Most sports bios tend to be simple catalogues of victories, failures and clichés. Halberstam's too good a writer to settle for that, and took advantage of unusual access to the reserved coach and those around him to really deconstruct Belichick. The result is a sort of dialectic between Belichick's family background and events in his life, his thoughts about them, and how they shaped the man who became the coach. As a fairly analytical person myself, I found it fascinating. You learn some about football, but more about the whys behind an approach to life that also defines Belichick as a coach, and is as key to his success as his extraordinary and imaginative grasp of Xs and Os. After reading, you understand that heartless seeming personnel moves don't necessarily indicate a lack of emotion (passion drives his football life). Rather, they come out of an education that includes his coaching father -despite being very good at this job- being fired twice before Bill was 10, and Belichick himself seeking out Jimmy Johnson in the off-season after a Super Bowl victory to learn how you stay successful, once you've won. Even that surreal press conference when Belichick turned down the Jets' head coaching job becomes more understandable with better context.

This is a highly entertaining read because of first class writing and explanations based in anecdotes and conversations rather than bald pronouncements. Belichick emerges as a human being, albeit a highly driven one, rather than just the coaching android of his reputation. Highly recommended.