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In Doctors, Lawyers, Indian Chiefs, Tom Benjey expanded the scope of his previous work, Keep A-Goin: The Life of Lone Star Dietz, to explore the lives of not just one of the Carlisle Indian School football immortals but the core group of men -- more than 50 all told -- who helped create the sport, both amateur and professional, we enjoy today. The issue for the Carlisle students of the competing visions of mainstreaming versus cultural retention for Native Americans in this country is one that Dr. Benjey explores in detail, the validities of which are still debated a century later.?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /

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Les achats comprennent une adhésion à l'essai gratuite au club de livres de l'éditeur, dans lequel vous pouvez choisir parmi plus d'un million d'ouvrages, sans frais. Le livre consiste d'articles Wikipedia sur : Jim Thorpe, Bob Whitsitt, George Halas, Isabelle Accambray, Lamar Hunt, Jacques Accambray, Avram Glazer, Carl Storck. Non illustré. Mises à jour gratuites en ligne. Extrait : Jacobus Franciscus « Jim » Thorpe, né le 28 mai 1887 à Prague (Oklahoma) et mort le 28 mars 1953 à Lomita (Californie), était un joueur et un dirigeant de football américain, un joueur de baseball, un athlète et un acteur américain. Considéré comme l'un des plus grands athlète du siècle, Wa Tho Huck (« Sentier Brillant ») est né dans la réserve des Sac and Fox en Oklahoma. Sa date de naissance reste une controverse : la date de 1888 est également souvent utilisée. Son ascendance est riche : un grand-père irlandais, un autre français et des grands-mères indiennes de différentes tribus. Il fait des études à l'université indienne de Carlisle avec laquelle il participe aux compétitions de football américain, de baseball, lacrosse ou athlétisme. C'est ainsi qu'il se fait connaître au niveau national en conduisant son équipe de football au titre national universitaire en 1912. Il participe alors aux Jeux olympiques d'été de Stockholm. Il y remporte le pentathlon (saut en longueur, lancer du javelot, , lancer du disque, et ) puis le décathlon. Mais, en 1913, ces médailles lui sont retirées : il est soupçonné d'avoir touché de l'argent dans des épreuves de baseball avant les Jeux et il est radié à vie. Ces médailles ne lui seront rendues à titre posthume que 29 ans après sa mort, en 1982. Il se tourne alors vers le baseball. il rejoint les Giants de New York en 1913 pour 3 saisons. Il jouera ensuite pour les Reds de Cincinnati puis à nouveau les Giants, les Braves de Boston. Il continuera ensuite de jouer dans les ligues mineures jusqu'en 1922. En parallè...http://booksllc.net/?l=fr ... Read more

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Purchase includes free access to book updates online and a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Chapters: Jim Thorpe, Bemus Pierce, Pete Calac, Isaac Seneca, Albert Exendine, Gus Welch, Joe Guyon, Martin Wheelock, Elmer Busch, William Henry Dietz, Nick Lassa, Joe Little Twig, Lo Boutwell, Xavier Downwind, Eagle Feather, Bill Winneshiek, Ted St. Germaine, Fred Broker, Napoleon Barrel, Bill Newashe, Stillwell Saunooke, Stan Powell, Woodchuck Welmas, Bob Hill, Artie Miller, Eddie Rogers. Excerpt:A. A. Exendine Albert A. "Al" Exendine (January 7, 1884 January 4, 1973) was a football head coach at Otterbein College , Georgetown , Washington State , and Oklahoma State . From 1914 to 1922, he coached at Georgetown, and compiled a 55-21-3 record there. This included a 9 1 season in 1916, as well as an 8 1 season in 1921. From 1923 to 1925, he coached at Washington State, and compiled a 6-13-4 record there. From 1934 to 1935, he coached at Oklahoma State, where he compiled a 7-12-1 record. Exendine played for "Pop" Warner at the Carlisle Indian Industrial School from 1902 to 1907. Though never having played the game before arriving at the institute, Exendine was named to Walter Camp 's third-team All-American team in 1906. He became head coach at Otterbein College posting a 15-7-3 record there in three seasons. He then took over at Georgetown University in Washington, DC, in 1914. Exendine then went on to Washington State University in 1923, posting a 6-13-4 record. He then coached at Occidental College in California, Northwestern Oklahoma , and Oklahoma A ... Read more

