Undefeated - Large Print by Mike Freeman (Paperback)

About the Book

"[Freeman is] an excellent storyteller."--Sports Illustrated

The 1972 Miami Dolphins, under the expert leadership of legendary coach Don Shula, remain to this day the only team in the National Football League ever to enjoy a perfect season with no defeats and no ties. Now, 40 years after sports history was made, acclaimed sports writer Mike Freeman celebrates the Dolphins' singular achievement in Undefeated. A riveting story filled with heartbreaking injuries, miraculous finishes, and tested relationships--featuring a roster of gridiron greats, including Bob Griese, Earl Morrall, Larry Csonka, Paul Warfield, Mercury Morris, Nick Buoniconti and others--Undefeated follows a underdog team on its remarkable run: 14 regular season victories, 2 postseason wins, and a Super Bowl championship. It is a book no football fan will want to miss.

Book Synopsis

"[Freeman is] an excellent storyteller."
--Sports Illustrated

The 1972 Miami Dolphins, under the expert leadership of legendary coach Don Shula, remain to this day the only team in the National Football League ever to enjoy a perfect season with no defeats and no ties. Now, 40 years after sports history was made, acclaimed sports writer Mike Freeman celebrates the Dolphins' singular achievement in Undefeated. A riveting story filled with heartbreaking injuries, miraculous finishes, and tested relationships--featuring a roster of gridiron greats, including Bob Griese, Earl Morrall, Larry Csonka, Paul Warfield, Mercury Morris, Nick Buoniconti and others--Undefeated follows a underdog team on its remarkable run: 14 regular season victories, 2 postseason wins, and a Super Bowl championship. It is a book no football fan will want to miss.

From the Back Cover

Undefeated explores the Miami Dolphins' legendary 1972 season, the only perfect season in NFL history, and the journey to the championship--a story of heartbreaking injuries, miraculous finishes, and tested relationships.

Coach Don Shula transformed the team--through hard work, long practices, and his no-nonsense attitude toward the game--from a laughingstock expansion team, where careers went to die, into a championship franchise. Led by such greats as Larry Csonka, Bob Griese, Nick Buoniconti, Larry Little, Mercury Morris, and Jake Scott--the Dolphins were undefeated in the regular season and went on to win Super Bowl VII, in one of the greatest feats of toughness, perseverance, and discipline the NFL has ever seen.

Based on years of research and interviews, Undefeated examines what is perhaps the single greatest accomplishment in team sports history: the unforgettable NFL season in which the Dolphins never lost a single game. There has never been a football team like those Miami Dolphins, and there may never be again.

Review Quotes

"A richly-detailed and riveting account of one of the great accomplishments in the history of American sports. It's a book that's just as good as the team it chronicles." - Christine Brennan, USA Today columnist, ABC News commentator, author, Best Seat in the House
"An entertaining and meticulous journey back in time, illuminating the men and personalities who, in some cases, are as memorable as the team's 17-0 record." - Jim Trotter, Sports Illustrated
"In this homage to the 1972 Miami Dolphins, Freeman's classic book will enthrall readers with the extraordinary story of a team that went through 14 regular season games and two playoff games to capture Super Bowl VII." - Publishers Weekly
"Timed well and professionally written, this work will be in demand as the definitive book on a signature team. - STARRED REVIEW, Library Journal
"Definitive...a fascinating look at a culture in transition...Freeman captures the life of a legend with grace and passion." - Publishers Weekly
"Mike Freeman...gives you so much to think about that you might find yourself switching off a game to read." - New York Times Book Review
"[Freeman is] an excellent storyteller." - Sports Illustrated
"Undefeated is a literary time machine; a marvelous, engrossing trip back to a period when football was played with love and passion and the Miami Dolphins were not merely fantastic, but unstoppable. Mike Freeman is one of the nation's best sports writers, and he proves it once again here. A dazzling read." - Jeff Pearlman, author Sweetness: The Enigmatic Life of Walter Payton
"A marvelous, engrossing trip back to a period when football was played with love and passion and the Miami Dolphins were not merely fantastic, but unstoppable. Mike Freeman is one of the nation's best sports writers, and he proves it once again here. A dazzling read." - Jeff Pearlman, author Sweetness: The Enigmatic Life of Walter Payton
"Well researched and fast paced, UNDEFEATED reveals the psyche of the only unbeaten team in the history of the NFL. Untold stories from the locker rooms, meeting rooms, and on the field are placed in the historical context of the unsettled seventies. Lest we forget - no names, no more." - Andrea Kremer, multi Emmy award winning journalist and HBO Real Sports correspondent
"A must-read for fans." - Maxim
"A sweeping, state-of-the union report on the National Football League...smart and thorough." - San Francisco Chronicle