Book Review: Path Lit By Lightning by David Maraniss

Jim Thorpe died in what would now be considered middle-age after his third heart attack. He was broke and living in a trailer at the time. Once referred to as the greatest living athlete, he never saw his trophies from winning the Olympic pentathlon and decathlon returned to him. He rode the bench for much of his professional baseball career, and played across what would become the NFL at the nadir of its existence. He had little interaction with his family, but one of the last memories of him by one of his daughters is of Jim standing under the movie theater marquee for Jim Thorpe - All-American while he scrounged for change in his pockets so he could ride the bus.

But his story is not necessarily a sad one.

What writer David Maraniss does so well in Path Lit By Lightning is give a complete view of Jim Thorpe's life. Yes, there were struggles, but in many cases Jim chose his own path. He relished the itinerant lifestyle, moving on to the next place each season. With that he also willfully gave up family life - in doing so he definitely didn't think of the strain this would have on his children (such as when Jim showed up to do a football demonstration at one daughter's school and didn't even recognize her), but to Jim this was no big deal. And while he realized the financial strain he was under, when times got really tough Jim always "knew a guy" that could get him through until the next hardship.

It would have been so easy for this biography to have read as a complete tragedy - the fact that it is so well-rounded is a credit to Maraniss's writing skills. While the story can definitely slog down at times (especially when writing out the complete letters between Jim and his second wife), it's still a very interesting read about one of the greatest athletes of all time. Seven out of ten hot dogs - worth a look!