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Purchase includes free access to book updates online and a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Chapters: Jim Thorpe, George Halas, Ralph Hay, Stan Cofall, Chris O'brien, Doc Young, Frank Nied, Cooney Checkaye, Art Ranney, Jimmy O'donnell, Leo Lyons, Walter Flanigan, Earl Ball, Carl Storck, Morgan O'brien. Excerpt:Arthur F. Ranney was a co-founder of the American Professional Football Association (later renamed the National Football League in 1922), as well as an owner of the Akron Pros and, as the team became known as in 1926, the Akron Indians . Purchasing the Indians In 1920, Ranney was a local businessman Akron , who wasformer football player at the University of Akron . After experiencing finanicial losses from 1912-1919, The Akron Indians was sold to Ranney and Frank Nied , who owned a local cigar store. The 1919 Indians finished the season 5-5-0 and lost money despite the presence of one of the country's best breakaway runners, Fritz Pollard . The new owners soon dropped the Indian moniker and adopted the new name the "Akron Pros," hoping to inspire better results, or at least better attendance. Founding of the NFL Ranney and Neid attended the August 20, 1920 and September 17, 1920 meetings, at Ralph Hay's Hupmobile dealership, that set up the NFL. The original copy of the minutes for the September 17, 1920 meeting were kept on the stationary of the Akron Pros football team by Ranney. He was then elected secretary and treasurer of the league. 1920 Championship The Pros won the very first APFA championship. On April 1921 the league voted to award the title and the Brunswick-Balke Collender Cup to Akron on the basis of an undefeated record and only 7 points allowed in 9 games. the decision was protested by the Decatur Staleys and the Buffalo All-Americans , who had tied Akron druing the season. Neid and Ranney picked up the trophy and, according to league records, gave congra... ... Read more

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Chapters: Jim Thorpe, Bert Bell, History of the Nfl Commissioner, Paul Tagliabue, Joseph Carr, Roger Goodell, Pete Rozelle, Elmer Layden, Carl Storck, Austin Gunsel. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 76. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: Jacobus Franciscus "Jim" Thorpe (Sac and Fox (Sauk): Wa-Tho-Huk) (May 28, 1888 March 28, 1953) was a Native American athlete. Considered one of the most versatile athletes in modern sports, he won Olympic gold medals in the 1912 pentathlon and decathlon, played American football at the collegiate and professional levels, and also played professional baseball and basketball. He lost his Olympic titles after it was found he was paid for playing two seasons of semi-professional baseball before competing in the Olympics, thus violating the amateur status rules. Of Native American and European American ancestry, Thorpe grew up in the Sac and Fox nation in Oklahoma. He played on several All-American Indian teams throughout his career, and barnstormed as a professional basketball player with a team composed entirely of Native Americans. In 1950, Thorpe was named the greatest athlete of the first half of the twentieth century by the Associated Press (AP). In 1999, he was ranked third on the AP list of top athletes of the 20th century. His professional sports career ended in the years of the Great Depression, and Thorpe struggled to earn a living from then on. He worked several odd jobs, struggled with alcoholism, and lived his last years in failing health and poverty. In 1983, thirty years after his death, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) restored his Olympic medals to his name. Information about Thorpe's birth, full name, and ethnic background varies widely. He was born in Indian Territory, but no birth certificate has been found. Thorpe was general...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=53869 ... Read more

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In this stunning work of narrative nonfiction, Lars Anderson recounts one of college football’s greatest contests: Carlisle vs. Army, the fateful 1912 gridiron clash that had far-reaching implications both real and symbolic.

The story centers on three men: Glenn “Pop” Warner, who came to the Carlisle Indian School in 1903 and saw beyond its assimilationist agenda, molding the Carlisle Indians into a football juggernaut and smashing prejudices along the way; Jim Thorpe, who arrived at Carlisle as a troubled teenager–only to become one of America’s finest athletes, dazzling his opponents and gaining fans across the nation; and a hardnosed Kansan back named Dwight Eisenhower, who knew that by stopping Carlisle’s amazing winning streak, he could lead the Cadets of Army to glory. But beyond recounting the tale of this momentous match, Lars Anderson reveals its broader social and historical context, offering unique perspectives on sports and culture at the dawn of the twentieth century.

