First published 2020
The New England Patriots were once the NFL's laughingstock, nearly bankrupt and championship-free. Everything shifted in 1994 when Robert Kraft bought the franchise and assembled the trio that would dominate professional football for two decades. Jeff Benedict draws from exclusive interviews with over two hundred insiders to reveal how Kraft, Bill Belichick, and Tom Brady created the longest dynasty in league history. The book takes readers inside pivotal moments: Kraft's shrewd maneuvering to acquire the team, the legendary trade that brought Belichick to New England, and Brady's hand surgery before the 2018 AFC Championship. Benedict examines the complex relationships between these three men, showing how Kraft balanced his roles as father figure to Brady and enabler of Belichick's ruthless methods. The author explores Belichick's emotional distance from players and Brady's relentless competitive drive that sustained him into his forties. Through never-before-seen documents and recordings, the book exposes the inner workings of football's most secretive organization and explains how ten Super Bowl appearances and six championships were achieved.
Genres: biography, history, business, non-fiction, football, american-history
Vibes: emotional, fast-paced, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: behind-the-scenes, rise-to-power
Setting: New England
Period: 1994, 2018
592 pages · Hardcover · Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster