From Darkness to Dynasty

The First 40 Years of the New England Patriots

By: Jerry Thornton

Narrated by: Chris Andrew Ciulla

Length: 13 hrs and 36 mins

Publisher's Summary

Love them or hate them, what the New England Patriots have been able to do over the past 15 years is nothing short of remarkable. In addition to their four Super Bowl championships, the Patriots have the best coach in the league, a smart and savvy front office, and a future Hall of Fame quarterback who is internationally recognized as the face of the NFL. The longer the Patriots continue to dominate on the field, as well as in the media and the American pop culture landscape, the harder it becomes for anyone to remember them as something other than a model franchise and the ultimate paradigm of success and accomplishment.

Anyone, that is, except for Jerry Thornton. It wasn't always sunshine and roses for the Patriots; in fact, for the bulk of their existence, it was exactly the opposite. Though difficult to fathom now, the New England Patriots of old weren't just bad - they were laughably bad. Not so long ago, the Pats were the laughing stock of not only the NFL, but also the entire sporting world.

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 40 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.

©2016 Jerry Thornton (P)2016 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

great narration, great book

for those interested in the current patriots, this book ends at their first super bowl victory in 2001. this book is all about the lead-up to this first victory, and the official start of the Dynasty.

I really appreciated the narrator taking time to add emphasis, use Boston accents, and even nail sarcastic quotes. It was almost like having the author read it himself. Very entertaining read/listen.

the story itself was colorfully written, and the author successfully kept his bias in check, and at minimum, admitted where he was being openly biased.

love or hate the patriots, football fans will enjoy hearing the ugly and hilarious history of such an iconic team.

Before Brady and Belichick

Jerry's love of the team and how it interfered with his development in his pre adult years shines through. Funny, well researched and really hits the sweet spot for anyone who grew up a huge Patriots fan before all this crazy success. It's hard to believe there was once a franchise that were bigger screw ups than the Jets, but it actually was the case here in New England. From broken toilets to Clive Rush to the Fairbanks Fiasco, to electrocuted fans, to Zeke Mowatt- all the ugly and insane comedy is here. The narrator captures Jerry's voice.

Perplexed

this was a very enjoyable book but for somebody that's pretty big football fan you'll notice there are several facts that are completely wrong. Like Lou Saban being a coach for the Patriots and saying his son Nick had won national titles at Alabama. Well that's not it sucks I think they said they were distant cousins. Then when the hiring of Ron Meyer was brought up it said he just lad SMU to the National Title which SMU never won a national title. There were several other glaring errors that I didn't feel like including but if you're looking for Perfection this book is not for you if you're looking for an enjoyable book about a team you didn't know much about I definitely recommend it.

Great History

Great stories from the Patriots' past tied together to show how the empire was built.

A must for the sports fan

A truly well written and hilarious story of rags to riches . This is a must listen for those of us who lived through it.

Thornton nails it

It's really all in the title. If you're young like me you didn't have to live through the "Darkness" part but after listening to the first 3/4ths of the book, I almost threw up in disgust. What a terrible franchise. Jerry adds a hilarious twist to the awful tales. Great anecdotes of all the dumb dumbs that founded the Patriots franchise.

And when we finally got to the Snow Bowl? Chills. If you don't want to read the book just skip to that part and enjoy. Pure Patriots porn. Great work by Jerry.

Jerry Thornton brings the Patriots history to life

If you're an unapologetic New England Patriots fan,this book takes you through the Roller-coaster ride literally "From Darkness to Dynasty ". A perfect title it brings their history to life, and I don't mind saying reliving much of that history did bring back those tears of joy! I loved it!

total nonsense

I have read high school English papers with more structure and heft. Truly a waste of time

Super Fun Book

I totally enjoyed the book, being a Pat's fan from the start, but forgot about much of the crap that went on.

Bazinga

A great history of the Patriots organization from inception to the start of the Dynasty after their first SuperBowl win. I enjoyed learning the history before I was born. I recommend to any Patriots fan or NFL fans in general. The narrator did a great job.

Disclaimer: My enjoyment of the narrator is based on my listening speed. I only leave 5 stars for books I've listened to multiple times. I'll update my review if I listen again.

fascinating and detailed history

This covers absolutely everything you would want to know about the pre-dynasty years. with entertaining anecdotes and a truck load of irony it makes you proud to be a Pats fan

Very funny and insightful

An absolute must for any pats fan.
Loads of great stories from a true fan

Dynastic!

I've followed football since the early eighties and knew some of the dark years in New England, this is an insightful and often hilarious look back at the history of football in the North East. thoroughly enjoyable from start to finish.