Filled with colorful period detail, Carlisle vs. Army gives a thrilling, authoritative account of the events of an epic afternoon whose reverberations would be felt for generations.

Praise for Carslisle vs. Army:

“Richly detailed and gracefully written . . . In an often overlooked football era, Anderson found a true Game of the Century.”
–Sports Illustrated

“[A] remarkable story . . . Carlisle vs. Army is about football the way that The Natural is about baseball.”
–Jeremy Schaap, author of Cinderella Man

“A great sports story, told with propulsive narrative drive . . . Anderson allows himself to get inside the heads of his characters, but as in the best sports-centered nonfiction (Hillenbrand’s Seabiscuit and Frost’s Greatest Game Ever Played, for example), the technique is based on solid research.”
–Booklist (starred review)

“A masterly tale of the gridiron.”
–Neal Bascomb, author of Red Mutiny

“A magnificent story that’s as rich in American history as it is in sporting lore. Carlisle vs. Army is a dramatic and moving book, told with an unrelenting grace.”
–Adrian Wojnarowski, author of The Miracle of St. Anthony

“Gripping, inspiring coverage of three powerful forces’ unforgettable convergence: the sports version of The Perfect Storm.”
–Kirkus Reviews ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

Great imagination, intriguing plotline, needs fact checker
I accept that this book is not a work of history, and I enjoyed the imagination the author displayed in exploring the motivations and inner thoughts of the characters, but some of the glaring errors of fact made it a less enjoyable read than it might have been.The issue of the single and double wing have been explored in other reviews, but the assertion that the Carlisle trip to Toronto was a promoter's dream because it was the first ever football game that featured one team from Canada and one from the United States ignores one of the most famous and important set of games in the evolution of football in America - the Harvard vs McGill series in 1874.Also missing from this book is any mention of the fact that Carlisle and Army had played each other before - Carlisle beat Army in 1905.The famous saying is "don't let facts get in the way of the a good story" and the author certainly took heed of that maxim.So it was an entertaining read, but I don't trust that I learned the truth of the matter from this book.

excellent specific information !
enjoyed the specificity of the information and how it relates to the game at that stage in development.....

Forgotten Stories
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

Poor Research
Don't be fooled by the media blitz behind this book.It and its companion book by Sally Jenkins ("the Real All Americans") is filled with serious errors and is the product of poor, second hand, research.The "Long Knives" metaphor around which this book is built is just plain false.Jenkins picked that up from Babe Weyand's first book.He, in turnpicked it up from none other than the less than believable 1940-50's sportscaster Bill Stern who included it in a 1948 ghost written book for juvenile readers without single authoritative source behind it.In a lengthy series of correspondence and ghost written articles Warner never mentions the Long Knives pep talk once.Nor do authoritative and contemporaneous (with Warner) football historians such as Allison Danzig and Tim Cohane.As to the double wing, Warner's correspondence, newspaper articles and interviews reveal that the Warner was using the single wing in 1906 and the double wing in 1910.Even Army in this game used the single wing as were many other teams in the Country.The Indians didn't consider Army very important.The "Big Four" (Harvard, Penn, Princeton and Yale) were far more important to Carlisle and Warner than Army.As to Ike.He was a bit player on a terrible "D" who was knocked out of the game when, comic book like, he and his teammate Charley Benedict collided headon in a missed attempt to "high low" Thorpe in the 3d quarter.If the "Long Knives" metaphor can be distilled into one game it is the 1905 game between Carlisle and the Cadets at West Point - seven years closer to Wounded Knee - and a game far more important on the national stage than the 1912 game.It took a special act of the War Department to be played at all.Neither Anerson or Jenkins even mention it.The Indians won that game too.Want more?See my "There Were No Oysters - The Truth About the 1912 Army vs. Carlisle Game" which I wrote earlier this year in response to Jenkins' and Lars Anderson's companion book about the 1912 game.

