The Dallas Cowboys

From Dandy Don Meredith and Roger Staubach to the three Super Bowls won by the unbeatable trio of Troy Aikman, Michael Irvin and Emmitt Smith in the mid-nineties, to TO, Tony Romo and the glitzy soap opera team of today, the Cowboys have been the NFL's star franchise for 50 years. Love them or hate them - the Dallas Cowboys are known as "America's Team."

But the Cowboys have never been just about football. With their oil baron roots, overbearing, ego-driven owner, players who can't stay out of the tabloids, a palatial new home that sets the standard for modern stadiums, fans as enthusiastic as cheerleaders and cheerleaders who are as famous as the team itself, the Cowboys have become a staple of Americana.

Joe Nick Patoski plumbs all these stories in a book that is a rich, sometimes scandalous and always vivid portrait of a time, a place and an irreplaceable team.