Books with author Michael O'Malley

New York Times bestselling sportswriter Michael Holley takes readers behind the scenes of the relationship that transformed the Patriots from a middling franchise to the envy of the NFL. No head coach-quarterback pair has been more successful in NFL history than Bill Belichick and Tom Brady of the New England Patriots. They have won four Super Bowls, six AFC championships, and thirteen division titles. And now Holley takes us inside their relationship, dissecting how these men and their team came to dominate football. Belichick, a genius as a defensive coordinator, had been a five-year flop as head coach of the Cleveland Browns. Upon his controversial arrival in Foxboro, though, he quickly began to remake the team at every level--scouts, coaches, and players. His bold, calculated approach had fans up in arms, sportswriters questioning his intelligence, and players wondering how long they would last on the team. Meanwhile, buried down in the 2000 NFL draft, the 199th overall pick was a skinny kid from the University of Michigan named Tom Brady who many scouts thought would never succeed at a professional level. The lowest of the four quarterbacks on the team's depth chart, he appeard to be just one of the guys. Like Belichick, though, he lived for football, and he knew the playbook as well as Drew Bledsoe, the franchise quarterback. And when Bledsoe was injured in 2001, Brady took the job and vowed to never give it back. The handsome Brady became a star, wearing hand-tailored suits, appearing in movies and on magazine covers, and marrying a supermodel. Belichick, with his trademark cut-off hoodies, was the opposite of a fashion plate. Together, the odd couple somehow rose above controversies and tragedies. Draft picks were lost, suspensions given, lawsuits filed. As their legends have grown, so have their critics, with some of those critics operating from NFL headquarters. Despite that, with Belichick's deft and brilliant strategy in the draft year in year out and Brady's exacting decision-making on the field, the Patriots cultivated an atmosphere of success and won a stunning 75 percent of their games together. Respected and reviled, Belichick and Brady have set the bar high for excellence in a league designed for parity. They have rarely been understood. Until now. Based on dozens of interviews with former and current players, coaches, and executives, Belichick and Brady is an eye-opening look at the minds, motives, and wild ambitions of two men who have left an indelible mark on the game of football.

Bill Belichick is one of the titans of today’s game of football. Now, sports commentator and bestselling author Michael Holley follows three NFL teams—the New England Patriots, Kansas City Chiefs, and Atlanta Falcons—from training camp 2010 through the Super Bowl and into the April draft, opening a new window into Belichick’s influence on the game. This one-of-a-kind exploration takes football fans behind the scenes of the most popular sport in America, with unprecedented insider access to the head coaches, scouts, trainers, and players who make the game what it is—including new insights from Bill Parcells, Todd and Dick Haley, and Belichick himself. For true fans of the game, and for readers of Badasses, Patriot Reign, and Boys Will Be Boys, Holley’s War Room is not to be missed.

New York Times bestselling sportswriter Michael Holley takes readers behind the scenes of the relationship that transformed the Patriots from a middling franchise to the envy of the NFL. No head coach-quarterback pair has been more successful in NFL history than Bill Belichick and Tom Brady of the New England Patriots. They have won four Super Bowls, six AFC championships, and thirteen division titles. And now Holley takes us inside their relationship, dissecting how these men and their team came to dominate football. Belichick, a genius as a defensive coordinator, had been a five-year flop as head coach of the Cleveland Browns. Upon his controversial arrival in Foxboro, though, he quickly began to remake the team at every level--scouts, coaches, and players. His bold, calculated approach had fans up in arms, sportswriters questioning his intelligence, and players wondering how long they would last on the team. Meanwhile, buried down in the 2000 NFL draft, the 199th overall pick was a skinny kid from the University of Michigan named Tom Brady who many scouts thought would never succeed at a professional level. The lowest of the four quarterbacks on the team's depth chart, he appeard to be just one of the guys. Like Belichick, though, he lived for football, and he knew the playbook as well as Drew Bledsoe, the franchise quarterback. And when Bledsoe was injured in 2001, Brady took the job and vowed to never give it back. The handsome Brady became a star, wearing hand-tailored suits, appearing in movies and on magazine covers, and marrying a supermodel. Belichick, with his trademark cut-off hoodies, was the opposite of a fashion plate. Together, the odd couple somehow rose above controversies and tragedies. Draft picks were lost, suspensions given, lawsuits filed. As their legends have grown, so have their critics, with some of those critics operating from NFL headquarters. Despite that, with Belichick's deft and brilliant strategy in the draft year in year out and Brady's exacting decision-making on the field, the Patriots cultivated an atmosphere of success and won a stunning 75 percent of their games together. Respected and reviled, Belichick and Brady have set the bar high for excellence in a league designed for parity. They have rarely been understood. Until now. Based on dozens of interviews with former and current players, coaches, and executives, Belichick and Brady is an eye-opening look at the minds, motives, and wild ambitions of two men who have left an indelible mark on the game of football.

