What do you think?
Rate this book
The Dallas Cowboys: The Outrageous History of the Biggest, Loudest, Most Hated, Best Loved Football Team in America
Love them or hate them, there's no such thing as a football fan who doesn't have an opinion on the Dallas Cowboys. From Dandy Don Meredith, Roger Staubach and America's Team to the dynasty of the mid-nineties that won three Super Bowls and the glitzy soap opera team of today, the Cowboys have been delighting their fans and infuriating their rivals since 1960.
What sets the Cowboys apart from all other NFL franchises is that they have never been just about football. With their overbearing, ego-driven owner, players who can't stay out of the tabloids, a palatial new home field that sets the standard for modern stadiums, fans as enthusiastic as cheerleaders, and cheerleaders who are nearly as famous as the team itself, the Cowboys have become a staple of Americana. There is enough star power in the history of the team to drive an entire narrative, but THE DALLAS COWBOYS will be more than that.
Cowboys' stories abound, involving everything from the team's founder to its coaches, from running backs to quarterbacks. Joe Nick Patoski will plumb all these anecdotes, going to the locker rooms as well as to the boardrooms and the backrooms, and writing a book that will be not just an account of the team, but a very rich portrait of a time, a place, and a culture.
What sets the Cowboys apart from all other NFL franchises is that they have never been just about football. With their overbearing, ego-driven owner, players who can't stay out of the tabloids, a palatial new home field that sets the standard for modern stadiums, fans as enthusiastic as cheerleaders, and cheerleaders who are nearly as famous as the team itself, the Cowboys have become a staple of Americana. There is enough star power in the history of the team to drive an entire narrative, but THE DALLAS COWBOYS will be more than that.
Cowboys' stories abound, involving everything from the team's founder to its coaches, from running backs to quarterbacks. Joe Nick Patoski will plumb all these anecdotes, going to the locker rooms as well as to the boardrooms and the backrooms, and writing a book that will be not just an account of the team, but a very rich portrait of a time, a place, and a culture.
- GenresSportsFootballNonfiction
816 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2012
106 people are currently reading
313 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
September 12, 2012
I won this from a goodreads giveaway from firstreads a while back. It did take me some time to finish it as the book is very large:) I loved it The author did an excellent job at doing research for the book and transcribing it into an easy-to-follow format so it is easy to read for anyone. That was the best part of the book for me I love football and now I know so much about the cowboys its uncanny lol. I really thought the thought and work put into this book and the extreme detail earns it a 5 out of 5 star rating! I have already passed this on to a huge dallas cowboys fan and he is now reading it as well. Great job Mr. Patoski for this awesome book and I just know so many will love it.
August 10, 2012
I enjoyed this book even though I am not a Dalls Cowboy fan, but I do love pro-football. This book is more than just a history of the wins & losses of the franchise. It deals primarily with the people who were the players, coaches, and owners of the Cowboys. Patoski describes the personalities of all of them. The author really has done his research and knows these people and their influence on the Cowboy teams. He also tells what happened to many of the players after their playing days were over. Most did not do well, but this is true of players from the other teams too. The book is not a beaming endorsement of the Cowboys. Instead, it is a realistic picture of the teams.
October 12, 2012
I really enjoyed the History of the Team itself but I wasn't as interested in Dallas. The book seemed to be a history of the Town as much as the team.
You really could cut out 1/3 of the book (parts on the city of Dallas) and it would be much more readable.
I received this book through a give a way from Good Reads.
You really could cut out 1/3 of the book (parts on the city of Dallas) and it would be much more readable.
I received this book through a give a way from Good Reads.
March 23, 2021
Back in February 2020 (aka The Before Times), I visited my in-laws who had moved to the Dallas metro area the previous summer. I had never been to Texas, much less Dallas, so I was excited to see the city.
