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Kingdom Quarterback: Patrick Mahomes, the Kansas City Chiefs, and How a Once Swingin' Cow Town Chased the Ultimate Comeback
Fresh off of a gutsy, thrilling 2023 Super Bowl win for the Kansas City Chiefs, two inspiring stories that fit perfectly together—a biography of superstar quarterback, Patrick Mahomes, who brought the Chiefs to their first Super Bowl win in fifty years in 2020 as well as a second in 2023, along with the historical struggles and recent resurgence of the former “Paris of the Plains,� Kansas City.
There is nobody like Patrick Mahomes.
In three seasons, he has won a Super Bowl and competed in another, earned the titles of First Team All-Pro, NFL Offensive Player of the Year, and league MVP, and turned the Kansas City Chiefs from famed playoff failures into the most successful team in the NFL. With his unique and groundbreaking playing style, and winning personality both on and off the field, Mahomes has become a truly transcendent quarterback in a journey that mirrors and accentuates the rebirth of the once swingin� cow town of Kansas City, Missouri.
Once an adventure-filled jazz epicenter and nightlife hub to rival New Orleans, Kansas City’s wild edges and captivating neighborhoods were snuffed out in pursuit of a suburbanized dream that largely left out people of color. It’s been a long road attempting to move past the scars of segregation and overcome the city’s flyover reputation, but Kansas City is now poised to make a comeback, and no other person or team embodies that hope like Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs. Kansas City and Mahomes represent the story of the midwestern American city—how they grew, how they shaped the country, how the sport of football came to mean so much to them, how they failed, and how they are changing.
Kansas City–area natives Mark Dent and Rustin Dodd have written for outlets such as The New York Times, The Kansas City Star , and Texas Monthly, bringing their deep connection to the city, football expertise, and polished writing skills to create a serious book about a very entertaining subject—the rebirth of a city, a team’s triumph, and how Patrick Mahomes, and the team he led, were exactly what was needed to bring Kansas City back together again.
There is nobody like Patrick Mahomes.
In three seasons, he has won a Super Bowl and competed in another, earned the titles of First Team All-Pro, NFL Offensive Player of the Year, and league MVP, and turned the Kansas City Chiefs from famed playoff failures into the most successful team in the NFL. With his unique and groundbreaking playing style, and winning personality both on and off the field, Mahomes has become a truly transcendent quarterback in a journey that mirrors and accentuates the rebirth of the once swingin� cow town of Kansas City, Missouri.
Once an adventure-filled jazz epicenter and nightlife hub to rival New Orleans, Kansas City’s wild edges and captivating neighborhoods were snuffed out in pursuit of a suburbanized dream that largely left out people of color. It’s been a long road attempting to move past the scars of segregation and overcome the city’s flyover reputation, but Kansas City is now poised to make a comeback, and no other person or team embodies that hope like Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs. Kansas City and Mahomes represent the story of the midwestern American city—how they grew, how they shaped the country, how the sport of football came to mean so much to them, how they failed, and how they are changing.
Kansas City–area natives Mark Dent and Rustin Dodd have written for outlets such as The New York Times, The Kansas City Star , and Texas Monthly, bringing their deep connection to the city, football expertise, and polished writing skills to create a serious book about a very entertaining subject—the rebirth of a city, a team’s triumph, and how Patrick Mahomes, and the team he led, were exactly what was needed to bring Kansas City back together again.
400 pages, Hardcover
Published August 22, 2023
51 people are currently reading
281 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 74 reviews
December 14, 2023
I generally love books that alternate the history of a sports team with the history of their city. One of my favorites is "The Ones Who Hit The Hardest" about Pittsburgh through the mold of the Steelers-Cowboys rivalry in the 70s. This was a decent book and definitely exposed the issues Kansas City has been through and made for itself with its history of segregation and racism. The authors avoid trying to tell a feel good story and note the battle is far from over. But they do point to the sudden rise of the Chiefs in putting Kansas City from and center in the American Experience and that is a very interesting thing.
September 28, 2023
Awesome history of a great city paired with the quarterback that changed everything. They need to add an addendum for the Taylor Swift chapter
October 9, 2023
Had this one on my list since I first heard about it. Enjoyed the format with alternating chapters about Mahomes and how Kansas City came to be. Learned a ton of new information about KC and the Nichols empire.
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March 27, 2025The citizens of Chicago, Illinois were united when Micheal Jordan ruled the basketball courts and when the Bear’s rolled over all comers in 1985. Team Sports do provide a unique commonality for the city, school, or university they represent. Rooting for the home team is as American as apple pie.
The Authors run parallel tracks comparing she early days of Kansas City as it grew from nothing to 27th largest metropolitan population the United States today. The authors described the growing pains of a new city as early leaders brought their industry, motivations, schemes, and biases to make a new community work - then comes cultural diFferences with good and not so good attempts to regulate and control the housing of those”who were different� which served to negate what early leaders hoped wold be a safe and calm city.
Along come the Kansas City Chiefs and the American Football League (AFL) and with early success began to create a surge of pride Kansas City and the subsequent interest as people desired to move and raise their families there. The Chiefs began to stagnate and so did the city.
Until Patrick Mahomes arrived on scene and lifted the community with his MVP and Super Bowl success. The authors thoroughly examined Patrick Mahomes� childhood, college career, entry into the National Football League (NFL), and his commitment to racial equity.
