The Real All Americans

June 1, 2007
Framed by the 1912 gridiron meeting of the Carlisle Indians (led by Jim Thorpe) and the West Point Cadets (led by Dwight Eisenhower), Jenkins's (coauthor, "It's Not About the Bike") fascinating book tells of much more than a single football game or team. It recounts the history of the Carlisle Indian Industrial School, the first off-reservation school for American Indians in the United States, and its remarkably persistent founder and leader, Richard Henry Pratt. On a broader level, it also examines the history of U.S. policies toward American Indians from the closing of the frontier until World War II. Famous figures (e.g., Teddy Roosevelt and Sitting Bull) appear here, but of greater significance to the story are the forgotten Pratt and such little-known Indian leaders as American Horse and Albert Exendine. While Carlisle was no more than a prep school at best, it fielded undersized football teams that competed against the best college teams in the nation for more than two decades. In this evenhanded account, Jenkins makes clear that the advisability and effectiveness of the Indian Americanization policy was decidedly questionable. An extraordinary book; most highly recommended for all libraries. [See Prepub Alert, "LJ" 1/07.]John Maxymuk, Rutgers Univ. Lib., Camden, NJ

Copyright 2007 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 1, 2007
Adult/High School-Jim Thorpe and Pop Warner may be familiar names, but its unlikely that teens have heard of U.S. Army Captain Richard Henry Pratt or the Sioux leader American Horse. Jenkins introduces readers to these figures and others in her vivid social history of the decline of American Indian culture and the development of college football. Her lively writing features unbiased descriptions of major historical figures, thumbnail sketches of minor personalities, and cameos by Mark Twain and President Eisenhower. The book opens with familiar eventsthe battles between Native Americans and U.S. Army soldiers over Western territories and the abysmal treatment Native American tribes received at the hands of the government. Less widely known is Captain Pratts dream of providing educational opportunities for Indians and his founding of the Carlisle Indian Training School in Pennsylvania. Jenkinss strength is in her sports writing; the most compelling sections of the book are descriptions of the Indians at Carlisle inventing new plays and prevailing against all odds in pivotal games against Harvard and West Point. The volume is enhanced by an eight-page spread of black-and-white photos with detailed captions. "All Americans" is a history book of heartbreaking stories that will appeal to teens interested in football or Native American history; it also has value as a narrative nonfiction supplement to the U.S. history curriculum."Sondra VanderPloeg, Tracy Memorial Library, New London, NH"

Copyright 2007 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.