemns the use of boarding schools to "civilize" indigenous people and raises questions for teen readers to consider throughout the book (example: would anyone have dared to take away Thorpe's Olympic medals if he had been white?).
This is a must-read for sports fans - there is a ton of play-by-play football action and fans of the sport will be fascinated by how many modern-day conventions of the sport were started by the Carlisle team. But even readers who are not huge sports fans (read: me!) will be fascinated by this true story of a little-known American sports legend.
Last year, I listened to the audiobook of Joseph Bruchac's "novelized" biography of Jim Thorpe, which is written in first person. I loved that book, too, but I'm glad to have a stricter nonfiction look at Thorpe from such a well-regarded author. Undefeated is just as compelling a read.
Highly recommended; a must-purchase.
Sheinkin pays homage to football legend Jim Thorpe with his signature compulsively readable style and tons of archival photographs. It's obvious that Sheinkin is taking great care to write of indigenous nations with respect, always identifying the nations to which people belong. Beyond that, I don't have the expertise to evaluate Sheinkin's treatment of culture here. He condemns the use of boarding schools to "civilize" indigenous people and raises questions for teen readers to consider throughout the book (example: would anyone have dared to take away Thorpe's Olympic medals if he had been white?).
This is a must-read for sports fans - there is a ton of play-by-play football action and fans of the sport will be fascinated by how many modern-day conventions of the sport were started by the Carlisle team. But even readers who are not huge sports fans (read: me!) will be fascinated by this true story of a little-known American sports legend.
Last year, I listened to the audiobook of Joseph Bruchac's "novelized" biography of Jim Thorpe, which is written in first person. I loved that book, too, but I'm glad to have a stricter nonfiction look at Thorpe from such a well-regarded author. Undefeated is just as compelling a read.
Highly recommended; a must-purchase.
January 9, 2017
Steve Sheinkin has done it again. I haven't been interested in football since the Dallas Cowboys won the Super Bowl in 1972, but I was riveted to this narrative nonfiction about the athlete of the 20th Century, Jim Thorpe, and the rise and evolution of football brought about by the Carlisle Indians in the early 1900s. I was breathless and nervous through every football game recounted and fascinated by how rough and dangerous the game was and how it evolved. Jim Thorpe and his Native American teammates were true heroes in perseverance in the face of adversity and prejudice. Fascinating story that will inspire readers to become heroes like Jim Thorpe.
February 11, 2017
Also, don't miss the deleted scene posted on Fuse 8: http://blogs.slj.com/afuse8production...
And a couple more deleted scenes here: https://nerdybookclub.wordpress.com/2...
And a couple more deleted scenes here: https://nerdybookclub.wordpress.com/2...
February 5, 2023
High interest; easy reading level. Well written, informational & inspiring.
December 5, 2019
Thrill of victory? Rooting for the underdog? Football? The Olympics? Native American history? Social Justice? All in this one amazing book.
Steve Sheinkin tells Jim Thorpe’s story but also Pop Warner’s story (I honestly didn’t know he was a real person). With these historical characters we learn the history of the game of football. Plus, we get the amazing personal story of Jim Thorpe, arguably the best athlete ever. Plus, we confront social justice issues such as Native American children living in underfunded boarding schools and balancing justice and mercy at the end of Thorpe’s athletic career.
If you know a sports fan, especially a teenaged one, give them this book. But saying this is a teenage boy book sells the book short. This is my 17-year-old daughter’s favorite book. I’m a 40-something mom who couldn’t care less about football and I love this book. Writing this review makes me want to go back and read it again. It’s that good.
Steve Sheinkin tells Jim Thorpe’s story but also Pop Warner’s story (I honestly didn’t know he was a real person). With these historical characters we learn the history of the game of football. Plus, we get the amazing personal story of Jim Thorpe, arguably the best athlete ever. Plus, we confront social justice issues such as Native American children living in underfunded boarding schools and balancing justice and mercy at the end of Thorpe’s athletic career.