The authors show the reader that Patrick Mahomes is much more than a great quarterback. You will always look a him in a different (positive) perception after reading this book.
The Authors run parallel tracks comparing she early days of Kansas City as it grew from nothing to 27th largest metropolitan population the United States today. The authors described the growing pains of a new city as early leaders brought their industry, motivations, schemes, and biases to make a new community work - then comes cultural diFferences with good and not so good attempts to regulate and control the housing of those”who were different� which served to negate what early leaders hoped wold be a safe and calm city.
Along come the Kansas City Chiefs and the American Football League (AFL) and with early success began to create a surge of pride Kansas City and the subsequent interest as people desired to move and raise their families there. The Chiefs began to stagnate and so did the city.
Until Patrick Mahomes arrived on scene and lifted the community with his MVP and Super Bowl success. The authors thoroughly examined Patrick Mahomes� childhood, college career, entry into the National Football League (NFL), and his commitment to racial equity.
The authors show the reader that Patrick Mahomes is much more than a great quarterback. You will always look a him in a different (positive) perception after reading this book.
October 22, 2023
This book was not what I expected it to be. It was a really interesting dual perspective of the rise of Pat Mahomes as a football player and the rise of Kansas City as a town. I don't know that the connection was necessarily all that strong at times but I still found learning about the structural racism inherent in the city's housing development extremely insightful and important. Reliving the last few years of Kansas City football was great too. Like I said, whether the connection between the two always worked? I can't really say much to that. But it was an interesting attempt and a book I enjoyed.
September 4, 2024
I really liked the dual narratives of the history of Kansas City and the history of the Chiefs. I learned a lot about the city I grew up next to and it was great to relive all the Patrick Mahomes plays I have watched on TV. The history of this city is complicated and a little dirty but it is hopefully continuing to evolve into something better. I wouldn't have read a book just about KC so it was good to lure me in with Chiefs talk and I learned more about that franchise as well. Definitely recommend.
January 2, 2024
Interesting account of Kansas City history, the city's history with racism, and a generational football talent's rise to stardom. I like the positive idea that an exceptional player like Mahomes can help bring about societal change in a city, but oftentimes, reality is more complicated. The book is well-researched. However, some of the anecdotes don't smoothly tie into either storyline, which makes them feel like filler. And I'm not sure about lumping Joe Montana in with the 49er "retreads." I remember Kansas City was pretty excited to have the Hall of Famer in town, and he played well for the Chiefs.
January 27, 2024
I thought this was going to be a fairly conventional football book, but at least half the book is a history of racial housing discrimination and the history of Kansas City, the latter of which I had certainly never cared about before reading. It's a stronger book for doing that, but probably a surprise to many who will pick it up, based on the marketing.
September 5, 2023
This book RIPS.
February 27, 2024
Compelling biographies of Patrick Mahomes, the Chiefs, and Kansas City. The history of KC is well told, from the redlining and suburban development and history of segregation to the current housing and racial issues. They explain in detail why KC is in both Kansas and Missouri and the issues that has caused. Also a reminder that Mahomes brilliant and truly one of a kind.
April 2, 2024
Tracks pretty much with my KC childhood & my ever-growing love of the Chiefs, Patrick Mahomes, & detailed civic history exposing the why things are the way they are. Top notch sports & civic reporting!
“If it is not clear already, this book is two stories: It is the story of Kansas City and the story of Patrick Mahomes, it’s quarterback. If you are a reasonable person, you may believe there are limits to what a superstar quarterback can mean to a city. Peyton Manning, after all, did not cause Fortune 500 companies to fly to Indianapolis, and while Aaron Rodgers may have been extraordinary on the field, Green Bay is still Green Bay. That’s true from a literal perspective, of course, but cities are more than a ranking of GDP or population. they are living, breathing organisms � a source of cultural and metaphysical energy, a place to work and live and find a community, an idea that becomes an identity.� P.9
“You passed between Candace in Missouri and never noticed, much less care, which state you were in. As the actor and tour guide Timothy “Speed� Levitch once put it, “Kansas City is, therefore, a city of boundary-disillusion; a place where the biggest border has almost no significance or visibility throughout the average day.�
If a New York cab driver were to ask Paul Rudd where he is from, he would simply say “Kansas City,� and if the cabbie happened to know his geography and asked the pertinent follow-hp...well, they have a conversation on their hands. Kansas City is open and free and always in the middle of something: in the middle of two states, in the middle of the country. But the downside to having no boundaries means people often have questions or doubts. Nobody knows exactly where you are and what you are.� P.22
“How could a neighborhood be permanent? The problem with his first development, Nichols realized, was a lack of control. Cities were unpredictable. Apartments could rise next to houses. Grocery stores could pop up on street corners. A new neighbor might raise chickens. As a subdivider and community builder, Nichols pretty much had power over only the first sale of a lot to a homeowner, who could build just about any type of house they wanted on their land. Then that person could sell to anyone, who could sell to somebody else, who could sell to somebody else. There is no telling who might buy a house in the future, and there were limitless ways for a neighborhood to evolve at the whim of Pendergast’s Kansas City, which even the standards of an American city was wild and chaotic, particularly in the eyes of a foreign boy who preferred less green lawns and songbirds to jazz, booze, and concrete.� P.80
