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From Booklist, Copyright © American Library Association. Used with permission.

The 1985 Chicago Bears rolled through the regular season with a 15-1 record and demolished three opponents in the playoffs by a combined score of 91-10, including a 46-10 dismantling of the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl. It was arguably the most dominant NFL team in a generation. Delsohn, currently a reporter for ESPN, provides a context by detailing the process by which the team was assembled, including the then-controversial hiring of head coach Mike Ditka and the retention of defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan. The Ditka-Ryan dynamic was infamously contentious but may have contributed to the internal competitiveness ultimately directed against opponents on Sunday. Quarterback Jim McMahon emerges as a pivotal talent and leader; Delsohn ascribes the team's inability to establish a dynasty to McMahon's subsequent injuries. The details of the Ditka-Ryan imbroglio are hilarious in hindsight not so much at the time and the insight offered into the team's other dominant personalities (Walter Payton, Richard Dent, Mike Singletary) are also enlightening. Relying primarily on interviews with key participants and secondary sources, Delsohn gives Da Bears a fine tribute on the twenty-fifth anniversary of their triumph.--Lukowsky, Wes Copyright 2010 Booklist