Pats : An Illustrated History of the New England Patriots

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 Timesbestselling author ofOvertime). 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 Johnsontell the historyin full and in colorful detail.This is a lavishly illustrated tale full of larger-than-life charactersfrom 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 Patsis 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 withRed Sox Centurythey now do for football withThe Pats.'Steve Buckley,Boston Herald ';The book every Patriots fan has been waiting for.'Bob Ryan,Boston Globecolumnist emeritus and ESPN commentator