Carlisle vs. Army: Jim Thorpe, Dwight Eisenhower, Pop Warner, and the Forgotten Story of Football's Greatest Battle

I am 53 years old, Dwight Eisenhower was president when I was born, I had heard of Jim Thorpe and Pop Warner and have lived less then 45 minutes away from the Carlisle Indian School all my life and have never heard this story. I am not a football fan but this recounting kept me turning the pages. "History must be active, never passive" said Emerson, and Lars Anderson made a lot of unknown local history jump to life for me. Lots of great research from Cumberland County Historical Society in Carlisle, PA

In 1912, one of the classic American football games was played--between Carlisle and mighty Army. A book published in 2007 covers much of the same territory, "The Real All Americans: The Team That Changed a Game, a People, a Nation" by Sally Jenkins--and covers it well. But Lars Anderson's book, approaching the issues differently, likewise has created a wonderful examination of that game and events leading up to it. The structure of Anderson's book weaves the story of three people together, culminating in that 1912 context. First, legendary coach Pop Warner; second, the great Indian athlete, Jim Thorpe; third, a gritty undersized football player and future military leader, Dwight Eisenhower. What was at stake in the Carlisle-Army game might be summarized by a segment of the pep talk Warner gave his team just before the contest began: "Remember it was their fathers and grandfathers who destroyed your way of life. Remember Wounded Knee. Remember all of this on every play. Let's go." And so the Indian team from Carlisle took on the Army team with those words ringing in their ears. How did we get to this point? The book describes the arc of Warner's life, his childhood, his becoming an attorney, and the strange voyage leading him into coaching. Early on, he was a vagabond, moving from team to team (even leaving the position at Carlisle a bit before returning). He was an innovator and could inspire his team. Then there was Thorpe, from the American Southwest. Growing up, he was always restless, would run away from school routinely. He ended up at Carlisle, but ran away from that institution, too. The book illustrates his foray into professional baseball during one such hiatus (which, of course, was to come back to haunt him). Upon his return to Carlisle, he led them ably. The story of his Olympic heroics are also recounted. Then, Ike, who--paradoxically enough--also played professional baseball under an assumed name ("Wilson"), but he was never caught for that behavior. The story of the undersized, hot tempered youth who ended up going to West Point, desperate to make the football team. The three narratives come together with that game on November 9th, 1912. The story of the game itself is well told (no sense giving away all the elements). Then, the story of the aftermath for all three protagonists. This is indeed a spellbinding historical tale. The book is well researched and well written, filled with details that provide depth to the subjects of this work. Highly recommended for those with an interest in the subject. . . .

It's 1912, only 22 years after the last Indian battle @ wounded knee and Indians from Carlisle (a government funded school that "killed the Indian to save the man.")will play a football game against the institution that turned out men who killed their fathers. The story follows three men from childhood until that game in 1912: Carlisle's Jim Thorpe, the first American sports idol; legendery coach Glenn "Pop" Warner; and Army's tough as nails running back and linebacker: Dwight D Eisenhower. Here's what was amazing: learn how Warner invented the spiral pass, the double wing formation (the forerunner of today's pro set) and how he countered Army's physical edge of 4" taller and 40 lbs heavier, on average. Jim Thorpe? The only athelete in Olympic history to win BOTH the decathalon and pentathalon at the same games. A guy who once, against Pittsburg punted a ball 40-50 yards with 4.5-5 seconds hang time, ran down the field and out jumped three Pitt players for the ball, broke their tackles and went in for a touchdown! You could advance the ball back then. It's a wonderful story, well written, about three men who laid the foundation for the modern game. It's a must for any fan who's a student of the game.

