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From Darkness to Dynasty: The First 40 Years of the New England Patriots
Long before the Patriots took the 21st century by storm and became the most dominant team in NFL history, pro football was something entirely different in New England, something comically atrocious and riddled with heartbreak. Before those juggernaut years of Bill Belichick, Tom Brady, and sold-out crowds at Gillette Stadium came a hapless franchise that managed only a single playoff victory in a quarter century and spent its entire first decade of existence just trying to establish a permanent home field (and even when they did, none of the toilets worked). In From Darkness to Dynasty, bestselling author Jerry Thornton irreverently chronicles those easily glossed-over, downtrodden decades--years when the team claimed more headlines for lawsuits, arrests, power struggles, drug problems, and inept, bizarre, behavior from players, coaches, and owners than for anything they accomplished on the field. Relive the behind-the-scenes dysfunction, the turmoil of prolonged irrelevance, and the improbable way the Patriots finally ascended to greatness. By turns hilarious and eye-opening, this is an essential history for fans and disparagers alike, and a pointed reminder that the best stories of triumph start with humble beginnings.
318 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 1, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
April 28, 2018
Having lived through most of the darkness it's amazing the details you forget around different parts. Everybody remembers Zeke Mowatt and Lisa Olson as one example but I had forgotten all the stupid things Victor Kiam said making him look like Jim Irsay of his day.
Even if you're not a Pat's fan but you love football you should check this out. It goes to show how your team can go from a laughing stock to the best in the league. All of the surreal things that this club went through. Take stock and hope that it could happen to your team..........Unless you're the Jets.
Even if you're not a Pat's fan but you love football you should check this out. It goes to show how your team can go from a laughing stock to the best in the league. All of the surreal things that this club went through. Take stock and hope that it could happen to your team..........Unless you're the Jets.
October 18, 2018
Only for New England Patriots fans. I mean, I think non-Pats fans would get a lot out of it, but by now I think the last thing non-Pats fans want to read about is the Pats. After a lengthy period of time in which one team is dominant, it tends to sour all other teams' fans on that team. Lord knows I've hated on the Cowboys, Lakers, Yankees, etc when they've had their extended moment in the sun.
However, for those interested, Jerry Thornton's From Darkness to Dynasty is a fun and informative read. It fills in gaps of knowledge, gives insights to the team's biggest events/incidents and does a good job of entertaining, rather than laying out a boring linear history.
I started following the Patriots in the early 80s, so learning about the horror show that they were in the 60s and 70s was...delightful?...maybe enlightening is a better word here. And even when the narrative progressed into the 80s and beyond, I still found Thornton had something to teach me about occurrences I thought I already fully understood.
Today when most people think of the Patriots, they probably think the team has always been a winner, because it seems like it at this point. However, countless years and even decades went by in which they were the suckiest of sucks. That's where this book spends most of its time...so actually, maybe non-Pats fans would enjoy this!
However, for those interested, Jerry Thornton's From Darkness to Dynasty is a fun and informative read. It fills in gaps of knowledge, gives insights to the team's biggest events/incidents and does a good job of entertaining, rather than laying out a boring linear history.
I started following the Patriots in the early 80s, so learning about the horror show that they were in the 60s and 70s was...delightful?...maybe enlightening is a better word here. And even when the narrative progressed into the 80s and beyond, I still found Thornton had something to teach me about occurrences I thought I already fully understood.
Today when most people think of the Patriots, they probably think the team has always been a winner, because it seems like it at this point. However, countless years and even decades went by in which they were the suckiest of sucks. That's where this book spends most of its time...so actually, maybe non-Pats fans would enjoy this!
February 27, 2021
A great read if you’re a Pats fan on the really dark days, lean years, and inept management of the team prior to Kraft’s ownership. Makes you appreciate our 20-year run even more.
September 10, 2018
Ever since I started following Boston sports teams as a kid in the 90s, I would have loved to have a book like this. Particularly in the last five years or so, as I've been in a position to actively follow the NFL via the magic of streaming, even down here in Australia (I started with the Broncos' record-shattering 2013 season).
