About the Book

The Keys to ‘the Kingdom’: An Illustrated Timeline of the Kansas City Chiefs reconstructs a journey that started with the founding of the AFL by Lamar Hunt and seven other men who dubbed themselves, “the foolish club.” In the summer of 1963, Hunt brought his team from Dallas to Kansas City Already the owners of one league championship, the Chiefs added two more AFL crowns, becoming the most successful franchise in the 10-year history of the American Football League.

Some of the most significant people in the history of pro football have direct ties to the Chiefs, led by Hunt. Hunt was the one who initiated discussions with NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle. Hunt pushed those discussions all the way to the merger of the two leagues.

The Keys to ‘the Kingdom’ recounts the early years of the Chiefs’ AFL dominance, the prominence of many good players on lesser Chiefs teams, some highs behind great players and coaches in the 1990s, and most recently the return to glory under Andy Reid. Significant players, coaches and events dot the landscape of the Chiefs’ 66-year history, and this book covers them all.

You’ll relive the 1963 draft that saw the Chiefs take two Hall of Famers, plus two other starters on both Super Bowl teams. You’ll be thrilled again by the stories of Joe Montana’s epic comeback against the Denver Broncos on Monday Night Football, Derrick Thomas’ seven sack game against the Seattle Seahawks and the Chiefs’ three double-digit comeback victories in the 2019-20 playoffs. We’ve also added stories about the seven straight AFC Championship Game appearances and five Super Bowls in six years.

This book is personal. It’s written for fans throughout the Chiefs Kingdom, but mostly it’s written for people like the author, people who have loved the Chiefs for more than 60 years. You’ll enjoy the journey.

About the Author

David Smale has covered sports—professional, college and high school—for more than 45 years for various publications and outlets. He has published more than 30 books, mostly on sports history. David’s affection for the Chiefs came early. Just before he turned 5, the Dallas Texans arrived in Kansas City to become the Chiefs. He remembers his dad being excited that Kansas City had professional football, so he was excited too. He is the father of two grown children and loves to spend time with his three beautiful granddaughters.