They were America's Team -- the high-priced, high-glamour, high-flying Dallas Cowboys of the 1990s, who won three Super Bowls and made as many headlines off the field as on it. Led by Emmitt Smith, the charismatic Deion "Prime Time" Sanders, and Hall of Famers Troy Aikman and Michael Irvin, the Cowboys rank among the greatest of all NFL dynasties.

In similar fashion to his New York Times bestseller The Bad Guys Won!, about the 1986 New York Mets, in Boys Will Be Boys, award-winning writer Jeff Pearlman chronicles the outrageous antics and dazzling talent of a team fueled by ego, sex, drugs -- and unrivaled greatness. Rising from the ashes of a 1-15 season in 1989 to capture three Super Bowl trophies in four years, the Dallas Cowboys were guided by a swashbuckling, skirt-chasing, power-hungry owner, Jerry Jones, and his two eccentric, hard-living coaches, Jimmy Johnson and Barry Switzer. Together the three built a juggernaut that America loved and loathed.

But for a team that was so dominant on Sundays, the Cowboys were often a dysfunctional circus the rest of the week. Irvin, nicknamed "The Playmaker," battled dual addictions to drugs and women. Charles Haley, the defensive colossus, presided over the team's infamous "White House," where the parties lasted late into the night and a steady stream of long-legged groupies came and went. And then there were Smith and Sanders, whose Texas-sized egos were eclipsed only by their record-breaking on-field perfomances.

With an unforgettable cast of characters and a narrative as hard-hitting and fast-paced as the team itself, Boys Will Be Boys immortalizes the most beloved -- and despised --dynasty in NFL history.

Customer Rating:
Summary: Not quite a Super Bowl caliber effort
Comment: This is a pretty entertaining book, but throughout reading it I kept feeling like it could have been better. I can't exactly put my finger on it, but I think fundamentally the book just lacks a certain storytelling quality. It dumps a lot of sensational story lines and episodes on the reader, but it failed to make me feel like I was being told the stories in a high quality manner.

Frankly, without the bizarre Charles Haley stories, I doubt this book would get much attention at all. I heard about it on sports radio and the Haley craziness was the focus of the discussion. The more central stories about Jerry Jones, Jimmy Johnson, Michael Irvin, Switzer, et al were OK, but they left me feeling like they were repetitive and possibly exaggerated a little.

In any event, if you have an interest in the Cowboys or in weirdness in pro sports, you'll probably find this book fairly entertaining despite some flaws.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Funny enough
Comment: Did you know that the alternate title to this piece was "How to do Coke and Act Normal"? I know, pretty cool huh?

I liked the book so much that I set it on fire and prayed to the great Nate Newton's a$$. Dolla dolla tip!

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Must for any football fan
Comment: Jeff Pearlman, author of a terrific Barry Bonds biography and a book about the 1986 Mets, does a great job of profiling the 1990s Dallas Cowboys. Even if(like me) you hate the Cowboys you should read the book. The characters are far more interesting than in any work of fiction, from the extremely promiscuous Michael Irvin to the square Troy Aikman to heartless but effective coach Jimmy Johnson. This is the best sports book of 2008.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Boys will be Boys
Comment: Pretty good synopsis of the High Flying Cowboys of the 90"s. I felt it was a little disjointed in parts. If you aren't a faithful follower of the Cowboys, you might not understand some of the references. Also, since he brings up Troy Aikman's sexuality, it might have been nice to follow it up with the facts relating to his marriage.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Highly readable tale of the 90's Cowboy dynasty
Comment: Great job by the young writer Jeff Pearlman. Following up on the equally readable "The Bad Guys Won", Pearlman writes a lengthy (thanks, Jeff!) description of the Dallas Cowboys team that won three Super Bowls in four years in the early to mid 90's. Great stuff! Pearlman tells the whole tale: both the good and the bad. And there was a lot of bad. Drug use, prostition, violence, backstabbing, jealousy, and untold other personal failings eventually ruined the team owned by Jerry Jones.

Nothing can take away the three Super Bowl rings owned by Hall of Famers Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith, and Michael Irvin. Let this terrific book stand as testament to the greatness if the Cowboys, as well as their many foibles. Highly recommended for sports fans!

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