If you know a sports fan, especially a teenaged one, give them this book. But saying this is a teenage boy book sells the book short. This is my 17-year-old daughter’s favorite book. I’m a 40-something mom who couldn’t care less about football and I love this book. Writing this review makes me want to go back and read it again. It’s that good.
March 13, 2017
This book does a good job of balancing the topics of Native American "history" in the U.S., history of football, and ethics in general. For the most part this book reads as a story and not as "nonfiction homework", is at a good reading level for students in 6th-12th grade, and will tell teens of uglier moments of U.S. history they don't learn enough about in school. Reluctant readers may be drawn to either the football or the Native American aspect and be surprised seeing familiar (hopefully!) names like Eisenhower with Thorpe on the football field.
June 30, 2020
A fantastic look at the development of football and the racism faced by Native Americans. Sheinkin is my favorite nonfiction writer. He is terrific at his craft!
March 26, 2017
Steve Sheinkin has the power to make any story in history readable, engaging and mesmerizing. Undefeated reveals much of Jim Thorpe's athletic ability but also of his character. Readers will also learn how Indians were treated by the U.S. government during that difficult time in expanding the country. An excellent book that is sure to win awards.
April 10, 2018
Steve Sheinkin always has a way of making nonfiction interesting and accessible. If you enjoyed this one, you should also read Bomb, Lincoln's Grave Robbers, or The Port Chicago 50.
June 12, 2019
Alright, I am not going to say I loved this one BUT... I also am not a football fan. For a football fan, this is the history you have never heard before. I did love that this book is a biography and non-fiction, as I am always looking for good non-fiction, especially for my readers who like sports and lean towards true stories. I also loved that it looks at the history of US government sponsored massacres, residential schools, and systemic racism through the eyes of someone who lived it. It is the story of an underdog and his teammates, how they never gave up and fought until the end. I would like to say that Jim overcame it all, out shot the odds and the story ends happily. Unfortunately we know this is not how the history goes. This is a story about one great football player, but it is most importantly a story about social justice. This is why I think this book is important.
March 25, 2024
I love Jim Thorpe. This books is a good portrayal of his life and his accomplishments.
April 7, 2023
This was SO GOOD. Like, way better than I was anticipating. I enjoy watching football but knew very little about the history of the game. How had I never heard of Jim Thorpe?? I was completely sucked in by the story of this ragtag team that completely redefined the sport. Sheinkin does an amazing job of really laying out the injustices that Native Americans faced at the hands of the US government. This book is doing so many things and telling so many stories all at one time and it all works together beautifully. It's like watching ingredients come together to make the perfect meal.
I HIGHLY recommend the audiobook! Mark Bramhall does an incredible job.
I HIGHLY recommend the audiobook! Mark Bramhall does an incredible job.
August 31, 2022
I tried to think of any criticism of this book but have decided it's pretty much flawless. A truly captivating story told with such detail and thorough use of primary sources. The style is accessible as it's written as a young adult nonfiction book. I thought the audiobook reader did an amazing job - definitely one of the best audiobook experiences I've ever had. Can't wait to incorporate this as an option in our nonfiction book clubs!
(For those wondering... Lomita was not mentioned.)
(For those wondering... Lomita was not mentioned.)
October 9, 2017
I always know when I pick up a Steve Sheinkin book that I'm going to get a good story. Undefeated was no different. And being a football fan I found the book a fascinating look back at the early years of the game. But as with Sheinkin's other titles, he's picked a topic I knew very little about and turned it into a great read.
While the book focuses on football and the impact that the Carlisle Indian School's football team made on the sport, there are other themes in the book. It was hard to read about the school itself and it's goal of 'civilizing' the Indian children put into their care. I felt horrible as I read about how the students' names were changed, hair was cut, and clothes provided, all with the intention of making these Native children more white and supposedly more civilized. The long hours of study as well as work left the students with very little free time. No wonder so many students ran away. Even worse is that once they graduated (for those few who did), they had few options available to them. Except for a few who found success, most of them were either rejected by whites for employment or returned home having lost much of their language and culture.