It was…something. Not good or bad, just different. The vibes there were really strange. The weather was weird (somehow hot and cold simultaneously). It felt like someone used hundred dollar bills to paper over cardboard boxes and sterile, charmless buildings. But it still had a soul, if a weird one.
I don’t have much feeling towards the Dallas Cowboys, being a Ravens fan. But they’re certainly one of the most influential sports teams in American history. After leaving Dallas, I found this book randomly at a Barnes and Noble that advertised both the history of the team and the city. It had good reviews so I decided to give it a whirl.
This definitely gave me what I wanted, particularly the first 400-500 pages. I learned a lot about the founding of the Cowboys franchise, much of which I didn’t know, along with the history of the city of Dallas. I enjoyed it. Joe Nick Patoski has a smooth writing style and despite the books length, it was easy to read, fact-laden without being too heavy.
But the book suffers in the back half as Patoski basically glosses over the highlights of the Jerry Jones era and nothing more. Granted, all of it is of recent memory and much of it was covered in Jeff Pearlman’s excellent Boys Will Be Boys. But it felt like it ran out of steam once it came time to cover those 90s Super Bowl teams.
Also, I don’t have time to go into all of the errors, but there are a lot. Some of them glaring, such as claiming Vince Lombardi was still coaching the Packers after the Ice Bowl and that Herschel Walker was a back-up wide receiver. Patoski’s knowledge of football seemed to be slightly limited for a book that was about football.
Also, while Patoski does cover the racism in the city’s history, he still falls into racist patterns as a writer. He refers to one Black player as “articulate”, a famously racist condescension that white writers use to describe Black folks who presumably don’t use AAVE. He also goes into deep detail with every Black player who had legal issues, while ignoring or barely mentioning Jerry Jones’, as well as other white players.
Still, if you, like I once did, have a niche where you want to learn about a team and a city, this book accomplishes your goal. But be sure to read Pearlman’s book as soon as your done.
It was…something. Not good or bad, just different. The vibes there were really strange. The weather was weird (somehow hot and cold simultaneously). It felt like someone used hundred dollar bills to paper over cardboard boxes and sterile, charmless buildings. But it still had a soul, if a weird one.
I don’t have much feeling towards the Dallas Cowboys, being a Ravens fan. But they’re certainly one of the most influential sports teams in American history. After leaving Dallas, I found this book randomly at a Barnes and Noble that advertised both the history of the team and the city. It had good reviews so I decided to give it a whirl.
This definitely gave me what I wanted, particularly the first 400-500 pages. I learned a lot about the founding of the Cowboys franchise, much of which I didn’t know, along with the history of the city of Dallas. I enjoyed it. Joe Nick Patoski has a smooth writing style and despite the books length, it was easy to read, fact-laden without being too heavy.
But the book suffers in the back half as Patoski basically glosses over the highlights of the Jerry Jones era and nothing more. Granted, all of it is of recent memory and much of it was covered in Jeff Pearlman’s excellent Boys Will Be Boys. But it felt like it ran out of steam once it came time to cover those 90s Super Bowl teams.
Also, I don’t have time to go into all of the errors, but there are a lot. Some of them glaring, such as claiming Vince Lombardi was still coaching the Packers after the Ice Bowl and that Herschel Walker was a back-up wide receiver. Patoski’s knowledge of football seemed to be slightly limited for a book that was about football.
Also, while Patoski does cover the racism in the city’s history, he still falls into racist patterns as a writer. He refers to one Black player as “articulate”, a famously racist condescension that white writers use to describe Black folks who presumably don’t use AAVE. He also goes into deep detail with every Black player who had legal issues, while ignoring or barely mentioning Jerry Jones’, as well as other white players.
Still, if you, like I once did, have a niche where you want to learn about a team and a city, this book accomplishes your goal. But be sure to read Pearlman’s book as soon as your done.
August 21, 2017
This book was long. Really long. Unless you're really interested in the Cowboys or the history of Dallas, this is not for you. I, however, am a native Dallasite and really enjoyed the history of both the football team and the city.