�...Wilkin’s time in Kansas City left him convinced that the city was a symbol of the entire United States. The difference was he saw the countries worst influences flowing inward and outward, making Kansas City deserving of a different nickname: “The Hard Heart of America.� P.99
“If it is not clear already, this book is two stories: It is the story of Kansas City and the story of Patrick Mahomes, it’s quarterback. If you are a reasonable person, you may believe there are limits to what a superstar quarterback can mean to a city. Peyton Manning, after all, did not cause Fortune 500 companies to fly to Indianapolis, and while Aaron Rodgers may have been extraordinary on the field, Green Bay is still Green Bay. That’s true from a literal perspective, of course, but cities are more than a ranking of GDP or population. they are living, breathing organisms � a source of cultural and metaphysical energy, a place to work and live and find a community, an idea that becomes an identity.� P.9
“You passed between Candace in Missouri and never noticed, much less care, which state you were in. As the actor and tour guide Timothy “Speed� Levitch once put it, “Kansas City is, therefore, a city of boundary-disillusion; a place where the biggest border has almost no significance or visibility throughout the average day.�
If a New York cab driver were to ask Paul Rudd where he is from, he would simply say “Kansas City,� and if the cabbie happened to know his geography and asked the pertinent follow-hp...well, they have a conversation on their hands. Kansas City is open and free and always in the middle of something: in the middle of two states, in the middle of the country. But the downside to having no boundaries means people often have questions or doubts. Nobody knows exactly where you are and what you are.� P.22
“How could a neighborhood be permanent? The problem with his first development, Nichols realized, was a lack of control. Cities were unpredictable. Apartments could rise next to houses. Grocery stores could pop up on street corners. A new neighbor might raise chickens. As a subdivider and community builder, Nichols pretty much had power over only the first sale of a lot to a homeowner, who could build just about any type of house they wanted on their land. Then that person could sell to anyone, who could sell to somebody else, who could sell to somebody else. There is no telling who might buy a house in the future, and there were limitless ways for a neighborhood to evolve at the whim of Pendergast’s Kansas City, which even the standards of an American city was wild and chaotic, particularly in the eyes of a foreign boy who preferred less green lawns and songbirds to jazz, booze, and concrete.� P.80
�...Wilkin’s time in Kansas City left him convinced that the city was a symbol of the entire United States. The difference was he saw the countries worst influences flowing inward and outward, making Kansas City deserving of a different nickname: “The Hard Heart of America.� P.99
August 31, 2023
Enjoyable (and surprisingly informative) read that intertwines Kansas City history (with a focus on racism tensions) and the rise of Pat Mahomes / the Chiefs.
I didn’t really know anything about KC, but it has a pretty rich history. Among the things I didn’t know:
- its (predominantly white) suburbs predated Levittown, and their creator (Nichols) is sort of like a Robert Moses figure in the west (did a ton of building, but with problematic racial implications and with too much emphasis on highways)
- state line road goes right through the city and splits the Kansas / Missouri sides
- a lot of prominent east coasters moved there in the 19th century with the hope of creating a prominent city modeled after European ones. The suburban development kind of killed that idea, but downtown is having a resurgence on the heels of the Chiefs� success
- Paul Rudd is from there (on the Kansas side)
Not much new on Mahomes, but I could read about him all day. He’s just such an athletic and psychological freak of nature and more importantly seems like such a solid guy. Legend has it that he hit a baseball 382 feet once while in middle school, and he turned down a few million dollars signing bonus from the Pittsburgh Pirates coming out of high school so he could play football at Texas Tech. And some family members thought basketball was actually his best sport.
Interestingly enough, he’s not that fast. His combine 40 wasn’t much faster than Peyton’s. But he can run backwards 90% as fast as he can run forwards (crazy), his in game speeds are just about as fast as his pure sprint speed, his coordination and intuition are unmatched, he has exceptional lateral / circular movement, etc� Basically his pure sprint speed doesn’t tell the story of how fast he moves during football games.
I also listened to a podcast with his trainer (inspired by this book) who said that his Whoop strain score on game days surpasses 20 (out of 21). Kinda crazy that it gets so high when a casual observer thinks that a quarterback doesn’t move around too much. I haven’t surpassed 18 since college, even when it feels like I’m moving around all day!
I didn’t really know anything about KC, but it has a pretty rich history. Among the things I didn’t know:
- its (predominantly white) suburbs predated Levittown, and their creator (Nichols) is sort of like a Robert Moses figure in the west (did a ton of building, but with problematic racial implications and with too much emphasis on highways)
- state line road goes right through the city and splits the Kansas / Missouri sides
- a lot of prominent east coasters moved there in the 19th century with the hope of creating a prominent city modeled after European ones. The suburban development kind of killed that idea, but downtown is having a resurgence on the heels of the Chiefs� success
- Paul Rudd is from there (on the Kansas side)
Not much new on Mahomes, but I could read about him all day. He’s just such an athletic and psychological freak of nature and more importantly seems like such a solid guy. Legend has it that he hit a baseball 382 feet once while in middle school, and he turned down a few million dollars signing bonus from the Pittsburgh Pirates coming out of high school so he could play football at Texas Tech. And some family members thought basketball was actually his best sport.
