dscfrazier 's review for:

Undefeated: Jim Thorpe and the Carlisle Indian School Football Team by Steve Sheinkin

5.0

---

Prior to reading Undefeated by Steve Sheinkin, I was vaguely familiar with the Carlisle Indian School. I only knew about Jim Thorpe as a crossword puzzle clue. And my only knowledge about Pop Warner was that there are youth football leagues named in his honor. I'm not even a huge football fan. But, none of that stopped me from really enjoying this book. From the very first page, I was taken on a fast-paced historical journey that had multiple layers. There's the story of Jim Thorpe's incredible athletic career in not only football, but also as an Olympic track star. (and why did I never know that he was Native American?). There is the history on the evolution of football, and the impact legendary coach Pop Warner and the Carlisle Indian School football team had on the way the sport is played today. The book also tells the story of an underdog team that took on some of the Elite colleges while facing racism and other challenges eventually becoming one of the winningest teams in football history. (Why they aren't a more widely known and lauded team is a mystery to me.) And lastly, the reader gets a glimpse into the Carlisle Indian School itself, which was a boarding school whose aim was the deculturalization of Native Americans while "helping civilize" them to fit in with the "American" way. Using tons of newspapers, magazines, books, and other sources, Sheinkin does a wonderful job of recreating the action and the climate of the time. You'll find yourself rooting for the team, although the outcomes have long been settled.