Belichick and Brady

Two Men, the Patriots, and How They Revolutionized Football

By: Michael Holley

Narrated by: Dan Woren

New York Times best-selling sportswriter Michael Holley takes listeners behind the scenes of the relationship that transformed the Patriots from a middling franchise to the envy of the NFL.

No head coach-quarterback pair has been more successful in NFL history than Bill Belichick and Tom Brady of the New England Patriots. They have won four Super Bowls, six AFC championships, and 13 division titles. And now Holley takes us inside their relationship, dissecting how these men and their team came to dominate football.

Belichick, a genius as a defensive coordinator, had been a five-year flop as head coach of the Cleveland Browns. Upon his controversial arrival in Foxboro, though, he quickly began to remake the team at every level - scouts, coaches, and players. His bold, calculated approach had fans up in arms, sportswriters questioning his intelligence, and players wondering how long they would last on the team.

Meanwhile, buried down in the 2000 NFL draft, the 199th overall pick was a skinny kid from the University of Michigan named Tom Brady who many scouts thought would never succeed at a professional level. The lowest of the four quarterbacks on the team's depth chart, he appeared to be just one of the guys. Like Belichick, though, he lived for football, and he knew the playbook as well as Drew Bledsoe, the franchise quarterback. And when Bledsoe was injured in 2001, Brady took the job and vowed to never give it back.

The handsome Brady became a star, wearing hand-tailored suits, appearing in movies and on magazine covers, and marrying a supermodel. Belichick, with his trademark cut-off hoodies, was the opposite of a fashion plate. Together, the odd couple somehow rose above controversies and tragedies. Draft picks were lost, suspensions given, lawsuits filed. As their legends have grown, so have their critics, with some of those critics operating from NFL headquarters.

Despite that, with Belichick's deft and brilliant strategy in the draft year in year out and Brady's exacting decision-making on the field, the Patriots cultivated an atmosphere of success and won a stunning 75 percent of their games together. Respected and reviled, Belichick and Brady have set the bar high for excellence in a league designed for parity. They have rarely been understood. Until now. Based on dozens of interviews with former and current players, coaches, and executives, Belichick and Brady is an eye-opening look at the minds, motives, and wild ambitions of two men who have left an indelible mark on the game of football.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

©2016 Michael Holley (P)2016 Hachette Audio

Critic reviews

"Usually books like this, which put organizations on pedestals, do not stand the test of time. But Holley's book reads as well now as it did a dozen or so years ago." (Hank Gilman, Forbes)

"Holley has written the ultimate book for pro football geeks. From the front office to the draft room, the author provides an intimate look at three NFL teams...and the men who built them." (Publishers Weekly)

great!!! was good to hear!!

great book! really enjoyed to listen to this while I was waiting for the season to start

A great listen with some bite.

I enjoyed listening to the history. As a Patriots fan, learning about the building of a dynasty was great.
What was hard, was having a wound dug into with a fingernail and then having the whole finger probe around inside.
This might be a better read for non Patriots fans, but if you don't mind a little pain as a Patriots fan than than it may be for you.

wow!!

being a Pittsburgh Steelers fan I have always hated the New England Patriots.... (speaking of course 2001 AFC Championship game) but after listening to this book, I look at Coach Belichick and Tom Brady in a complete different manner. Mr. Robert Craft also by far would be the best boss to work under. the dynamic of football and the team building of New England in general that this book brings out is absolutely incredible.... it begs to question, if Art Modell wouldn't of moved Cleveland to Baltimore and would've given Belichick the keys to the kingdom like Craft did would this dynasty of what new England is be Cleveland...

Great book for any sports fan

The story of 2 of the greatest figures in the history of sports. The author does a superb job of delving into what separates Brady and Belichick from the rest.

Brought all the Patriots history to life again!

Couldn't put it down, so accurate an account I relived it again, the Good , bad and unfair Belichick Brady history. At times emotional for me, vivid writing, loved it.

Great insight from behind the Patriot Curtain.

Great book. A deep look into the Patriots mindset. Player and coach philosophy, focus and determination.

The truth on Deflategate

in depth and introspective on Patriots' (2000s)
more background on deflategate. the truth was ignored.

Holley writes very well.

A long recap of the Belichick/Brady Era. Narrator left something to be desired. Mispronounced names and silly sounding "voices" throughout.

a awesome pair of Goat

an awesome story of a wonderful dedicated pair of professionals. They are the best and we new Englanders love them

Another great book by Michael Holley

I am not sure how he got into the inner circle of the Patriots but provides more behind the scenes information than anyone else. The next question is what's next?