Interestingly enough, he’s not that fast. His combine 40 wasn’t much faster than Peyton’s. But he can run backwards 90% as fast as he can run forwards (crazy), his in game speeds are just about as fast as his pure sprint speed, his coordination and intuition are unmatched, he has exceptional lateral / circular movement, etc� Basically his pure sprint speed doesn’t tell the story of how fast he moves during football games.
I also listened to a podcast with his trainer (inspired by this book) who said that his Whoop strain score on game days surpasses 20 (out of 21). Kinda crazy that it gets so high when a casual observer thinks that a quarterback doesn’t move around too much. I haven’t surpassed 18 since college, even when it feels like I’m moving around all day!
September 22, 2023
Two separate stories, essentially, that are semi-arbitrarily linked but mostly feel pretty separate. The more interesting story, to me, is about Kansas City's growth and its sense of itself as the model for not just midwest metropolises ("everything's up to date in Kansas City," etc.) but suburbs all over the country. I didn't know that city planner J.C Nichols essentially innovated both the planned suburb and the restrictive covenant that kept the 'burbs white for decades. Seeing civil-rights agitation both collude and conflict with civic boosterism creates a tension that resounds through the decades and that hasn't ended. There isn't much real interplay with the sports material here, aside from the fact that Pat Mahomes couldn't have bought his house half a century ago and that, in the wake of George Floyd's murder, he recorded a pro-BLM spot.
But in general the KC story and the Mahomes story coincide only sporadically; certainly, the Chiefs' picking the league's best QB didn't cause the city's determine to renew itself, which was already afoot. In essence, the parts about Mahomes don't feel appreciably different from what I already knew about him from articles and the Netflix Quarterback series, though I guess it's good to know that lots of people have thought he sounds like Kermit the Frog for years. In general, the portrait is the same we already knew: incredibly competitive and confident, good guy and great teammate from most accounts, specializes in off-platform throws that he learned playing baseball and basketball...uh, trains hard and has a photographic memory. For me, the gold standard in the sports-and-society genre is still Friday Night Lights, with Playing Through the Whistle and maybe Muck City a strong second and third. Interesting that I can't think of a baseball book that compares; I suppose The City Game should be in there somewhere, though I'd need to reread to make sure.
But in general the KC story and the Mahomes story coincide only sporadically; certainly, the Chiefs' picking the league's best QB didn't cause the city's determine to renew itself, which was already afoot. In essence, the parts about Mahomes don't feel appreciably different from what I already knew about him from articles and the Netflix Quarterback series, though I guess it's good to know that lots of people have thought he sounds like Kermit the Frog for years. In general, the portrait is the same we already knew: incredibly competitive and confident, good guy and great teammate from most accounts, specializes in off-platform throws that he learned playing baseball and basketball...uh, trains hard and has a photographic memory. For me, the gold standard in the sports-and-society genre is still Friday Night Lights, with Playing Through the Whistle and maybe Muck City a strong second and third. Interesting that I can't think of a baseball book that compares; I suppose The City Game should be in there somewhere, though I'd need to reread to make sure.
December 8, 2023
The thing that is special about this book is the deliberate contrasts between yesterday and today. Using the Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes to highlight those contrasts is remarkable.
It’s really two intertwined stories. It’s the history of Kansas City going back to times before Missouri and Kansas. Among other things, it explores the story behind the confusing name and the dichotomy of a state border running across the entire metro area.
It’s also the history of the Kansas City Chiefs who were named for white mayor Roe Bartle who was nicknamed “Chief.� Lamar Hunt brought the football team to Kansas City from Dallas, Texas; future Hall of Famer Len Dawson was already quarterback when they got here in 1963.
Patrick Mahomes is Chiefs quarterback sixty years later, and he’s likely the reason you picked up this book. His boyhood, family, athleticism, and magnetic personality are all chronicled here, and fans will love it. His ascendance has been magical and there are a lot of fun details for all. You won’t be disappointed.
Short-term is Pat Mahomes, mid-term is Kansas City Chiefs, long-term is Tom Pendergast and J.C. Nichols. It’s the often-abrupt transitions between these eras that make this book so interesting. One minute you are reading about the genial race relations in Tyler, Texas and the Mahomes family, the next about deed restrictions on the Plaza, or in Kansas City’s finer neighborhoods.
Along the way, you’ll uncover some fascinating tidbits about the city, the sport, and the undeniably appealing quarterback who brought winning back to Kansas City. This book is carefully researched and craftily written.
Sometimes a wise old grandpa tells a memorable story, and it’s only later that you realize that there was a lesson in there. I think these writers knew that Patrick Mahomes was the great story for delivering some important local history. Like grandpa, I think maybe they did it on purpose.
It’s really two intertwined stories. It’s the history of Kansas City going back to times before Missouri and Kansas. Among other things, it explores the story behind the confusing name and the dichotomy of a state border running across the entire metro area.
It’s also the history of the Kansas City Chiefs who were named for white mayor Roe Bartle who was nicknamed “Chief.� Lamar Hunt brought the football team to Kansas City from Dallas, Texas; future Hall of Famer Len Dawson was already quarterback when they got here in 1963.
Patrick Mahomes is Chiefs quarterback sixty years later, and he’s likely the reason you picked up this book. His boyhood, family, athleticism, and magnetic personality are all chronicled here, and fans will love it. His ascendance has been magical and there are a lot of fun details for all. You won’t be disappointed.