Bill Belichick is one of the titans of today’s game of football. Now, sports commentator and bestselling author Michael Holley follows three NFL teams—the New England Patriots, Kansas City Chiefs, and Atlanta Falcons—from training camp 2010 through the Super Bowl and into the April draft, opening a new window into Belichick’s influence on the game. This one-of-a-kind exploration takes football fans behind the scenes of the most popular sport in America, with unprecedented insider access to the head coaches, scouts, trainers, and players who make the game what it is—including new insights from Bill Parcells, Todd and Dick Haley, and Belichick himself. For true fans of the game, and for readers of Badasses, Patriot Reign, and Boys Will Be Boys, Holley’s War Room is not to be missed.

For 75 years the Marvel Superheroes have delighted readers with their larger-than-life, yet very human, heroics. More than simply comic book characters, the likes of Captain America, the Silver Surfer, Iron Man, and Doctor Strange, to name a few, have become part of the fabric of 20th century culture; the mythology of the modern age.Marvel: The Characters and Their Universe examines these legendary characters, focusing on their creation and charting their continuous evolution in the comic book pages as well as their translation into the world of media, film, television, animation, even video games and theme park attractions, and into the very core of popular culture.This lavishly illustrated volume features full color artwork and hundreds of photos from film and television productions, some of which have never before been published. Through revealing and entertaining interviews with the legendary creators of the Marvel Universe, including Joe Simon, John Romita, John Buscema, Gene Colan, Roy Thomas, Chris Claremont and, of course, Stan The Man Lee, as well as such cinematic translators as animator Ralph Bakshi, director Kenneth Johnson and actor Lou Ferrigno, Marvel: The Characters and Their Universe reveals the story of Marvel, and its influence on the culture of our time, as never before.

Bill Belichick is one of the titans of today’s game of football. Now, sports commentator and bestselling author Michael Holley follows three NFL teams—the New England Patriots, Kansas City Chiefs, and Atlanta Falcons—from training camp 2010 through the Super Bowl and into the April draft, opening a new window into Belichick’s influence on the game. This one-of-a-kind exploration takes football fans behind the scenes of the most popular sport in America, with unprecedented insider access to the head coaches, scouts, trainers, and players who make the game what it is—including new insights from Bill Parcells, Todd and Dick Haley, and Belichick himself. For true fans of the game, and for readers of Badasses, Patriot Reign, and Boys Will Be Boys, Holley’s War Room is not to be missed.

Widely considered the definitive resource on the Vietnam War, Where We Were identifies the name, location and provides a brief historical synopsis of every military installation, firebase, landing zone, airfield, port, signal site, vessel and significant terrain feature of the American war in Vietnam. Additionally, includes a substantial number from the French War as well. Coverage includes all of Indochina. Currently features over 12,000 entries. Also includes an extensive appendix of Vietnam War research and map guidelines/resources.

The Mill Hill Billies are a bunch of junior school friends, full of normal pranks but totally committed to each other. After their first adventure in The Magic Coin it is a delight to be able to offer The Talking Skull. This involves a school trip to the west of Ireland where they discover some very sinister happenings that put the Billies in great danger.

The Mill Hill Billies were a bunch of junior school friends, full of normal pranks but totally committed to each other. Their lives were just like those of any other kids of their ages until they discovered a strange coin down on Pop’s allotment. The coin began to glow and what happened next was to give them the most amazing experience of their young lives.

The Most Beautiful Kite is the heartwarming story of taking pleasure in the new and wondrous triumphs of our children as they grow, and of the loving gift of letting go so they may find their own way. Author Michael O'Malley uses the colorful imagery and whimsy of a kite in a charming and unforgettable book that every parent will enjoy reading with their children.

Widely considered the definitive resource on the Vietnam War, Where We Were identifies the name, location and provides a brief historical synopsis of every military installation, firebase, landing zone, airfield, port, signal site, vessel and significant terrain feature of the American war in Vietnam. Additionally, includes a substantial number from the French War as well. Coverage includes all of Indochina. Currently features over 12,000 entries. Also includes an extensive appendix of Vietnam War research and map guidelines/resources.

Every time boys and girls fight or call each other names, Big Bad Word Monsters love to gobble up all the bite-sized morsels of nasty words. Word Monsters are everywhere. They're usually harmless, but when the town of Grand Locution faces an infestation of Word Monsters, it's no laughing matter. The town becomes a rude and impolite place to live. The Big Bad Word Monster follows two bright children as they try to get rid of the Big Bad Word Monsters forever. Can two kids really do enough to stop the word pollution in Grand Locution?