And Jerry Thornton is the perfect guy to do it. Sports journalist, stand-up comedian, lifelong and long-suffering Patriots fan, and former weird kid obsessed with sports statistics (as was I), if anyone was going to write a sweeping history of the organisation's largely ignominious early decades, it was him.
It's hard to imagine the result could be improved upon. Certainly one could write more exhaustively on specific aspects, but the same could be said for a history of any substantial subject. This is popular history done right - highly anecdotal and engaging, but still grounded in solid fact-checking and research.
The humour supports the storytelling to keep it light and breezy, rather than being forced to front and centre like an unwanted marketing call. And it's consistent in its application of word count and focus on different periods, players, coaches, 'lore', business aspects etc, rather than 'clumping' inordinately in any one era or subject. Plus he manages to be fairly even-handed while discussing controversial moments, despite his unapologetic homerism.
And whilst no-one's claiming this is academic writing, he does provide a decent number of footnotes, which reference several of the other widely available books about the Patriots. In short, this is the book I've been waiting for and I'm glad I've finally read it. I earnestly await the sequel, which I understand to be forthcoming soon.
And Jerry Thornton is the perfect guy to do it. Sports journalist, stand-up comedian, lifelong and long-suffering Patriots fan, and former weird kid obsessed with sports statistics (as was I), if anyone was going to write a sweeping history of the organisation's largely ignominious early decades, it was him.
It's hard to imagine the result could be improved upon. Certainly one could write more exhaustively on specific aspects, but the same could be said for a history of any substantial subject. This is popular history done right - highly anecdotal and engaging, but still grounded in solid fact-checking and research.
The humour supports the storytelling to keep it light and breezy, rather than being forced to front and centre like an unwanted marketing call. And it's consistent in its application of word count and focus on different periods, players, coaches, 'lore', business aspects etc, rather than 'clumping' inordinately in any one era or subject. Plus he manages to be fairly even-handed while discussing controversial moments, despite his unapologetic homerism.
And whilst no-one's claiming this is academic writing, he does provide a decent number of footnotes, which reference several of the other widely available books about the Patriots. In short, this is the book I've been waiting for and I'm glad I've finally read it. I earnestly await the sequel, which I understand to be forthcoming soon.
March 23, 2017
A humorous and lighthearted history of the first forty years of the one-time hapless NE Patriots franchise. It was a particularly enjoyable read coming on the heels of the Patriots Super Bowl LI victory.
September 22, 2020
A fun read that doesn't always play to Jerry Thorntons strengths. I read Jerry's Knee Jerk reactions after every Patriots game, and it is the best football writing I've found on the internet. He infuses humor and legitimate football knowledge with outdated pop-culture commentary in a way that works for me.
His book on the history of the Patriots was an easy read for me, but I found that writing a historical account of the team stripped away some of his strengths as a irreverent comedy writer. His broader descriptions of games never allow him to flex his game knowledge that I see weekly on his Knee Jerk columns. Some of his writing quirks are laid bare by repetition and he seems to struggle to find his "homer" voice while recounting the team history.
But wow, I sound negative... I liked the book. Quite a bit. There is a story about a sewage problem in the old stadium. A drunk urinates on the back of a medical professional. I finally understand what happened when Belichick left the Jets in the lurch for the Patriots. Descriptions of Robert Krafts risky buisiness moves impress me in ways that his slurry Superbowl speeches do not.
Recommended reading over many of the dry Patriots books that I fell off of a few chapters in.
His book on the history of the Patriots was an easy read for me, but I found that writing a historical account of the team stripped away some of his strengths as a irreverent comedy writer. His broader descriptions of games never allow him to flex his game knowledge that I see weekly on his Knee Jerk columns. Some of his writing quirks are laid bare by repetition and he seems to struggle to find his "homer" voice while recounting the team history.