For some of the students, football provided a bit of a relief. In fact, in a narrative that sounds all too familiar, these athletes (once the program took off) received rather preferential treatment (at least compared to the other Native students). What's especially remarkable is that from the outside, the Native students didn't seem like they would be competitive in a game that emphasized size and power. None of the students who played for Carlisle were huge and powerful and at first it was a major disadvantage. Then along came Coach Pop Warner, who recognized that what these young men lacked in size and power, they made up for in speed, agility, and sheer determination. Combining Warner's innovative approach to the game and willingness to try new things with the indomitable will of his players led to some remarkable results.
And things really took off when Jim Thorpe joined the team. I knew the name before I picked up the book, but it was interesting to find out more about this remarkable athlete. His story is both remarkable and somewhat sad at the same time. His athletic achievements are legendary, even today. The way he dominated in both track and football would be hard to replicate in this day of specialization. And reading about the sheer amount of time he and his teammates spent on the field playing both offense and defense just made me tired.
In addition to facing teams who didn't see their smaller team as much of a threat, the Carlisle students also faced a great deal of prejudice from both opponents and the media. It was painful to read about the way they were treated. And yet in the end, the Carlisle football team left a lasting mark on the game as they helped develop innovations such as the forward pass, deception in play calling, and new plays that no one had ever seen before.
While those who lived out those years didn't all have happy endings, there is no doubt they left their mark both on and off the football field.
While the book focuses on football and the impact that the Carlisle Indian School's football team made on the sport, there are other themes in the book. It was hard to read about the school itself and it's goal of 'civilizing' the Indian children put into their care. I felt horrible as I read about how the students' names were changed, hair was cut, and clothes provided, all with the intention of making these Native children more white and supposedly more civilized. The long hours of study as well as work left the students with very little free time. No wonder so many students ran away. Even worse is that once they graduated (for those few who did), they had few options available to them. Except for a few who found success, most of them were either rejected by whites for employment or returned home having lost much of their language and culture.
For some of the students, football provided a bit of a relief. In fact, in a narrative that sounds all too familiar, these athletes (once the program took off) received rather preferential treatment (at least compared to the other Native students). What's especially remarkable is that from the outside, the Native students didn't seem like they would be competitive in a game that emphasized size and power. None of the students who played for Carlisle were huge and powerful and at first it was a major disadvantage. Then along came Coach Pop Warner, who recognized that what these young men lacked in size and power, they made up for in speed, agility, and sheer determination. Combining Warner's innovative approach to the game and willingness to try new things with the indomitable will of his players led to some remarkable results.
And things really took off when Jim Thorpe joined the team. I knew the name before I picked up the book, but it was interesting to find out more about this remarkable athlete. His story is both remarkable and somewhat sad at the same time. His athletic achievements are legendary, even today. The way he dominated in both track and football would be hard to replicate in this day of specialization. And reading about the sheer amount of time he and his teammates spent on the field playing both offense and defense just made me tired.
In addition to facing teams who didn't see their smaller team as much of a threat, the Carlisle students also faced a great deal of prejudice from both opponents and the media. It was painful to read about the way they were treated. And yet in the end, the Carlisle football team left a lasting mark on the game as they helped develop innovations such as the forward pass, deception in play calling, and new plays that no one had ever seen before.
While those who lived out those years didn't all have happy endings, there is no doubt they left their mark both on and off the football field.
April 8, 2017
A fairly quick read and a great summary of Carlisle Indian School, coach "Pop" Warner, and Jim Thorpe. Chapters were short and mostly focused on one aspect of the history each. I would classify this as an excellent young-adult book, highly recommended.
After finishing Joseph Bruchac's Jim Thorpe, Original All-American, I was left wanting to know more about Pop Warner and Carlisle. This book scratches that itch, while also providing a good overview of Jim Thorpe.