Short-term is Pat Mahomes, mid-term is Kansas City Chiefs, long-term is Tom Pendergast and J.C. Nichols. It’s the often-abrupt transitions between these eras that make this book so interesting. One minute you are reading about the genial race relations in Tyler, Texas and the Mahomes family, the next about deed restrictions on the Plaza, or in Kansas City’s finer neighborhoods.
Along the way, you’ll uncover some fascinating tidbits about the city, the sport, and the undeniably appealing quarterback who brought winning back to Kansas City. This book is carefully researched and craftily written.
Sometimes a wise old grandpa tells a memorable story, and it’s only later that you realize that there was a lesson in there. I think these writers knew that Patrick Mahomes was the great story for delivering some important local history. Like grandpa, I think maybe they did it on purpose.
February 29, 2024
This is two books on one - and the books don't quite come together. One book on the history and development of Kansas City, from its frontier days, through its rise as cattle town to urban decay in the late 20th century to modern attempts at revival. The key person to note is real estate developer J. C. Nichols who helped pioneer racially exclusive middle class housing - and served as a model for similar housing patterns across the nation.
The other book is on the Kansas City Chiefs, and their burgeoning glory run with Patrick Mahomes. (In fact, my library has this book listed in the Dewey Decimal system as "921 MAHOMES" - a biography of the QB. It's a decent job telling his story and the team's story. Both ends of the book are good - but .. .. the connection is spotty.
At times, the book veers into arguing that the arrival of Mahomes has revived the city. It doesn't quite fall into that trap, but it sure comes close. The team brings good feeling, granted. But the old sports cliche of a team reviving a town is a lame one that typically exists to overlook so many other factors. No, the authors just miss that trap - but that just means there isn't much connnective tissue to their halves of the book.
It's a lot like a book I read last year, Boomtown on Oklahoma City and the Thunder's attempt at a championship. That was more compelling as the author looked at the team, got to hang out with the guy from The Flaming Lips, noted a famous local weatherman - and so much happened that year, from the weatherman's career ending with a massive storm, and the unveiling of a 100-year-old time capsule from some of the city's founders. This book? Too much leaned into familiar game recaps.
It's not a bad book. I'm glad I read it. But it's reach exceeds it's grasp, that's for sure.
The other book is on the Kansas City Chiefs, and their burgeoning glory run with Patrick Mahomes. (In fact, my library has this book listed in the Dewey Decimal system as "921 MAHOMES" - a biography of the QB. It's a decent job telling his story and the team's story. Both ends of the book are good - but .. .. the connection is spotty.
At times, the book veers into arguing that the arrival of Mahomes has revived the city. It doesn't quite fall into that trap, but it sure comes close. The team brings good feeling, granted. But the old sports cliche of a team reviving a town is a lame one that typically exists to overlook so many other factors. No, the authors just miss that trap - but that just means there isn't much connnective tissue to their halves of the book.
It's a lot like a book I read last year, Boomtown on Oklahoma City and the Thunder's attempt at a championship. That was more compelling as the author looked at the team, got to hang out with the guy from The Flaming Lips, noted a famous local weatherman - and so much happened that year, from the weatherman's career ending with a massive storm, and the unveiling of a 100-year-old time capsule from some of the city's founders. This book? Too much leaned into familiar game recaps.
It's not a bad book. I'm glad I read it. But it's reach exceeds it's grasp, that's for sure.
November 25, 2023
I think I have a thing for books like this and want to read more of them.
I visited Kansas City twice. It was fine. Unmemorable. I mean, I didn’t dislike it. I just didn’t get a good grasp for it.
And I don’t think I have an east coast snob’s bias against midwestern cities. I enjoyed my time in Cincinnati and Indianapolis respectively. I just didn’t find much going on in KC outside of great barbecue and the excellent Negro League Hall of Fame.
But as Patrick Mahomes has turned the Kansas City Chiefs into the center of the football universe, I was fascinated with the notion of a book that looks at the rise of his career vis-a-vis the history (good and bad) of Kansas City. With all of the good reviews it received, I couldn’t resist.
Yeah I loved it.
It does a great job covering Mahomes� rise and the Chiefs ascension but what the writers excel at is how it links KC history with all of that. I learned a lot about buildings and development but the meat of it focuses on Kansas City’s predictably racist housing patterns and highway building, its devastation of a vibrant Black middle class and culture, and the impact of how it all lingers. When I read about someone like Mahomes or Paul Rudd being in a particular place in a particular moment, it was enlightening to see the connections.
And as someone who has lived his entire life in or around American cities, I’ve always been partial to their histories and what makes them unique because it helps us understand them today.
You have to have similarly competent writers like this book did but it worked here and I enjoyed it.
I visited Kansas City twice. It was fine. Unmemorable. I mean, I didn’t dislike it. I just didn’t get a good grasp for it.
And I don’t think I have an east coast snob’s bias against midwestern cities. I enjoyed my time in Cincinnati and Indianapolis respectively. I just didn’t find much going on in KC outside of great barbecue and the excellent Negro League Hall of Fame.
