It's Better to Be Feared Audiobook By Seth Wickersham cover art

It's Better to Be Feared

The New England Patriots Dynasty and the Pursuit of Greatness

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It's Better to Be Feared

By: Seth Wickersham
Narrated by: Richard Poe
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Over two unbelievable decades, the New England Patriots were not only the NFL's most dominant team, but also - and by far - the most secretive. How did they achieve and sustain greatness - and what were the costs?

In It's Better to Be Feared, Seth Wickersham, one of the country's finest long form and investigative sportswriters, tells the full, behind-the-scenes story of the Patriots, capturing the brilliance, ambition, and vanity that powered and ultimately unraveled them. Based on hundreds of interviews conducted since 2001, Wickersham's chronicle is packed with revelations, taking us deep into Bill Belichick's tactical ingenuity and Tom Brady's unique mentality while also reporting on their divergent paths in 2020, including Brady's run to the Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Raucous, unvarnished, and definitive, It's Better to Be Feared is an instant classic of American sportswriting in the tradition of Michael Lewis, David Maraniss, and David Halberstam.

©2021 Seth Wickersham (P)2021 Recorded Books Coaching Football Sports Psychology Inspiring New England Patriots
Thorough Research • Insightful Behind-the-scenes • Excellent Narration • Detailed Relationships • Fascinating Dynasty Story
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Great story im going to listen to it again. Loved it, so worth it

Loved it

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I’m not a Patriots fan but I admire and respect what they have accomplished. This is an excellent book and one of the few I’ve ever listened to that kept my interest from start to finish. If you love football, I highly recommend this book.

Excellent

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As an avid football fan, this provides great insight into the most dominant sports franchise of my lifetime. I especially enjoyed the history of how BB came to coach the Pats. I had forgotten, or perhaps never knew, all the details surrounding it. I also really enjoyed the insight on Bob Kraft. There’s plenty out there in every day sports media on Brady and even BB to some extent but not much on Kraft.

My only knock is in the later chapters the author, who seemed to remain pretty neutral in his stances on most of the book’s subjects, decided to insert his political opinions, which Of course are left leaning. But such is our media and many in the sports arena. Could have done without it though.

Overall, a must listen for any major football fan.

A Must Listen

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I listened to this book in 4 days. It was excellent. The author tells a compelling story.
It was fascinating. Tom Brady seems like an amazing genuine person as well. Now i feel bad for rooting against him.

Not a patriots fan but amazing book

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I have been a life long Patriots fan and I was looking forward to this book. I wasn’t sure how it might appeal outside Patriots nation but it does. The center is three amazing men - Brady, Belicheck, and B Kraft behind the dynasty. People keep evolving and sometimes can’t be satisfied in the same relationship if they don’t evolve well together and have true respect.

This is as much a book about a sports dynasty with insights behind the curtain as it could be taken as professional relationship advice on how to be successful.

Great detail and insights to legends

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Well written and interesting, but the narration is just awful. Mispronunciations abound throughout the book, and the narrator often sounds out of breath.

Poor narration

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I would have liked to hear more stories about interactions with other stars and celebrities.

How much I learned.

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The content was GREAT, however the reader constantly used O (letter) instead of 0 (number). Example, "they were nine and O (oh)" instead of "nine and zero".

O is a letter and 0 is a number!

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This book is the most recent Patriots book since Tom Brady left the team for Tampa Bay. The author has a long history with the team and states he had access to emails, team officials, and other coaches. I enjoyed this but have heard a lot of the information before from other sources. I did learn some previously unknown information about Brady, Kraft, Bellicheck, and the team/NFL. I've played, coached, broadcasted football. throughout my life and have studied/followed the game and this team since childhood. I definitely recommend this book.

Most Recent Info since Brady left. Good Book

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an incredible look at the greatest sports dynasty this century. Even if you're not a football fan, this insight into the dynamic personalities ( all misfits, all with something to prove) that came together to create a 20-year dynastic run that defined America's post 9/11 era is a lesson in not Just sports, but life

Fantastic

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