Genuine fans take the best team moments with the less than great, and know that the games that are best forgotten make the good moments truly shine. This monumental book of the New England Patriots documents all the best moments and personalities in the history of the team, but also unmasks the regrettably awful and the unflinchingly ugly. In entertaining—and unsparing—fashion, this book sparkles with Patriots highlights and lowlights, from wonderful and wacky memories to the famous and infamous. Such moments include the impressive Super Bowl seasons but also the horrendous years in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Whether providing fond memories, goose bumps, or laughs, this portrait of the team is sure to appeal to the fan who has been through it all.

Long before the Patriots took the 21st century by storm and became the most dominant team in NFL history, pro football was something entirely different in New England, something comically atrocious and riddled with heartbreak. Before those juggernaut years of Bill Belichick, Tom Brady, and sold-out crowds at Gillette Stadium came a hapless franchise that managed only a single playoff victory in a quarter century and spent its entire first decade of existence just trying to establish a permanent home field (and even when they did, none of the toilets worked). In From Darkness to Dynasty, bestselling author Jerry Thornton irreverently chronicles those easily glossed-over, downtrodden decades--years when the team claimed more headlines for lawsuits, arrests, power struggles, drug problems, and inept, bizarre, behavior from players, coaches, and owners than for anything they accomplished on the field. Relive the behind-the-scenes dysfunction, the turmoil of prolonged irrelevance, and the improbable way the Patriots finally ascended to greatness. By turns hilarious and eye-opening, this is an essential history for fans and disparagers alike, and a pointed reminder that the best stories of triumph start with humble beginnings.

The Patriots have won the most Super Bowls this century with victories in four years, and this is a compendium of their best plays This book does not disappoint as the ultimate collector's item for Patriots fans. It chronicles the most famous moments in the New England Patriots' history, including Jim Nance's 1966 Sports Illustrated cover; the team taking advantage of turnovers in the 1986 playoffs to make it to Super Bowl XX; and the incredible run through the 2002 playoffs against the Raiders, the Steelers, and the Rams. It also examines Willie McGinest's sacking of Peyton Manning in 2004 and Rodney Harrison's six interceptions in the 2005 playoffs. The descriptions of each play are accompanied with game information and quotes from participants, players, and observers with firsthand accounts.

Showcasing one of professional football's best players, this book spotlights the life and career of gridiron great Tom Brady. More than just a biography, it relates Brady's story while also establishing his prominent place in NFL history. By examining his skills and statistics in a variety of categories and comparing him to other great quarterbacks-including Peyton Manning, Joe Montana, Bart Starr, Johnny Unitas, Roger Staubach, and more-the guide makes a strong case for Brady as football's best signal caller. Along the way, his best moments as a Patriot are revisited, from championship seasons and his favorite receivers to his relationship with legendary coach Bill Belichick. With detailed sidebars on Brady's celebrity status, fashion sense, much-talked-about hair, and supermodel wife, this is a must-have for faithful New England fans and pro football buffs alike.

"The definitive inside story of the New England Patriots dynasty"--

An account that tackles “the Pats’ wilderness years to the current dynasty . . . with fresh insight, bite, and humor from an All-Pro roster of writers” (John U. Bacon, New York Times bestselling author of Overtime). The New England Patriots have become a dynasty, though it didn’t begin that way. Love ’em, hate ’em, the Pats have captured this country’s attention like no other franchise. From two award-winning authors this is the first complete story of a legendary team and its five championship trophies. In the tradition of their celebrated illustrated histories of some of sports’ most iconic franchises, Stout and Johnson tell the history in full and in colorful detail. This is a lavishly illustrated tale full of larger-than-life characters—from founding owner Billy Sullivan, early stars like Syracuse running back Jim Nance and beloved wide receiver turned broadcaster Gino Cappeletti, to Hall of Famers and stars like John Hannah, Russ Francis, and Steve Grogan through to present-day stars like Tom Brady and Bill Belichick and owner Bob Kraft. Featuring essays by Richard Johnson, Upton Bell, Leigh Montville, Howard Bryant, Ron Borges, Lesley Visser and more, The Pats is a must-have gift for fans, old and new, and an indelible portrait of the most talked about team in NFL history. “Glenn Stout and Richard Johnson . . . whisk us back in time to old ballparks, long-ago games and the personalities who made Boston a dynamic sports town. What Stout and Johnson did for baseball with Red Sox Century they now do for football with The Pats.”—Steve Buckley, Boston Herald “The book every Patriots fan has been waiting for.”—Bob Ryan, Boston Globe columnist emeritus and ESPN commentator

A singular, transcendent talent can change the fortunes of a football team instantly. Each year, NFL teams approach the draft with this knowledge, hoping that luck will be on their side and that their extensive scouting and analysis will pay off. In On the Clock: New England Patriots, Sean Glennon explores the fascinating, rollercoaster history of the Pats at the draft, including tales of sixth-round pick Tom Brady, Richard Seymour, Rob Gronkowski, and more. Readers will go behind the scenes with top decision-makers as they evaluate, deliberate, and ultimately make the picks they hope will tip the fate of their franchise toward success. From seemingly surefire first-rounders to surprising late selections and the ones that got away, this is a must-read for Patriots faithful and football fans eager for a glimpse at how teams are built.