But as Patrick Mahomes has turned the Kansas City Chiefs into the center of the football universe, I was fascinated with the notion of a book that looks at the rise of his career vis-a-vis the history (good and bad) of Kansas City. With all of the good reviews it received, I couldn’t resist.
Yeah I loved it.
It does a great job covering Mahomes� rise and the Chiefs ascension but what the writers excel at is how it links KC history with all of that. I learned a lot about buildings and development but the meat of it focuses on Kansas City’s predictably racist housing patterns and highway building, its devastation of a vibrant Black middle class and culture, and the impact of how it all lingers. When I read about someone like Mahomes or Paul Rudd being in a particular place in a particular moment, it was enlightening to see the connections.
And as someone who has lived his entire life in or around American cities, I’ve always been partial to their histories and what makes them unique because it helps us understand them today.
You have to have similarly competent writers like this book did but it worked here and I enjoyed it.
November 3, 2023
This is a PHENAWESOMAL contribution not only to sports biographies but, surprisingly, to the Humanities fields of Local History (Kansas City) and Sociology nationally in the United States. The easily accessed documentation of the insidious process J.C. Nichols piloted, in the form of self-perpetuating, brutally racist racial covenants, is at once illuminating, maddening, and desperately sad. Nichols "discovered" a process of racial segregation that he later "uploaded" to the Home Owners Loan Corporation and the Federal Housing Authority; the Post-War history of the segregated United States is a result, as is wealth accumulation to whites and the significant barrier of social class advancement (the "American Dream") for many black and Hispanic Americans.
Co-Author Rustin Dodd (why is he not listed here?) accepted an invitation to visit my Sociology classroom and was a brilliant addition to our understanding of the formal, and legal, redlining process undertaken in the 1900s through the 1960s. The De Jure legal process then fundamentally informed the De Facto wealth gaps we see today, and my students benefitted tremendously from Mr. Dodd's contributions to their understanding.
If I could give this book 7 stars out of five, I would; It's in my top five of non-fiction for my 51 years. While the fact that I'm a lifelong Chiefs fan doesn't hurt, I firmly believe the story is one of the US and not just a niche bio of the next NFL G.O.A.T.
Thanks for reading!
Co-Author Rustin Dodd (why is he not listed here?) accepted an invitation to visit my Sociology classroom and was a brilliant addition to our understanding of the formal, and legal, redlining process undertaken in the 1900s through the 1960s. The De Jure legal process then fundamentally informed the De Facto wealth gaps we see today, and my students benefitted tremendously from Mr. Dodd's contributions to their understanding.
If I could give this book 7 stars out of five, I would; It's in my top five of non-fiction for my 51 years. While the fact that I'm a lifelong Chiefs fan doesn't hurt, I firmly believe the story is one of the US and not just a niche bio of the next NFL G.O.A.T.
Thanks for reading!
August 22, 2023
I am a Kansas City native and "Kingdom Quarterback: Patrick Mahomes, the Kansas City Chiefs, and How a Once Swingin' Cow Town Chased the Ultimate Comeback" by Mark Dent and Rustin Dodd is my book Super Bowl.
Any Kansas Citian will tell you how much they love their hometown, their hometown sports, and how close the city is to being something great.
And according to the book, it's always been that way.
The writing jumps between the history of Kansas City (from its founding to present) and the up-and-down saga that is the Kansas City Chiefs. It takes that feeling of being on the brink of something great throughout the history of the city, and makes Patrick Mahomes and the current Chiefs that something great.
If you're not a football fan, this book might not be your jam. But if you want to once again feel the rush of the 13 second game or of winning the first Super Bowl in half a century, this is your book.
Plus, I learned a lot about my city. Do you know how hard it is to explain the difference between Kansas City, Missouri, and Kansas City, Kansas? I now know why both exist and have the perfect book chapter to show anyone who tells me I'm from Kansas (yes, I live on the Missouri side).
Stars: 4/5
Busy Girls Rating: 3/5
Thank you to Penguin Group Dutton and NetGalley for the advanced copy. It made this Kansas City heart so happy. Go Chiefs!
KB
Any Kansas Citian will tell you how much they love their hometown, their hometown sports, and how close the city is to being something great.
And according to the book, it's always been that way.
The writing jumps between the history of Kansas City (from its founding to present) and the up-and-down saga that is the Kansas City Chiefs. It takes that feeling of being on the brink of something great throughout the history of the city, and makes Patrick Mahomes and the current Chiefs that something great.
If you're not a football fan, this book might not be your jam. But if you want to once again feel the rush of the 13 second game or of winning the first Super Bowl in half a century, this is your book.
Plus, I learned a lot about my city. Do you know how hard it is to explain the difference between Kansas City, Missouri, and Kansas City, Kansas? I now know why both exist and have the perfect book chapter to show anyone who tells me I'm from Kansas (yes, I live on the Missouri side).
Stars: 4/5
Busy Girls Rating: 3/5
Thank you to Penguin Group Dutton and NetGalley for the advanced copy. It made this Kansas City heart so happy. Go Chiefs!