Poor Research
Don't be fooled by the media blitz behind this book and Sally Jenkins compainion Book ("The Real All Americans").These books are filled with serious errors and is the product of poor, second hand, research.The "Long Knives" metaphor around which this book is built is just plain false.Jenkins picked that up from Babe Weyand's first book.He, in turnpicked it up from none other than the less than believable 1940-50's sportscaster Bill Stern who included it in a 1948 ghost written book for juvenile readers without single authoritative source behind it.In a lengthy series of correspondence and ghost written articles Warner never mentions the Long Knives pep talk once.Nor do authoritative and contemporaneous (with Warner) football historians such as Allison Danzig and Tim Cohane.As to the double wing, Warner's correspondence, newspaper articles and interviews reveal that the Warner was using the single wing in 1906 and the double wing in 1910.Even Army in this game used the single wing as were many other teams in the Country.The Indians didn't consider Army very important.The "Big Four" (Harvard, Penn, Princeton and Yale) were far more important to Carlisle and Warner than Army.As to Ike.He was a bit player on a terrible "D" who was knocked out of the game when, comic book like, he and his teammate Charley Benedict collided headon in a missed attempt to "high low" Thorpe in the 3d quarter.If the "Long Knives" metaphor can be distilled into one game it is the 1905 game between Carlisle and the Cadets at West Point - seven years closer to Wounded Knee - and a game far more important on the national stage than the 1912 game.It took a special act of the War Department to be played at all.Neither Anderson or Jenkins even mention it.The Indians won that game too.Want more?See my "There Were No Oysters - The Truth About the 1912 Army vs. Carlisle Game" which I wrote earlier this year in response to Anderson's and Jenkins' companion book about the 1912 game.
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Product Description
Jim Thorpe was one of the greatest athletes who ever lived. He playedprofessional football, Major League Baseball, and won Olympic goldmedals in track & field. But his life wasn’t an easy one. Born on the Sacand Fox Reservation in 1887, he encountered much family tragedy, andwas sent as a young boy to various Indian boarding schools—strict, coldinstitutions that didn’t allow their students to hold on to their NativeAmerican languages and traditions. Jim ran away from school manytimes, until he found his calling at Pennsylvania’s Carlisle Indian School.There, the now-legendary coach Pop Warner recognized Jim’s athleticexcellence and welcomed him onto the football and track teams.

Focusing on Jim Thorpe’s years at Carlisle, this book brings his early athleticcareer—and especially his college football days—to life, while alsodispelling some myths about him and movingly depicting the NativeAmerican experience at the turn of the twentieth century. This is a bookfor history buffs as well as sports fans—an illuminating and lively readabout a truly great American. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Jim Thorpe CU Football Pplayer
I wanted to read about the 1908 season and the football game between Carlisle and the University of Nebraska....

The book is worth the money concerning the life of Jim Thorpe.....good research tool....

Great Book!
This book is written at a junior high level, but the topic and writing are captivating for adults to read as well as kids at the junior high level.Unlike other books about Jim Thorpe, this book takes the reader on a journey through what every day life could have been like for Jim Thorpe from childhood through his early adulthood.Jim Thorpe is a great role model for everyone, and this book is a great introduction to his life. ... Read more

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In 1920, Howard Tucker is one of the smartest kids at Haskell Indian Boarding School. Unfortunately, this scrawny 15-year-old would rather hang with the jocks than the dweebs. To get a place on the football team, Howard trades some math lessons for football training from another student. And with some advice from Jim Thorpe, he might just get a chance to play in the big game.

... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is an article from St. James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture, brought to you by Gale®, a part of Cengage Learning, a world leader in e-research and educational publishing for libraries, schools and businesses.The length of the article is 1282 words.The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase.You can view it with any web browser.Signed essays ranging from 500 to 2,500 words, written by subject experts and edited to form a consistent, readable, and straightforward reference. Entries include subject-specific bibliographies and textual cross-references to related essays. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

An excellent contribution to sports or Native American studies shelves
The first volume of a series on Native American athletes, Oklahoma's Carlisle Indian School Immortals is the in-depth story of the dedicated sports players of Carlisle Indian School. Black-and-white photographs illustrate this enjoyable chronicle, accessible to readers of all backgrounds, and especially recommended for any sports player (Native American or not) seeking inspiration along the path of athletic achievement. Individual chapters focus primarily on the stories of well over a dozen young men and women who earned virtual immortality through their athletic accomplishments for their school - a couple of beginning chapters also tell about Carlisle Indians who turned pro, and explore the dynamics of all-Indian teams. An excellent contribution to sports or Native American studies shelves, especially recommended for college libraries.