The book starts by focusing on Warner, Thorpe, and Carlisle in roughly equal measures. Relevant US history (Indian wars and the subsequent land grab) are also touched on. Later in the book Jim's story takes over, with only occasional appearances by other characters (e.g. Eisenhower).
It also glosses over a few things, compacting the story to fit those short chapters. The many photographs are excellent accompaniment, but also shrink the word count.
After finishing Joseph Bruchac's Jim Thorpe, Original All-American, I was left wanting to know more about Pop Warner and Carlisle. This book scratches that itch, while also providing a good overview of Jim Thorpe.
The book starts by focusing on Warner, Thorpe, and Carlisle in roughly equal measures. Relevant US history (Indian wars and the subsequent land grab) are also touched on. Later in the book Jim's story takes over, with only occasional appearances by other characters (e.g. Eisenhower).
It also glosses over a few things, compacting the story to fit those short chapters. The many photographs are excellent accompaniment, but also shrink the word count.
January 21, 2019
Another gem from Steve Sheinkin. His books are well sourced and he has a talent for blending interesting storytelling and probing questions with enough historical detail to make the reading experience entertaining, thought provoking and informative.
Here we get the story of Native Americans sent to the Carlisle Indian Industrial School for the purpose of integrating them into the white man's world. It's not quite as benign as I just stated and Sheinkin raises important questions about racism while challenging the purpose of such a school. The book is ultimately centered around Jim Thorpe and his life from his early years in Oklahoma through his time in Carlisle. It's a complex life filled with achievement and heartbreak and Sheinkin tells it with respect for Thorpe and the book's readers.
About half of the book relates to the early days of American football through about 1912 (largely it relates to the Carlisle football team and how it contributed to the evolution of rules changes made over time to where it more closely resembles the modern game). I'm not much of a football fan but I did enjoy these sections nonetheless. Fans of the game would probably enjoy these parts very much.
Here we get the story of Native Americans sent to the Carlisle Indian Industrial School for the purpose of integrating them into the white man's world. It's not quite as benign as I just stated and Sheinkin raises important questions about racism while challenging the purpose of such a school. The book is ultimately centered around Jim Thorpe and his life from his early years in Oklahoma through his time in Carlisle. It's a complex life filled with achievement and heartbreak and Sheinkin tells it with respect for Thorpe and the book's readers.
About half of the book relates to the early days of American football through about 1912 (largely it relates to the Carlisle football team and how it contributed to the evolution of rules changes made over time to where it more closely resembles the modern game). I'm not much of a football fan but I did enjoy these sections nonetheless. Fans of the game would probably enjoy these parts very much.
February 28, 2023
For someone who doesn’t really watch football to the extent most Americans do, I was surprised how invested I was in this book which was 80% play by play of the games played by the Carlisle School natives. The book steps into the uncomfortable history of the Indian boarding schools but it’s main focus is the the history of the game and how much Thorpe and the Carlisle team contributed to that history and made the game what it is today. A history that hasn’t really been told, honestly. Even though I’m not a big football fan I was captivated by the story and excited with the play by play of each game described.
October 27, 2018
Three stars for me because I’m just not that in to football. Although my family, who all adore football, enjoyed my interest while I was reading this book.
Five stars for Steve Sheinkin for telling this important story so well—and caring about an honest portrayal of a man that suffered so much because of other people’s dishonesty.
Five stars for Steve Sheinkin for telling this important story so well—and caring about an honest portrayal of a man that suffered so much because of other people’s dishonesty.
December 29, 2018
I can see why the kids like this- compelling story sharing a bit of American history I was not very familiar with. And a nonfiction that reads like fiction- Sheinkin at his best.
Read
May 25, 2024Dnf
February 8, 2018
An eye opening read into the history of football and the father of football, Pop Warner. More about the Carlisle Indian School than about Jim Thorpe. Thorpe is not a focus until over halfway through the book
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