July 4, 2018
If you are a fan , read this. If you are not a fan , read this.
The best football book I have read to date. Texas football , it's like no where else. Great insight to the world of old Dallas.
The best football book I have read to date. Texas football , it's like no where else. Great insight to the world of old Dallas.
April 28, 2019
This book has a wealth of information about the Cowboys. I learned so much about the old timers of the past. However, I would only recommend this to Cowboy fans.
February 10, 2022
Not great literature but a fun read. Covers it’s subjects with humor and fairness.
September 19, 2024
WASSSSS A LONG LONG BOOK BUT AS A COWBOYS FAN I CAN APROVE IT
October 9, 2020
So I thought I’d read about the Dallas Cowboys upon the occasion of their 60th anniversary, hoping to celebrate a good season to come.
The team at this moment is 1-3 and we’re heading for another mediocre year … again.
But it weren’t always this way, as this book shows.
This book follows the team from its creation until the glory years of the ’70s, the slide of the ’80s, the return to glory of the ’90s, and the fair-to-middlin’ years since. The book, published around the 50th anniversary, ends with the coming of Bill Parcells and Tony Romo, and was filled with hope.
Sounds an awful lot like today, with Mike McCarthy and Dak Prescott. I hope it ends better.
This book presents warts and all, which is a fair way to present the team. Along with the highs of Staubach and Lilly and Dorsett and Smith and Aikman, there are the lows of Bob Hayes’ drug arrests, Michael Irvin and Pete Gent and Lance Rentzel and Rafael Septien … read up if you don’t know.
It’s a good look at a legendary team with millions of fans and millions more of haters. A good read.
Read more of my reviews at Ralphsbooks. Also, follow me on Instagram at @ralphandmainlybooks.
The team at this moment is 1-3 and we’re heading for another mediocre year … again.
But it weren’t always this way, as this book shows.
This book follows the team from its creation until the glory years of the ’70s, the slide of the ’80s, the return to glory of the ’90s, and the fair-to-middlin’ years since. The book, published around the 50th anniversary, ends with the coming of Bill Parcells and Tony Romo, and was filled with hope.
Sounds an awful lot like today, with Mike McCarthy and Dak Prescott. I hope it ends better.
This book presents warts and all, which is a fair way to present the team. Along with the highs of Staubach and Lilly and Dorsett and Smith and Aikman, there are the lows of Bob Hayes’ drug arrests, Michael Irvin and Pete Gent and Lance Rentzel and Rafael Septien … read up if you don’t know.
It’s a good look at a legendary team with millions of fans and millions more of haters. A good read.
Read more of my reviews at Ralphsbooks. Also, follow me on Instagram at @ralphandmainlybooks.
August 1, 2015
Review
The statement about the condition in the let us have something different and big was an interesting forbearance to other mega stadium occurring after. The condition about fair is fair vs let us all be kept fed is the on going consideration in peanut butter in pasta and in the newer statement in I life being groat and peanut butter. More auto cart being sold in 2013 and the larger group watching the game in 2013 vs 1960 state the acknowledgement in perspective. The story being irrespective the win loss condition in one team and another. I find the find consistant together the people striving and enduring an on going precursor from the book in most North American Life.
The statement about the condition in the let us have something different and big was an interesting forbearance to other mega stadium occurring after. The condition about fair is fair vs let us all be kept fed is the on going consideration in peanut butter in pasta and in the newer statement in I life being groat and peanut butter. More auto cart being sold in 2013 and the larger group watching the game in 2013 vs 1960 state the acknowledgement in perspective. The story being irrespective the win loss condition in one team and another. I find the find consistant together the people striving and enduring an on going precursor from the book in most North American Life.
August 18, 2012
Wow, I was so thrilled to win this because I grew up with a Cowboys fan and saw the total devotion this team inspires. It was such a joy to get to know the team in such a personal way. This was well researched and written in a way that easy and enjoyable to read. There is so much to be taken in here I can see reading this another time or two just to take in all of the great information. It really is a fascinating team filled with a great rich history. After reading this I feel like not only can keep up with my brother in a conversation on his favorite team but I may even be able to teach him a thing or two.