Interesting historical information
Reviewed by Carol Hoyer, PhD, for Reader Views (6/09)

Tom Benjey has given readers an incredible story of North American Indian history as well as an in-depth glance at Native Americans' role in the sports world. Having read many books on the history of Indians, I have never read a book that is so detailed and enjoyable to read. One can tell the author is an expert in his field.

This is more than just a sports history book, it gives readers a great insight into prejudices, lives of individuals living on the reservation and how these men overcame all obstacles to become successful in their lives.

Not many will know much about the Carlisle Indian team, but they will recognize many of the names mentioned in the book that are now in the Football Hall of Fame. The author has provided readers with pictures, cartoons and authentic letters that enhance the reading. One can tell the extensive research the author did to make this book factual.

Part of what fascinated me was that these students went to school, took off to work and returned to school never missing a beat. How great that is that the administrators and mentors were so encouraging to all their students to complete their schooling and yet at the same time went to great lengths to learn about their culture.

Readers will find so much interesting information and history in "Oklahoma's Carlisle Indian School Immortals" by Tom Benjey they won't be able to put this book down.
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Product Description
The book is divided into four sections - First, the life and history of Jim Thorpe; Second, the history of the Jim Thorpe Award - given annually (since 1986) to college football's outstanding defensive back; Third, the first twenty (20) winners of the Jim Thorpe Award; and finally, listing of all awards. In addition, the book covers all the various Bright Path Youth Programs. Bright Path (Jim Thorpe's Indian name) youth Programs and scholarships are given annually by the Jim Thorpe Association. ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is an article from Notable Sports Figures, brought to you by Gale®, a part of Cengage Learning, a world leader in e-research and educational publishing for libraries, schools and businesses.The length of the article is 4490 words.The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase.You can view it with any web browser.Takes a close look at the people in sports who have captured attention because of success on the playing field, or controversy off the playing field. This work features biographies on more than 600 people from around the world and throughout history who have had an impact not only on their sport, but also on the society and culture of their times. It also includes not only the record-breakers that dominated and changed their sport, but also the controversial figures that made headlines even apart from athletic events. ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is an article from Wind Speaker, published by Aboriginal Multi-Media Society of Alberta (AMMSA) on March 1, 2000. The length of the article is 1626 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Jim Thorpe remembered as one of a kind athlete.
Author: Joan Black
Publication: Wind Speaker (Newsletter)
Date: March 1, 2000
Publisher: Aboriginal Multi-Media Society of Alberta (AMMSA)
Volume: 17Issue: 11Page: B3

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is an article from Wind Speaker, published by Aboriginal Multi-Media Society of Alberta (AMMSA) on March 1, 1996. The length of the article is 789 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Jim Thorpe's remains may be given Native burial.
Author: John Lejins
Publication: Wind Speaker (Newsletter)
Date: March 1, 1996
Publisher: Aboriginal Multi-Media Society of Alberta (AMMSA)
Volume: 13Issue: 11Page: 19