KB
December 7, 2023
The Chiefs fan in me was drawn to this book and it was fun to relive the dawn of a new football era in the Paris of the Plains. Patrick Mahomes is a very special talent. I am no football expert and even I could see that from the beginning of the 2018-19 football season. We do have a unique football culture of our own with "Red Friday" and the good-natured camaraderie of "Go, Chiefs!" shared around town all season. This book also explores the origins of our Cow Town and the impact J.C. Nichols and his deplorable redlining practices have had on the city layout and opportunities. What I found interesting is that our first Africa American mayor Emmanuel Cleaver III (1991-1999) was mentioned in just one sentence on page 182 as a part of the Hyatt disaster narrative. If they left Cleaver out of the story, what else did they neglect to include?
Another title that explores the subject of redlining in KC is .
Another title that explores the subject of redlining in KC is .
February 17, 2024
I really enjoyed reading this captivating book that explores the transformation of Kansas City, especially with the impact of a groundbreaking black quarterback. The story skillfully unfolds the narrative of J.C. Nichols, a notable real estate figure, explaining how his housing regulations unfortunately worsened the challenges of segregation. The book takes a close look at the effects of redlining on black communities, emphasizing the impact of a major highway, which created hurdles for them to build wealth through homeownership.
Initially attracted to the book because of Patrick Mahomes, I was engrossed in the intertwined stories of sports and the rich history of Kansas City. The seamless integration of these two elements was truly fascinating and demonstrated a collaborative effort that contributed to the city's improvement. The book excels in highlighting the interconnected stories of Kansas City and its beloved Chiefs, illustrating the various ways in which they are intertwined.
Undoubtedly, this book provides a captivating journey into the heart of Kansas City's history, offering a compelling narrative that beautifully combines the worlds of sports and urban evolution. A truly fascinating read!
Initially attracted to the book because of Patrick Mahomes, I was engrossed in the intertwined stories of sports and the rich history of Kansas City. The seamless integration of these two elements was truly fascinating and demonstrated a collaborative effort that contributed to the city's improvement. The book excels in highlighting the interconnected stories of Kansas City and its beloved Chiefs, illustrating the various ways in which they are intertwined.
Undoubtedly, this book provides a captivating journey into the heart of Kansas City's history, offering a compelling narrative that beautifully combines the worlds of sports and urban evolution. A truly fascinating read!
December 31, 2024
So this book has multiple personalities. I was expecting a book about Patrick Mahomes and the rise of the Chiefs. And that is in there to an extent. But the majority of the book is the history of Kansas City and its complicated racial history. (That's putting it nicely.) For over a century people of color have had a hard go of it in the city. Through things like redlining and neighborhood covenants, black people weren't allowed to buy into new neighborhoods as people left the city for the suburbs. Now this isn't the only place where things like this happened. Levittown on Long Island and Pennsylvania is known for it. Similar things happened in Detroit and other areas around the country after World War II. But Kansas City made a more or less masterclass on the subject. They placed parks and freeways between areas to keep them segregated so that even after they could no longer officially on paper keep Negros out for all intents and purposes they still worked for decades. Even today a lot of the communities are still over 90% white.
This is by no means a bad book. It's full of a lot of information, especially if you've never been exposed to the underside of our country. It's just not at all what I expected when I picked it up at the library.
This is by no means a bad book. It's full of a lot of information, especially if you've never been exposed to the underside of our country. It's just not at all what I expected when I picked it up at the library.
January 20, 2025
A really good book on not just the KC Chief, not just Patrick Mahomes, but instead all of KC since it became a city. The book goes back and forth between two stories - one about the city itself from around 1890 to present day, and another story about Mahomes growing up, becoming the quarterback and Texas Tech, to being drafted by the Chiefs, waiting in the wings while Alex Smith tutored him his first year, to his Super Bowl and playoff wins (the book came out about a year ago, so it doesn't include the 2023 season and 2024 Super Bowl win against the 49ers. Although I don't like the Chiefs because I'm a Raiders fan, I did enjoy the city of KC a ton when I went in 2022 and I have nothing against Mahomes aside from the fact I think the refs protect him too much with calls. He seems like a really solid person. So this book was good, but not great as the parts about the city were so-so. I wish there was more about places and parts of KC I had visited I guess. This book wasn't quite as good as a book with a similar idea -- the "Ones that hit the hardest" by Chad Milman and Shawn Coyle about the 1970's Steelers and Cowboys and the towns they represented. Still the best book I've read about Mahomes or the Chiefs.
January 9, 2024
Wow, I loved this book. It expertly weaves the history of Kansas City from original cow town to today, when a black quarterback has helped to transform the city. There's a whole lot about how J.C. Nichols---a real estate magnate---singlehandedly exacerbated segregation by inserting restrictive covenants into all the housing subdivisions he created (mostly on the Kansas side, but also on the MO side). And running a major highway around and through KC, each in black neighborhoods---reducing even more the housing stock/increasing prices, etc. And how ramifications of that exist today (including depriving blacks of the ability to build wealth through home ownership). There's a whole lot about the early Chiefs days---including that Hank Stram was the first NFL coach to actively recruit black players, and the difficulty those players had even renting an apartment---let alone buying a home---in Kansas City during their playing days. And of course, there is a lot about Mahomes and what a super-human athlete he is and where that came from. It is exquisitely researched (references at end are about as long as book itself!) by two native Kansas City sports writers. Fabulous.