But wow, I sound negative... I liked the book. Quite a bit. There is a story about a sewage problem in the old stadium. A drunk urinates on the back of a medical professional. I finally understand what happened when Belichick left the Jets in the lurch for the Patriots. Descriptions of Robert Krafts risky buisiness moves impress me in ways that his slurry Superbowl speeches do not.
Recommended reading over many of the dry Patriots books that I fell off of a few chapters in.
January 15, 2021
Jerry Thornton is roughly a decade older than fellow Pats nut Bill Simmons, but this book probably doesn't get published without the latter. It's a fan book, and while by and large Jerry is only a minor supporting player in the narrative.....it reads like a book written by someone who wants to make a buck or five by being a fan. It also makes the typical mistake of any 'history of' book by focusing so hard on the first third/half of the narrative, that it speeds through the remainder.
Doesn't help that: He gets some facts wrong (Bert Bell was never AFL Commish, Ron Meyer never won a college title), he relied way too much on pop culture comparisons (he hates granddaughter of Charger's founder Barron Hilton, among many other popular things), and ignored significant parts of Pats history (Billy Sullivan was voted out as CEO of the team, a big deal with massive repercussions, and it barely gets mentioned), because it would take space that he gave to game rundowns in the 1970's. Oh, and the more into the book he got, the more snide he got, and it was not to the story's benefit. The narrator didn't help with that last bit either.
Still, I got it for free on Plus, and I learned some things.
Doesn't help that: He gets some facts wrong (Bert Bell was never AFL Commish, Ron Meyer never won a college title), he relied way too much on pop culture comparisons (he hates granddaughter of Charger's founder Barron Hilton, among many other popular things), and ignored significant parts of Pats history (Billy Sullivan was voted out as CEO of the team, a big deal with massive repercussions, and it barely gets mentioned), because it would take space that he gave to game rundowns in the 1970's. Oh, and the more into the book he got, the more snide he got, and it was not to the story's benefit. The narrator didn't help with that last bit either.
Still, I got it for free on Plus, and I learned some things.
February 1, 2025
Nice history of the New England (Boston) Patriots AFL/NFL team over their first 40 years of their existence. The book is written by a lifetime Bostonian and dedicated Pat fan. I particularly liked the details he delivers over the Pats AFL years. Since the author and I are approximately the same age, the descriptions of attending games as a teen and pre-teen were so interesting since I followed the NFL vicariously through football cards and Sport magazine. Ultimately though I live in Arkansas and am not a Patriot fan although I did enjoy reading the book and appreciate the author's research. I probably rated the book too low but Patriot fans would certainly love reading this book.
September 19, 2020
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.
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.
April 27, 2021
It’s difficult to remember in the face of their dominance of the past two decades that the Patriots were once the most ridiculed NFL franchise. This is a recap of the history before they were any good. A thorough but lighthearted look at the mess the Patriots were in for 40 years. Any Patriots fans will love this book. For fans of other teams, it heralds that no matter how bad your team’s past is, there is always hope for the future. Unless you support the New York Jets.
December 25, 2025
Thank you for the gift Quentin!
Many books have been and will be written about Brady and Belichick, but few about the origins of the greatest sports dynasty the Earth has seen.
Jerry Thornton gives a great recap of the humble beginnings of the franchise, the troubles and tumult endured through the years; and finally the exhalation when it all was set right.
A wonderful read, I will surely be gifting copies to my many friends who hopelessly root for the Cleveland Browns!
Many books have been and will be written about Brady and Belichick, but few about the origins of the greatest sports dynasty the Earth has seen.
Jerry Thornton gives a great recap of the humble beginnings of the franchise, the troubles and tumult endured through the years; and finally the exhalation when it all was set right.
A wonderful read, I will surely be gifting copies to my many friends who hopelessly root for the Cleveland Browns!
March 1, 2021
Though I’m not a Patriots fan, as a fan of football history I enjoyed this book. It sheds light on AFL history, that the NFL typically ignores, and the dark days of the league- when teams and facilities were both poor and ramshackle. Perhaps I’d give the book a 3 on content alone, but the author’s passion and sense of humor propel it to a four.