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more

Product Description
Until age 15, Billy Dietz thought he was the natural son of a prominent white couple in Rice Lake, Wisconsin. Overhearing the woman who raised him reveal part of the secret of his birth during an argument with his father started the young athlete and artist on an oddyssey of self-discovery that took him to the St. Louis World's Fair, Carlisle Indian Industrial School, the Rose Bowl and the heights of the football coaching profession. The secret of his birth became a principle issue in his sensational draft evasion trial after WWI. This book is the story of his rise and fall and how he kept a-goin' in spite of what had happened to him."Lone Star Dietz was one of the most colorful and capable personalities in college football's fabled past, and Tom Benjey has made a major contribution to the game's written history with this long-overdue biography on Dietz." Ray Schmidt College Football Historical Society"Tom Benjey has written engagingly about the life and times of Lone Star Dietz, a notable football player and coach during the first half of the past century. It is a fascinating tale of a skillful player and innovative coach who made significant contributions to the game that framed his life. Benjey's work, however, is much more than an interesting ports story. It is a penetrating examination of triumphs and tragedies in the life of a man confronted with daunting social and cultural obstacles. Benjey's biography of Lone Star Dietz is full of insights about one man's search for personal identity in a complex and confounding socio-cultural context. As such, it is a memorable American story." John J. Patrick Professor Emeritus of Education Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

A Life of Epic Proportions
This biography of Lone Star Dietz, artist, football coach, and man of mystery, is a fascinating journey through a complex life, and must have been a monumental work for author Benjey to research, and to sift through the myth, truth, and supposition, of some things that perhaps even Lone Star himself didn't for a certainty know, like the hidden secrets that surrounded his heritage. The peaks and valleys of his life, coupled with his 2 marriages, the first to Native American artist Angel DeCora, thirteen years his senior (which in the early part of the 20th century was considered somewhat scandalous), his legal problems concerning his citizenship as American or Indian and how it related to the WWI "Slacker" charge, would make a stupendous television miniseries, that would keep us riveted to the screen, as one is riveted to the pages of this book.

Author Tom Benjey's writing style is fluid and eloquent, but at the same time comfortable and immediate, as if he were relating this captivating tale in your living room. Chapter 12, on how World War I started and what happened in America while it was being fought, is superb; it is a reminder to those of us who know history, and to those who don't, and who think we are currently "losing our freedom," an eye-opener and a great lesson to be learned. There are many themes in this biography to hold one's interest: The early years of college football and sports in general, told in a way that even a "sports ignoramus" like me can appreciate, Native American studies and art, and so much more, all tied to the exciting if chaotic life of Lone Star Dietz.

The black and white illustrations are fabulous, done mostly by Lone Star or his wife Angel DeCora. They range from cartoon style to intricate depictions of Native American life, and some are truly beautiful. The photographs are also wonderful, with the 1915 portrait of Dietz on the inside cover capturing the character and strength of this remarkable man. Keep A-Goin' is educational, entertaining, and great reading from start to finish.

An American Icon Revealed
'Keep A-Goin': The Life of Lone Star Dietz' is a revelation to many of us, an absorbing biography of an important figure in American history who like so many other significant people comes to general public knowledge only with the publication of a carefully researched and well-written biography such as this fine book by Tom Benjey.Presented in an almost scrapbook style, the writing accompanied by a plethora of drawings and photographs that add immensely to the flow of the story as well as serving as physical documentation of fascinating life.

Lone Star Dietz was born in 1885, the son of an American Indian woman and a German father, a man who suffered the prejudices of being a half breed, a man who was discredited by his refusing to enter the armed forces during WW I, yet a gifted artist and athlete and actor and showman who added immeasurably to the manner in which football is played today, who elevated the regard for native American art, and who was a mover who helped launch the now famous Rose Bowl football games that brought success to the popular Rose Parade that began its ongoing New Year's Day spotlight in 1915!

One would think that a man of so many talents would be a household name in this country: certainly his achievements and colorful lifestyle merit such renown.But it takes a champion such as Tom Benjey to place him so fully before us.Benjey's no-nonsense writing style offers the facts and the photos, the trials and the art, and the rather overzealous exposition (for the non-sports minded reader) of Dietz' contributions to the game of football.But for this reader the aspect of this publication hat makes it a delight to read is the Epilogue at the end of the book where Benjey addresses us, the reader, with his own thoughts about Dietz' controversial life.It is illuminating and ends with a section called 'Who Dietz Really Was' that allows us to appreciate the sensitivity not only of Benjey's reportage in the bulk of the book, but also his talent at writing biography.He has given us an American icon to ponder and we are the richer for it.Grady Harp, April 07

Lone Star Dietz - The Football Coach - His Biggest Game
Review by Richard R. Blake for Reader Views (09/06)

The Rose bowl Game of 1916 changed the face of American College football.Lone Star Dietz developed the winning team, Washington State College.Tom Benjey has done an outstanding job of capturing the sports career of Dietz as a football player and coach from newspaper articles, collegiate publications, and correspondence.