If sports is a metaphor for life, then the history of sports serves as a reminder for how athletic competition has shaped our nation in many more venues than playing fields. CARLISLE VS. ARMY by Lars Anderson is a story rich in the successes and failures of American history, told with a cast of characters that includes three Presidents of the United States, the generals who led America to victory in World War II, football legends whose influence on the game is still felt today, and finally --- and perhaps most importantly --- the proud Indian nations who deserved better from the white men who seized control of their lands. At the end of the 19th century, the United States government still had not resolved the conflict created by westward expansion. Indian tribes across the nation fought to retain their tribal ways of life, but the military might of the U.S. army was too much for the Indian nations. Defeat and death of young warriors threatened the existence of Indian tribes. The American government, with the support of many Indian leaders, commenced a strategy designed to "elevate" Indians by immersing them in the white man's ways. One way to accomplish this goal was to create Indian Schools, modeled of course after American institutions of learning. One such institution was the Carlisle Indian Industrial School founded in 1879 in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Indian children from across the nation were brought to the school with the hope that they would learn the ways of the white man. The creation of the Carlisle School coincided with the birth of college football. As many colleges began to field teams, Richard Pratt, the founder of the Carlisle School, wanted a football team for two reasons. Pratt thought that the discipline and spirit created by a football program would benefit the Indian youth attending Carlisle. He also believed that the inherent athletic ability of Indians would be demonstrated on the football field and establish to the nation that Indians could be the equal of whites. Pratt was a prescient man who understood the role that athletics could play in bringing minority groups into the mainstream. Carlisle would become a college football powerhouse in the early 1900s. While the Indian athlete would be responsible for this success, Carlisle would also owe their good fortunes to the brilliance of Glen "Pop" Warner, a football genius whose innovations are still part of the college game today and whose name adorns a youth football program known across the land. By the time a young running back named Jim Thorpe came to Carlisle, the football team was already established as an eastern power. Indeed Carlisle was perhaps the first truly national power. They would travel across the country for games because many football fans wanted to see the Indians play. As early as the first decade of the 20th century, college football was establishing itself as a major source of financial gain for athletic programs. Crowds of 40,000 to 50,000 we

They are names that are familiar to just about anyone who has studied American history or who considers him or herself a sports fan. Just about everyone in America has heard the names Pop Warner and Dwight Eisenhower. And I think it is fair to say that an overwhelming majority of Americans have come across the name Jim Thorpe at one time or another. What these three men had in common was their participation in one of the most notable and exciting games in college football history. The year was 1912 and two of college football's most celebrated teams were scheduled to clash on a Saturday afternoon at the U.S. Army Military Academy at West Point, NY. The team from Army was led by a gutsy and determined young player by the name of Dwight David Eisenhower. Army's opponent on this gray November day was the Carlisle Indian School, an institution that most readers have probably never heard of. But the Carlisle team was coached by one Glenn "Pop" Warner and led by the man that most people at the time believed was "the greatest athlete in the world" Jim Thorpe. "Carlisle vs Army" is Lars Anderson's compelling account of the events that led up to this historic matchup and why this game was considered so important at that time. This is truly an incredible story! As I indicated earlier, I would venture a guess that perhaps 90% of the people reading this review have never even heard of the Carlisle Indian School. Prior to reading Sally Jennings terrific book "The Real All Americans" earlier this summer I was in much the same boat. "The Real All Americans" covers many of the same topics found in "Carlisle vs. Army" but from a slightly different perspective. In "Carlisle vs. Army" you will learn much about the early history of college football. You will discover that at the turn of the century the major powers in college football were teams like Princeton, Harvard and Yale. At that time football was strictly a power game with very little variation from play to play. You will also learn that one Edward Pratt established the Carlisle Indian School located in Carlisle, PA. in 1879. This school was to be a vehicle to teach Native Americans the ways of the white man. In Edward Pratt's view this is the approach was the best chance that Indians had to survive in this country. Young people were brought to Carlisle from distant places like Oklahoma and Kansas. And many of the young men who came to Carlisle shared a common passion--the game of football. In the 1890's, these young men convinced Edward Pratt to let them form a football team. And as it turns out the rest is history. Indian players were much smaller than their white counterparts and so it was out of necessity that the Indian players would change the way the game of football would be played. The Carlisle brand of football was innovative and wide open with an emphasis on speed. Soon the legendary Jim Thorpe would come to play at Carlisle. And before long Edward Pratt made the fateful deci