--- product_id: 484028296 title: "Monsters: The 1985 Chicago Bears and the Wild Heart of Football by Cohen, Rich (2013) Hardcover Hardcover" price: "$56.25" currency: USD in_stock: true reviews_count: 9 url: https://www.desertcart.us/products/484028296-monsters-the-1985-chicago-bears-and-the-wild-heart-football store_origin: US region: United States of America --- # Monsters: The 1985 Chicago Bears and the Wild Heart of Football by Cohen, Rich (2013) Hardcover Hardcover **Price:** $56.25 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Monsters: The 1985 Chicago Bears and the Wild Heart of Football by Cohen, Rich (2013) Hardcover Hardcover - **How much does it cost?** $56.25 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.us](https://www.desertcart.us/products/484028296-monsters-the-1985-chicago-bears-and-the-wild-heart-football) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description Full description not available ## Images ![Monsters: The 1985 Chicago Bears and the Wild Heart of Football by Cohen, Rich (2013) Hardcover Hardcover - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51U5p9Bn+mL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Rich Cohen Goes Above and Beyond *by P***K on Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on December 11, 2021* Within football lore, the 1985 Chicago Bears are spoken about in rarified air. Despite this, I have never really known much about the team and their historic run beyond the laundry list of notable NFL players and coaches that came from that ‘85 Bears team. I would attribute this to being born a decade and a half after “those” Bears played, but I have always had a fascination with that team, what made them so dominant, and the larger-than-life personalities. Labeled a “must-read” by NFL.com writer Chris Wesseling, Monsters: The 1985 Chicago Bears and the Wild Heart of Football fulfills all that fascination and more.Writing from the perspective of a beloving fan, Rich Cohen seamlessly intertwines his own perspective as a Chicagoan and Bears fan with interviews of players and coaches and commentary on the sport and its changes. The book takes on more than just telling the story of the 1985 Bears and its players. Cohen not only follows the stories of the unique individuals that made this team through anecdotes from players, coaches, and those close to the team, but he also provides the history of the game itself, including the evolution of offensive and defensive theory, strategy, and the politics of the sport. From the wild-card starting Quarterback Jim McMahon, to the hot-tempered Hall of Fame Head Coach Mike Ditka, and all the “Monsters of Midway” that comprised their vaunted defense, each member had a story to tell from their own perspective.In particular, Monsters provides never-before-heard stories of the contentious, to say the least, relationship between Coach Ditka and Jim McMahon which was a highlight of the book for me. Ditka was notoriously hard on quarterbacks, perpetually berating them on the sidelines for making mistakes and breaking them down. But McMahon was different. He truly embodied the “wild heart” of football and wooed over the city of Chicago with his heroic play. He was able to take the verbal abuse and funnel it through one ear and out the other. According to Cohen, the McCaskey’s, owners of the Chicago Bears and an original founder of the NFL, shared similar ideals with Ditka when it came to their players and having a personality, but McMahon was not afraid to give his opinion. Cohen recalls that when McMahon was asked what position his team should draft for in the 1986 draft, he replied “Owner” in reference to the McCaskey’s. However, the way McMahon played brought a life to the Bears offense that resulted in their one and only Super Bowl win, with Ditka describing his play as “a linebacker playing quarterback.”Cohen’s frank interviews of former players also reveal the ugly truths of life after the NFL. Cohen asks the question “What happens when you have a dream and that dream comes true?” For all those players and coaches on the 1985 Bears, that Super Bowl win to cap a 15-1 season represented everything they had been working on to that point in their lives. Ditka described a feeling of emptiness that washed over him even before their blowout Super Bowl win was complete. “It was like falling off a mountain,” Ditka said, and unfortunately, that Super Bowl also represented the high-point of many lives for members of that ‘85 team.Many players struggled immensely after their careers. In his conversations with Cohen, McMahon recalls first hearing about the suicide of All-Pro safety and former teammate Dave Duerson who shot himself in the chest so to preserve his brain for study into CTE, a degenerative brain disorder almost every former NFL player suffers from due to repetitive contact. “At some point, every conversation I had with a retired player turned to ‘the disease’,” McMahon says. He admits his worries due to the physical style of football he played, especially for a quarterback, but what Cohen is highlighting is the fragility of life and the negatives that come with achieving your goals and reaching the pinnacle of success, even if it came at the cost of their bodies.Monsters: The 1985 Bears and the Wild Heart of Football is a fantastic read that goes beyond just documenting the dominance of the ‘85 Bears to a narrative on life, struggle, and change. The first-hand sources Cohen taps would have been sufficient for writing a fantastic book about one of the greatest NFL teams of all time, but he exceeds this by tying their story to the broader shift in both American and football culture and fandom. Overall, I would recommend Cohen’s work to football fans and non-football fans alike, along with anyone who would be interested in a team comprised of such unique characters that it reads like drama TV. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ A great read! *by R***R on Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on March 7, 2021* This is an extremely well researched and well written book. My wife bought it for me for my birthday - without any input from me. As the author points out in the book, there have been many books written on the '85 Bears. Even as a lifelong Bear's fan I was not all that excited when I first received the book for that very reason -- in some ways the '85 Bears are almost a cliché. However, once I opened the book I could hardly put it down -- I even stayed late at work one night to read this book at my desk because I have three small children at home so it is tough to find time to read until they are asleep (my wife is the best!).I assumed from the cover and that this would be simply a recap of the 1985 season and a closer look at some of the key players on that team. It was immensely more than that. It is walk down the entire history of the Bears and George Halas, but also a history of the NFL. It also weaves in personal stories and memories from the author which I could relate to and it made me harken back to my own memories of that magical season and my childhood in the suburbs of Chicago. As is so often the mark of a great book, I did not want this one to come to an end.Why only four stars? Well, the author name dropped Jake Tapper as a friend towards the end of the book. I loathe Jake Tapper. Petty on my part maybe, but we are entitled to our opinions, right?Regardless, this is a great book and I would recommend it to any fan of the Bears or the NFL.Did I mention my wife is the best? ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Great book if your a Bears fan *by D***R on Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on September 29, 2022* The book was a terrific summary of the Chicago Bears 1985 season. --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.us/products/484028296-monsters-the-1985-chicago-bears-and-the-wild-heart-football](https://www.desertcart.us/products/484028296-monsters-the-1985-chicago-bears-and-the-wild-heart-football) --- *Product available on Desertcart United States of America* *Store origin: US* *Last updated: 2026-09-28*