The shotgun formation. The West Coast Offense. The 4-3 defense. We expect to see these things when we watch football, but without Tom Landry and Bill Walsh, it's possible we wouldn't see any of that. This is the story of how two independent thinkers molded football in general -- and championship football in particular. And they didn't just change the sport's Xs and Os; they changed its style. The story of their combined influence is unusual because neither man's ideas seriously affected the other's. This story also is the tale of many football greats: Joe Montana, Roger Staubach, Jerry Rice, Tony Dorsett, Ronnie Lott, Bob Lilly, Roger Craig, Ed "Too Tall" Jones and numerous others. What's more, the story of these coaches is one of great opponents: Dan Marino, Fran Tarkenton, Don Shula, Chuck Noll, Mike Ditka and Lawrence Taylor, to name a few. Most of all, this is the story of two icons: Landry, the cerebral, stoic, impeccably-dressed engineer, and Walsh, the creative, professorial, somewhat sensitive artiste. Their greatest moments rank among football's seminal moments. Fittingly, each coach's most famous play was a pass. For Landry, it was the Hail Mary that beat the Vikings in the 1975 playoffs. And for Walsh, it was, of course, The Catch, which came at the expense of the Landry Cowboys. These stories and many others comprise the larger narrative of how these men shaped the game we see today. PRAISE FOR TOM LANDRY AND BILL WALSH FROM GADY EPSTEIN, STAFF WRITER, THE ECONOMIST... Lawson "knows more about those two coaches and their teams than any sane human being does (or should)...trust me when I say John is an entertaining writer...Buy the book!" PRAISE FOR TOM LANDRY AND BILL WALSH FROM CHARLES GAY, DEPUTY MANAGING EDITOR, THE ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION..."TOM LANDRY AND BILL WALSH is a feast for serious NFL fans, tracing the game's dramatic evolution in a deeply intelligent and analytical style. Lawson layers his story with context and detail while never losing sight of the broader theme: innovation. The book manages to do all that while being a damned enjoyable read. If you love pro football, TOM LANDRY AND BILL WALSH is a must for your reading list."

NFL coaching legend Bill Walsh offers his unique blueprint and conceptual insights for coaches at all levels of play. Among the topics covered in this comprehensive 560-page, hardcover book are: Understanding the role of head coach; Strategies and tactics for dealing with a highly competitive adversary; Designing a winning game plan; Organising the staff; The importance of being able to focus and concentrate; Evaluating players; Game-day responsibilities; And much, much more.

The celebrated coach shares his philosophy of football, profiles players he has coached, and recounts key moments in his career

An emotional memoir from Hall of Fame, Super Bowl winning former head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers and current CBS analyst, Bill Cowher.

Describes the formative years of the renowned football coaches when they worked together as coordinators for the New York Giants in the mid-1950s, discussing how they each developed their unique coaching styles before they became famous.

After forty years inside the press box delivering unique perspectives on the biggest stars, events, and storylines in sports, former San Francisco Chronicle and Press Democrat columnist Lowell Cohn has seen it all. From wild locker room conflicts to bizarre player interviews to heartfelt conversations with the heroes of the athletic world, Cohn has spent decades bringing to life the narratives of sports through his masterfully crafted newspaper columns. Now you can go directly into the locker room with Cohn. This unparalleled collection of anecdotes and interactions reveals Cohn's insider perspective and unvarnished opinions on some of the sports world's most well-known personalities, including Bill Walsh, Barry Bonds, Michael Jordan, Sugar Ray Robinson, Steve Young, and many more. Freed from the prohibitions of traditional reporting, Cohn's tell-all book takes in you into the rarified world of sports that you can't see from the confines of your newspaper.