November 12, 2022
By far the best book ever written about the New England Patriots. The author painstakingly pieces together the seldom good often bad and more ugly stories that made team a laughingstock. Yet, somehow often remained the lovable underdog. It’s written from a fans perspective. A must read for any Patriots fan. Especially those that only know the Brady era
February 3, 2017
Nice summary of one of the greatest team turnarounds in sports history.
Having spent a lot of my life from the dark ages to the present, it has been nice to watch the whole thing play out.
It can also be called, from a 25k team to a billion+ team.
Having spent a lot of my life from the dark ages to the present, it has been nice to watch the whole thing play out.
It can also be called, from a 25k team to a billion+ team.
June 26, 2017
Jerry's masterpiece is great for New England Patriots fans - however, you don't have to love the Patriots to love this book! My mother is not a football fan (she's a hockey girl) but loved the storytelling and humor. Do not miss this must-read!
September 26, 2017
This book is great, if you like football and the patriots you will love it. You will learn what the patriots organization went through to become a dynasty, and all the funny moments in their history. Th bad times and the good times. I would highly recommend it to anyone.
November 10, 2017
Absolutely fantastic read. Chronicling the laughingstock of not only the NFL, professional sports from their early days to their dominant run in the 2000s. Thornton is able to describe these events as if they happened yesterday. Great choice for any Patriots or football fan.
June 13, 2020
One who grew up with Pats. And long time season ticket holder, this book was terrific. Written with knowledge and humor. Credit the Sullivans for hanging in there. Thanks to Bob Kraft,
The Tuna, Drew, Belichick, and TB12 for putting us on this 20yr. run.
The Tuna, Drew, Belichick, and TB12 for putting us on this 20yr. run.
September 24, 2020
My only complaint is that in order to explain something Thornton would often backtrack and screw up the chronology a bit. He always got back on track though and his sarcastic style made for a very amusing read. One that you don't have to be a sports fan to enjoy.
May 24, 2024
Reading this as someone who grew up in purely the dynasty years only makes me appreciate it more. Since Brady’s retirement I’ve been prepping for some dark ages and it’s nice to know that no matter how bad things get it probably won’t be as bad as those early years.
Go Pats!
Go Pats!
November 2, 2021
Excellent! So funny and very informative read
February 19, 2022
A journey to the bad times
The patriots used to be awful. I was a fan since 85 and have seen a lot of the bad days. Great book and a really enjoyable read
The patriots used to be awful. I was a fan since 85 and have seen a lot of the bad days. Great book and a really enjoyable read
August 30, 2024
Author is not as funny as he thinks he is. Otherwise very readable and accurate.
November 2, 2025
Maybe the best, and funniest, sports book I’ve ever read. A must read for any Pats and/or NFL fan, especially those born in the 1960s or earlier
March 11, 2017
For all Patriots fans from the pre-Parcells era this book brings back so many haunting memories. If anything based on what I have seen in the past 20 years or so it would almost be comic. Jerry Thornton speaks of the Patriots I know. As a fan who came of age in the Raymond Berry, Rod Rust era I grew up with a team that the Sullivan's ran. You can't say they destroyed it because the never built it. I only go back as the first Super Bowl but Irving Fryer and that pig Victor Kiam are in my mind. I also remember the threat to move St. Louis. All of these stories bring back another era that lifelong Pats fans will remember. Before Belichick & Brady these were the Detriot Lions and Jacksonville Jaguars of their time with sad to really sad drama thrown in.
This is a must read for any Boston sports fan!
This is a must read for any Boston sports fan!
February 2, 2017
"The road to Easy Street goes through the sewer."
- John Madden
"The only yardstick for success our society has is being a champion. No one remembers anything else."
- John Madden
As a Boston sports fan, I am living in the greatest period of championships for not just the area but arguably in all of our sports. Since 2001, we've seen the Red Sox win three times (even once is a miracle in of itself), the Celtics win one with the Big 3, the Bruins even won one, and of course there's the New England Patriots. Tom Brady could run for President and he'd win all of New England by overwhelming margins. He's not just the greatest player to step onto the gridiron, he's arguably the greatest player of any sport ever.
