"Then Belichick Said to Brady. . .": The Best New England Patriots Stories Ever Told

by Jim Donaldson, Andre Tippett (Foreword)

Written for every sports fan who follows the Patriots, this account goes behind the scenes to peek into the private world of the players, coaches, and decision makers—all while eavesdropping on their personal conversations. From the New England locker room to the sidelines and inside the huddle, the book includes comments about Raymond Berry, Gino Cappelletti, John Hannah, and Bill Parcels, among others, allowing readers to relive the highlights and the celebrations.

Genres: Football, Sports, Nonfiction

256 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

American sportswriter.

Reviews

[Brady Bishop · Rating 3 out of 5]

To be honest this was a bit of a tough book to read. The chapters were all over the place, the timelines were all mixed up, and the quotes didn’t really provide much for me. That being said, I did learn a lot about the history of the Patriots, and it is so interesting to go back in time to the context of 2009 when the book was written and to know what happens afterward. I would recommend to Patriot fans, but if you aren’t one you probably would not like the book very much

[David · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not to say this book is garbage... but it's pretty bad.
If we were in person and I knew you this review would probably be laced with profanity but as it is the new year and I'm trying to be a bit more... politically correct, as we say here, I will try my best.

The author of this book has a major love affair going with the Patriots and that's fine, but often time he forgoes any sort of criticism or in depth analysis for fear of casting his heroes in a negative light. Stats don't really play heavily into the book either, which i thought was odd.

The first half is actually pretty informative in regards to the Pats early years but the later stages of the book really lag. There is virtually nothing on "spygate" or Brady and his personal life. "Well the book is about the Pats as a whole" I hear you say. Well, Brady is in the friggin title, it should talk a little bit about the man. And how he divorced his 8 month pregnant wife to marry a super model.

Also, the writer often quotes out of touch songs and movies in reference to people's careers, "As the song says, `He's simply the best'" Ya? Tina Turner? Really. I love Tina Turner. But why would you say that? Because you are a poor writer.

[Erik · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is an episodic romp through the 50 years of Patriot history. Like most sports-related books, I did not find it to be great writing, but Jim Donaldson imbues the reader with the desire to go back and watch some old footage, to recall the greats of the past, as well as the familiar highs and lows (thankfully, mostly highs) of the past decade. It is not a complete history by any means, instead skipping from character to character in a generally chronological order. At times historical facts were reiterated, which made me wonder if it could have been edited a little more tightly, but it puts a good (and usually fun) face on the team throughout the years.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good read about the Patriots history.