January 31, 2024
This book was way different than what I was expecting; much deeper and more thoughtful. This book was not really about Mahomes, but rather the focus was on Kansas City, specifically its racist past and how the Chiefs have revitalized pride and unity in the city. The Chiefs really do represent the hopes and dreams of the city, and for many decades the Chiefs have been unable to win a playoff game, let alone the Super Bowl. And then, with the arrival of Mahomes, not only have fans of the Chiefs had something to cheer for, but it has helped to bring healing and restoration to a city that has been plagued by neighborhood segregation for much of its history.
This book probably wouldn’t resonate with non-Kansas City residents, but for those who live in the city or have spent significant time there, this book holds special meaning and significance. It is an account of how the city has made strides toward unification over the past decade and how the Chiefs� success has helped heal the wounds, both psychological and relational, across the city.
This book probably wouldn’t resonate with non-Kansas City residents, but for those who live in the city or have spent significant time there, this book holds special meaning and significance. It is an account of how the city has made strides toward unification over the past decade and how the Chiefs� success has helped heal the wounds, both psychological and relational, across the city.
June 20, 2024
I thorougly enjoyed this book. It's not just a biograhpy about Mahomes or even the Chiefs, but a history of Kansas City itself and why the Chiefs are so integral to the fiber of the community. The Chiefs give the city and area something to collectively rally around when there is ample opportunity for division.
One of those divisions is racial. I was ignorant of the deep racial wounds KC has and the redlining that resulted from J.C. Nichols' housing covenants and HOA contracts. It seems that many of our nations issues rooted in the white flight to and devlopment of suburbia have their roots in Nichols' "ingenuity."
This review is 4 instead of 5 stars because the chapters are organized in a way that is a little jarring to read through subsequently. Each one focuses on something different, and jumping back and forth constantly between KC history, Chiefs istory, Mahomes' or Reid's life, etc.
One of those divisions is racial. I was ignorant of the deep racial wounds KC has and the redlining that resulted from J.C. Nichols' housing covenants and HOA contracts. It seems that many of our nations issues rooted in the white flight to and devlopment of suburbia have their roots in Nichols' "ingenuity."
This review is 4 instead of 5 stars because the chapters are organized in a way that is a little jarring to read through subsequently. Each one focuses on something different, and jumping back and forth constantly between KC history, Chiefs istory, Mahomes' or Reid's life, etc.
October 5, 2023
The history of a sports team is often inextricable from the history of the city/area the team calls home, and Kingdom Quarterback does a great job of telling the stories of Kansas City and its favorite team, the Chiefs, highlighting all the ways that they intersect. Unlike the rise of Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs� current dominance, KC’s history doesn’t have a fairy tale ending, and in this way we see how this Midwestern city that has always fought for respect nationally is a microcosm of America at large. The issues and successes live side by side in neighborhoods that made the city and the country what it is today, for better or worse. The Mahomes/Chiefs chapters are certainly more fun, but the heart of this book is in the history of Kansas City, and how it has grown to challenge its own past in order to make a more equitable future.
August 31, 2023
This book follows an interesting format, regularly switching between Kansas City history from the very beginning all the way to current day, and Patrick Mahomes/Chiefs history. I’m not sure the gimmick is actually a good one but I enjoyed both sides of the story enough that I’ll still stick with 5 stars. I knew a fair amount of KC history but learned a lot more, which was great. Being a KC resident but Packers fan, I didn’t know as much of the Chiefs stuff but also found that interesting.
Any KC or Chiefs fan will enjoy this read, as will anybody interested in history especially as it relates to residential development.
Any KC or Chiefs fan will enjoy this read, as will anybody interested in history especially as it relates to residential development.
March 29, 2024
The alternating between the history of Kansas City and the combined stories of Patrick Mahomes, the Chiefs, Andy Reid and others was really intriguing. The parallels of KC and the Chiefs are evident: promising beginnings plagued followed by long stretches of middling and mediocrity (with a great ordeal of highlighting understated forms of racial prejudice practices that has plagued America) only to see a concurrent resurgence with the arrival of the supernova that is Patrick Mahomes. Overall, a really good read about one of America’s most underrated cities and one of the best athletes and personas it has to offer.
April 13, 2024
I am not a football fan but I loved this book!
Although it definitely helped that we made a recent trip to Kansas City so I could place some of the landmarks, I am already busy recommending this book to friends with no links to America - let alone an interest in the Chiefs!
A fascinating look at the history of Kansas City, the NFL and Patrick Mahomes himself and an honest look at the negative impact Kansas City policies have had as well as the city’s spirit.
I hope lots of people pick up this book for whatever reason motivates them and they enjoy it as much as I did.
Although it definitely helped that we made a recent trip to Kansas City so I could place some of the landmarks, I am already busy recommending this book to friends with no links to America - let alone an interest in the Chiefs!
A fascinating look at the history of Kansas City, the NFL and Patrick Mahomes himself and an honest look at the negative impact Kansas City policies have had as well as the city’s spirit.
I hope lots of people pick up this book for whatever reason motivates them and they enjoy it as much as I did.
August 5, 2023
While the Chiefs are not "my" team (Go NY Giants!), they are one of my favorite teams to watch. I've seen them play live, and you can't help but root for Mahomes. I loved learning more about the town, franchise, and Mahomes. This book made me look forward to visiting the city again, as well as seeing another Chiefs game.
Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy, but I wasn't required to leave a positive review.
Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy, but I wasn't required to leave a positive review.
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