As I sit here writing this, the Patriots are set to take on the Falcons in their seventh Super Bowl in the Brady/Belichick era and attempting their 5th shot at glory. Win or lose, this level of play over a twenty year period is historically unheard of in the modern era of sports. In a time where leagues set themselves so there's a level of parity, its astounding to see the Patriots enter the Super Bowl again. So us Patriots fans are certainly a spoiled lot, especially those of us who never had to experience the earlier years.
And after reading From Darkness to Dynasty, those were some fairly dark years. Awful personnel moves, freak accidents, poor ownership, and more led the early Patriots into looking like a dumpster fire with brief glimmers of hope. They made the present day Cleveland Browns look like...well the present day New England Patriots. Thornton's brand of humor turns what would be a boring read into a more fun one. Furthermore, he not only examines the seasons but also the key players that gave the early Patriots teams their heart and showed why they were worth reading about.
Recommended for: Patriots fans, football history fans, and Jets fans who want to remember a time when the Patriots weren't completely destroying their hopes and dreams on the field.
4/5 Stars.
- John Madden
"The only yardstick for success our society has is being a champion. No one remembers anything else."
- John Madden
As a Boston sports fan, I am living in the greatest period of championships for not just the area but arguably in all of our sports. Since 2001, we've seen the Red Sox win three times (even once is a miracle in of itself), the Celtics win one with the Big 3, the Bruins even won one, and of course there's the New England Patriots. Tom Brady could run for President and he'd win all of New England by overwhelming margins. He's not just the greatest player to step onto the gridiron, he's arguably the greatest player of any sport ever.
As I sit here writing this, the Patriots are set to take on the Falcons in their seventh Super Bowl in the Brady/Belichick era and attempting their 5th shot at glory. Win or lose, this level of play over a twenty year period is historically unheard of in the modern era of sports. In a time where leagues set themselves so there's a level of parity, its astounding to see the Patriots enter the Super Bowl again. So us Patriots fans are certainly a spoiled lot, especially those of us who never had to experience the earlier years.
And after reading From Darkness to Dynasty, those were some fairly dark years. Awful personnel moves, freak accidents, poor ownership, and more led the early Patriots into looking like a dumpster fire with brief glimmers of hope. They made the present day Cleveland Browns look like...well the present day New England Patriots. Thornton's brand of humor turns what would be a boring read into a more fun one. Furthermore, he not only examines the seasons but also the key players that gave the early Patriots teams their heart and showed why they were worth reading about.
Recommended for: Patriots fans, football history fans, and Jets fans who want to remember a time when the Patriots weren't completely destroying their hopes and dreams on the field.
4/5 Stars.
February 7, 2017
I am old enough to remember the Patriots as dysfunctional organization that was the laughing stock of the NFL. For years they were a joke, and most people I knew weren't Patriots fans, they were Giants fans. This book brings back those days and so much more that I either didn't know about or had forgotten. As related by the author (with humorous side bars) I found myself laughing out loud while reading it on my commuter train, much to the puzzlement of my fellow passengers. I highly recommend this book to any Patriots fan, especially for anyone born after 1990 who doesn't remember those days.
January 4, 2022
I was told I would like this book if I was a Patriots fan. I am absolutely not a Patriots fan and loved it ... all non-Patriots fans would! Focusing much of the story on the origins and the often hilarious missteps of the New England Patriots, Thornton’s humorous take on his favourite team brings the reader up to the beginning of the Patriots’ dynasty which is far less interesting than its origins. Some unbelievable anecdotes and hard luck tales that will actually make the reader smile with New England wins their first Super Bowl ... But not at the ones after that!
February 3, 2017
Read the physical book. 5 stars obviously! Great historical account of the history of the Boston/New England Patriots. I knew very little details of their history, so this was a great read leading up to their 9th Super Bowl appearance!
September 27, 2016
If you like the Pats you will enjoy this
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews