Primary Format: Cloth
ISBN: 9781611689747
Published: 09/06/2016
Pages: 312
Size: 6.25 x 9.25 in.
Subject(s):

From Darkness to Dynasty: The First 40 Years of the New England Patriots


Jerry Thornton

Cloth: $27.95
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From Darkness to Dynasty tells the unlikely history of the New England Patriots as it has never been told before. From their humble beginnings as a team bought with rainy-day money by a man who had no idea what he was doing to the fateful season that saw them win their first Super Bowl, Jerry Thornton shares the wild, humiliating, unbelievable, and wonderful stories that comprised the first forty years of what would ultimately become the most dominant franchise in NFL history. Witty, hilarious, and brutally honest, From Darkness to Dynasty returns to the thrilling, perilous days of yesteryear—a welcome corrective for those who hate the Patriots and a useful reminder for those who love them that all glory is fleeting.

As a transplant to Boston, I wasn't as well-versed in Patriots history as say the history of the Celtics or the Red Sox. But Jerry Thornton has got me all caught up on the trials and tribulations that the Pats have faced in their forty years as a team. Part history, part memoir, Thornton presents the ups and downs of the Pats in a fun and engaging way. This is the perfect book for any reader who is a die-hard Pats fan, or for readers who want to know the history of what is arguably the best team the NFL has today. I can't wait to get this book in the hands of my customers - just in time for the start of the football season!
—Clarissa Hadge, Trident Booksellers

This book is about the New England Patriots, from its inception and start in 1959 to its first super bowl win in 2001. I am and have always been a Patriots fan. A book about the Patriots would be of interest to me. However, I have found in the past that books about sports teams are like history books, plenty of facts and figures, but generally boring. Thornton’s book is an exception. It is a great read and was hard to put down once I started reading it. The behind the scenes machinations of all of the parties involved with the Patriots was fascinating and well presented by Thornton. As a Patriots fan I was vaguely aware of some of the machinations, but not in the detail and with the insight presented by Thornton. This is a book I recommend, not only to sports fans, but to anyone wishing to read an interesting and well written book about a sports team.
—John McGonagle, Buttonwood Books and Toys

Jerry Thornton is one of the original Defenders of the Wall and one of the funniest, most popular, and most relatable Patriots writers out there.
—Alec Shane, Pats Pulpit

Jerry Thornton captures the early Patriots in all their ignominy and defeat.
—Providence Journal

Over the past decade and a half, the NFL world has come to know the Patriots as champions, an organization to emulate. It’s like everyone forgot the trials and tribulations it took to get there. Of course, Jerry hasn’t forgotten. That’s why this book is so great-an unfettered appreciation for the ugly, hilarious, sad, and tumultuous history of the Patriots. But seen through Jerry’s tortured and comical eyes. I love it!
—Ian Rapoport, NFL Media’s National Insider

Jerry Thornton writes daily for Barstool Sports; co-hosts their NFL podcast, Laces Out; and is the former co-host of WEEI sports radio’s Dale and Holley with Thornton and NBC Sports Boston’s Patriots pregame show. He is the author of Five Rings: The Super Bowl History of the New England Patriots (So Far).

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