⭐⭐⭐.5

Pre-Read Notes:

I'm a huge football fan and I've always been amazed by Brady's pure athletic skill. When I saw this was coming out, I requested it from NetGalley!

Final Review

(thoughts & recs) I enjoyed this book and I'm impressed by the amount of information the author has compiled about his topic. I learned a lot about the NFL, Brady's and Belichick's careers, football culture, and more.

This was also the book's primary downfall, unfortunately -- it's not really about the subject implied in the subtitle. I found that it got off topic often and sometimes for significant stretches of the book. I would find myself thinking, "what does this have to do with the Patriots dynasty debate?"

It's more generally about Brady and Belichick, but also the Patriots record, now and in the past, cheating including inflate-gate and recording other teams' sideline calls, etc.

Honestly, it probably doesn't need all this extraneous material, especially not the details that were repeated. A little organization would probably help too. But it's an interesting enough read.

I recommend BRADY VS. BELICHICK to fans of sports books, football, or New England Patriots.

Thank you to Gary Myers, St. Martin's Press and MacMillan Audio, and NetGalley for an advance audio arc of BRADY VS. BELICHICK. All views are mine.

This book dives into the connection between Tom Brady and Bill Belichick. How they worked together and into each of their pasts and how they both arrived in New England to become a unstoppable dynasty (I am not a Patriots fan, so that pains me to write).

I liked learning so much about each person individually and then what their relationship worked like.

If you are sports fan and like learning more about those involved beyond just what you see on the field, you will definitely like this book. The narrator does a great job with the reading.

Thank you Netgalley, Gary Myers, and Macmillian Audio for the advanced listening copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio for the digital copy of this audiobook; I am leaving this review voluntarily.

What’s a lady from Wisconsin, home of the 13-time world champion Green Bay Packers doing reading a book about the New England Patriots? Growing up in an NFL city, I’ve always been interested in the sport of American football. There’s no denying that Tom Brady and Bill Belichick are two of the most successful partners in the league’s history.

Brady vs.Belichick compares each man’s contributions to the team and tries to figure out who was more responsible for the dynasty. The book goes through the men’s life leading up to their joining the Patriots. There are anedotal stories, statistics, and occasional play-by-play discussion of certain games.

The problem is that this long-winded book could use a bit of editing. Tidbits are repeated and recycled to the point of beating the reader over the head. The writing style was also quite dry to me, despite my interest in the sport. There’s a great deal of minutiae regarding Brady and Belichick and other people in the Patriots’ organization that could have been left out without compromising the premise of the book. Patriots’ fans might find all this interesting, but even they might think it is too much. For diehard fans only.

The narrator, Jonathan Todd Ross, did a good job of trying to make this book more interesting than it really was.

Brady vs Belichick attempts t0 answer the question of who ment more to the New England Patriots Dynasty, Quarterback Tom Brady or Head Coach Bill Belichick. This dynasty had it all, winning, scandals, injuries, Hall of Fame Players and Coaches, and more. Mr. Myers covers the complete timeline of the New England Dynasty with special attention to the Super Bowl seasons assigning credit to either Brady or Belichick. In the end he comes to a decision and answers the question.

I enjoyed this book, although there were a couple of things I thought could have been better. Mr. Myers does an excellent job retelling the tale of the dynasty with first hand knowledge and a depth of interviews over the years to drawn on. He makes clear arguments for each side before coming to his conclusion. The one thing that I would have changed in the book is the timeline. Mr. Myers tends to jump around going from early in the dynasty to late in the dynasty rathering than keeping everything in order. I didn’t feel this added anything to the arguments or the story and would have preferred for it to be told in chronological order.

This is a worthwhile read for any football fan whether you are a fan of the New England Patriots or not. This is arguably the best dynasty in the history of the NFL, and Mr. Myers does an excellent job telling their story. Thank you to Netgalley, Gary Myers, and MacMillan Audio for a free advanced copy for an honest review.

I’m a looong time Niners fan, but I sure can recognize great talent. And Tom Brady is THE GOAT.

I’ve often had the debate about Brady vs Belichik. And I firmly believed it was all Brady when he moved to the Bucs and won a Super Bowl.

But, this book really makes the case for both Coach and Quarterback. Totally loved it!

Thank you #NetGalley for the complimentary copy of #BradyvsBelichik in exchange for an honest review. Thank you @MacmillanAudio for approving my request.

I almost never review biographies, but every once in a while one comes along that I can’t resist and as a die-hard NFL fan (go Jaguars 🐆), this was that book. An insider deep-dive into one of football’s most talked-about debates, Brady vs. Belichick, was too tempting to pass up. Long awaited, full of behind-the-scenes insight, and absolutely worth the read. 🏈📚

For years, Bill Belichick and Tom Brady were inseparable in the NFL’s collective imagination: the stoic mastermind and the unflappable quarterback powering the Patriots to six Super Bowls. But once Brady left for Tampa Bay and won a championship in his first year without Belichick, the whispers turned into shouts. Was it Brady all along? Belichick’s post-Brady struggles only added fuel to the fire, sparking one of football’s most enduring debates. Was the dynasty built on the coach’s system, or was it the quarterback’s greatness that made it legendary?

This sports biography does just that. It gives you the information you need to make an executive decision. Gary, you have gained a fan and bravo to you. I was hooked every chapter. I have my answer. Anyone else?

As a lifelong Patriots fan, I loved this book. All of the history and lore that led to the powerhouse dynasty created by Tom Brady & Bill Belichick made for a delightful read. Reliving so many great milestones—and some not so great—was so much fun. As an audiobook fan, maybe I didn’t love this one so much. I think the structure and style, full of false-starts, moving back and forth in time, occasionally repetitive, did not lend itself to the audio format. I’m guessing it will work better in print, which I’ll find out when I buy the book for my Dad’s birthday in the fall.

This book dives deep into the history of the nfl and multiple teams. There are various player, coach, and professional offerings that paint a clear and vivid picture of the Brady/Belichick/Patriots dynasty. As a football fan, this audiobook gave me great insight into the inner workings of the game and the behind the scenes action that goes on throughout every professional season. Superb book!