The unique combination of football, art, journalism, and the theater make the story amazingly complex. This is the remarkable story of Lone Star Dietz's pursuit to find his personal identity in an intolerant socio-cultural environment.

When the United States entered the war against Germany in 1918 Dietz was labeled a "slacker" and indicted for evading the draft. Lone Star was challenged regarding his Indian heritage.A legal battle followed.He had no money to defend himself.Lone Star's life was never the same after the trial.His name had been tarnished.And the question of his heritage remained unanswered.

Lone Star demonstrated his persistence again as he picked up the pieces of his life and went on to produce winning football teams.

The book has provided a generous sampling of Lone Star's art and illustrations as well as those of his first wife, Angel DeCora. These works of art are outstanding and portray an important element of American history and Indian culture. Photos of the Dietz in full Indian regalia as well as those of influential people involved in his life provide an added dimension to this enormous undertaking by the author.

The book is written in an easy to read style that keeps the story moving at a fast pace. The multiple conflicts throughout Dietz's life make the book read like fiction.The author has thoroughly researched Dietz's and chronicled his career in detail.Benjey writes with feeling as he relates the accomplishments, the heartbreak, and the demoralizing social and cultural obstacles Dietz faced.

This is an inspiring life story of Lone Star Dietz, of his rise and fall and how he "kept a-goin" in spite of tremendous odds and circumstances.It is a story of personal persistence. Although Dietz has not received the accolades of everyone, he is a sports icon and a legend to his fans.

Tom Benjey has written a masterful work.This is a book for sports fans and history enthusiasts alike.

The remarkable, inspiring and distinctive biography of Billy Dietz
Keep A-Goin': The Life Of Lone Star Dietz by Tom Benjey is the remarkable, inspiring and distinctive biography of Billy Dietz, who was a winning athlete in his own right, a successful football coach in the earliest days of the sport (and who was inducted into football's "Hall of Fame"), and popular idol with the general public of his era. As the child of an adoptive couple in Wisconsin, Dietz was unaware of his biological parents (his mother was Native American) until he heard his parents quarreling when he was 15. As readers of Keep A-Goin' will discover this is an encouraging tale of personal persistence in self-discovery and determined survival throughout his prolific career and seemingly endless personal and professional difficulties from his days attending the Carlisle Indian School, through his move to Washington State as head football coach from 1915-1917, then coaching for the Mare Island team of the U.S. Marine Corps during World War I, a trial by the government ending in the imposition of a 30-day jail term, and so much more. A superbly written biography by Tom Benjey, Keep A-Goin' is very strongly recommended for Billy Dietz fans and for sports enthusiasts with an interest in the history of the NFL.

Impressive! Revealing and articulate.
Tom Benjey's biography of the multi-talentedand flamboyant Billy`Lone Star' Dietz, the part Sioux football coach, artist, actor, singer is absolutely spellbinding..An early confidant of Glenn S 'Pop' Warner, at the very birth and infancy of college and professional football, Dietz was considerably famous in his day, and was well respected by those that came to know him, for his ability and mind-set for fair play.Benjey has brought together an impressive work. Featuring numerous drawings and illustrations of Dietz's works and an incredible amount of facts about the many accomplishments, and disappointments of Dietz's career in football and other fields of endeavor.
Dietz's tough mindedness and tenacity is on every page and his courage, in the face of adversity was heroic.His innovated use of the single and double wing offence, and a flexible defense, led many of his teams to towering wins, including the 1916 Rose Bowl Game against Brown University.
Football fans will have trouble putting Keep A-goin' The life of Lone Star Dietz down.Many historical events and characters are revealed to the reader skillfully by Benjey, who shows, without a doubt, that Billy `Lone Star' Dietz was an exciting andinnovative part of history, and of the game we enjoy so much today.Impressive! Revealing and articulate!


Ray WardEditor6(at)newbookreviews.org ... Read more