September 14, 2012
A thorough history of America's Team! I LOVE the Cowboys and was so happy to be reading this as the new season started and we whooped up on the Giants! This book starts from the way back, tracing the roots of football in Texas and brings us through it all, right up to the opening of the "Jerry Dome"! I became a fan in 1976, so that era and the stories related herein were my favorites, but I really enjoyed the whole thing! And the book is a big 'un, just like everything in Texas! But if you love football, and especially if you love our 'Boys, read this book!
October 23, 2012
I enjoyed this big book on the Cowboys because it went back to the early days of Dandy Don, Roger Staubach, and one of the greatest coaches of all times Tom Landry. Back when they WERE America's team. Don't think they are considered America's team today. Back then they were looked up to and Landy ran a tight ship. I always sat down on a Sunday afternoon and never missed a game the Cowboys were playing. Now I miss a lot of Cowboys games and watch some other team. All in all I still liked the book and it was nice to remember the 'old Cowboys' back in the day.
August 17, 2012
Good Reads Win: I won this book and was so happy to learn of more of the history of the cowboys. As I grew up with them being the family team. It doesn't just deal with the win and losses but it also deals with the players and people. I would recommend this to any fan of profootball, also to anyone looking to do a report. It is a great and well written book.
August 29, 2012
First I couldn't believe how big this book was, 700+ pages. My husband is the sports fan in the house but this was an interesting read. I think it would make the perfect gift for a loved one or friend who cheers on the Cowboys. Maybe for birthdays or Father's Day.
I received this book free from Goodreads.com.
I received this book free from Goodreads.com.
August 4, 2012
I won this book through the goodreads contest and let me say it was great! Having grown up with two of the biggest sports fans I know, my parents instilled in me from a very young age how important sports are. This book was so informative and while I'm not a cowboys fan, I truly did enjoy it. I was able to learn so much and look forward to discussing this book with my parents.
October 15, 2012
I loved this book, and I was especially amazed at the size- over 800 pages long- filled with tons and tons of stories and facts, which makes it perfect for collectors and Cowboys fans alike. If you love the Cowboys, or are just a fan of football, this GIGANTIC book is for you!
July 1, 2014
Apparently Jerry Jones cares more making money than winning games. Oh wait, I already knew that. Overall an interesting book, but if I wasn't a Cowboys fan, it probably would have been a little less interesting.
August 9, 2012
My husband is a Cowboys fan and when this book arrived in the mail, I didn't think I would see him for a week. He really enjoyed reading all about his Cowboys.
November 7, 2012
Very informative and full of little trivia facts that help a non football genius like myself. Would recommend it to anyone who wants to learn more about the Dallas Cowboys.
October 10, 2013
Wasn't great, but made it clear that firing Jimmy Johnson was still the dumbest event of all time
November 11, 2015
The Cowboys are my team. And I enjoy reading all the stories behind the scenes. If you are a Cowboys fan, this book is for you.
October 23, 2014
Very good
Yah if u want to learn only about football nothing about cheerleading squad but that's ok really but for a great football fan read it
Yah if u want to learn only about football nothing about cheerleading squad but that's ok really but for a great football fan read it
March 21, 2015
Very detailed. You choose the right team! Go Dallas Cowboys!!!
June 9, 2015
More of an extremely detailed book on post WWII DALLAS and the culture of an inland Texas city. Sports fact and history abound! I recommend reading "Dallas 1963" first or in conjunction.
August 24, 2015
Bought this book for David since he's a big Cowboys fan. Unfortunately we both found it quite uninteresting.
August 16, 2015
Great book for Cowboy fans.
August 16, 2012
This is the perfect book for the Dallas Cowboys fan!
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews