From Darkness to Dynasty

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O_P_T

Why Be Normal
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Thought about putting this in The Jerry Thorton thread, but thought it deserved a thread of it's own.

He has a book coming out in September that according to Pat's Pulpit is a "Must read".

From Darkness to Dynasty: A Must-Own Patriots Book

By Alec Shane on Aug 26, 2016, 6:00a

Patriots fans everywhere should check out a great new book by WEEI personality Jerry Thornton.

It may come as a real shock to all of you, but I'm not a full-time sportswriter.

I know, I know; with my acerbic wit and ultra hot takes, how are they not paying me the big bucks to cover the Patriots full time? I'd tell you if I could, but my guess is that it's some odd combination of corporate politicking, blatant nepotism, and my total and utter lack of talent that's holding me back. Who knows.

And since I'm not a full-time sportswriter, I have to pay the bills in other ways. Those beers don't buy themselves, unfortunately. And at the moment, what keeps a roof over my head and Patriots games on my TV is my job in the publishing industry. The book biz is an interesting one to say the least, and one that I like very much at the end of the day; believe it or not, I like to read, and getting to work with books and authors that I enjoy is a pretty sweet gig. My only complaint about being a book agent is that it has yet to get me into the Patriots locker room or allowed me to extend an in-person invite to my birthday party to Tommy B.

All that may change, though, when a book I'm especially proud of hits the shelves this September. From Darkness to Dynasty: The First 40 Years of the New England Patriots, is due out on September 6th, and I can't wait. If you truly call yourself a Patriots fan, you know the author, Jerry Thornton, quite well. From his Knee Jerk Reactions to his Thornography blog to his daily appearances on the Dale and Holley Show, 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. He has also been a fan since before a lot of us were even born - so who better to recount the history of the team, from their inception all the way up through that fateful first Super Bowl win, than the man who was there for all of it?

I'm not one to shamelessly hawk something I don't believe in - and I wouldn't be sharing the news of this book with all of you if it wasn't as Patriots-centric as it gets - but I think that you're all going to love From Darkness to Dynasty. It's funny, it's interesting, it's well-written, and it serves as an important reminder that we need to milk every last second out of these successful seasons. It wasn't that long ago that the Patriots were bad. Really, really bad. Reading Jerry's account of it should make us all appreciate the fact that there are currently college students who were two years old the last time New England had a losing record.

As I mentioned, the book isn't officially out until September 6th, but you can pre-order a copy at a discount here. You won't regret it.
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Here's the link at Amazon

Love them or hate them, what the New England Patriots have been able to do over the past fifteen 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 laughingstock 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 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.​
 
Belichick was on Dale & Holley the other day, and he had asked Jerry for a signed copy of the book, which Jerry gave to him. I mean, Jerry had to be over the moon. His hero (besides his son, who just came home from a tour in Afghanistan, I think) asking him for an autograph. Who would have thought, right?

I could not be happier for him. He's just a great guy.
 
Belichick and Brady: Two Men, the Patriots, and How They Revolutionized Football

this is by michael holley and comes out october 4th looks good
 
Being released, Sept 6.

My Birthday, Sept. 6.

Coincidence. I think not. :toast:


Cheers
 
Dafalcs34 said:
Belichick and Brady: Two Men, the Patriots, and How They Revolutionized Football

this is by michael holley and comes out october 4th looks good
Click to expand...

Awesome! I loved Holley's "Patriot Reign." One of the best football books of all time. I wonder if he had the same type of access to the Pats for this book? I hope so. I will pre-order.

EDIT: Here is the write-up from Amazon.

Featuring interviews from Patriots players and coaches, Holley presents a fascinating portrait of the partnership between Tom Brady, the Patriots' star quarterback, and Bill Belichick, the team's prolific coach. Chockful of behind-the-scenes anecdotes and information exploring how they have strategized and weathered controversies, all culminating into four Superbowl rings, this is required reading for any Patriots fan and students of the game of football.

By examining how the relationship between this dynamic quarterback and coach duo, Holley explores exactly how these two men have formed the core of the greatest dynasty in the modern-day NFL.
 
I ordered Jerry's book shortly after I posted my OP.

I've gone exclusively e-book in the past few years so I opted for the Kindle format.

Turns out it's only the printed version that won't be out till 9/6.

When I got home, his book was in my Kindle for PC.

BTW, if you use an e-reader, I strongly recommend Calibre as a way to manage your library.

There are versions for PC, Mac and Linux.

It's the easiest way to convert to another format and quite frankly the best way to keep track of your library.
 
This might be my 2nd patriots book I order. My first one was teddy bruschi book.
 
i have alot, Brady vs Manning was a good book. You can find great deals on amazon, i got a few good collectors books for next to nothing
 
Mazz22 said:
EDIT: Here is the write-up from Amazon.

Featuring interviews from Patriots players and coaches, Holley presents a fascinating portrait of the partnership between Tom Brady, the Patriots' star quarterback, and Bill Belichick, the team's prolific coach. Chockful of behind-the-scenes anecdotes and information exploring how they have strategized and weathered controversies, all culminating into four Superbowl rings, this is required reading for any Patriots fan and students of the game of football.

By examining how the relationship between this dynamic quarterback and coach duo, Holley explores exactly how these two men have formed the core of the greatest dynasty in the modern-day NFL.
Click to expand...

But they don't go out for beers together! :toast:

I have heard that they don't socialize at all. Guess that's the secret to success: keep it all at the workplace!
 
I will be purchasing both of these! I'll bet Jerry's book is a hoot. Can't wait
 
BradyGirl said:
But they don't go out for beers together! :toast:

I have heard that they don't socialize at all. Guess that's the secret to success: keep it all at the workplace!
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I think the fact that it is all business is what makes it work. I remember a great quote by Brady years ago when someone asked him if Bill was like a father figure to him in addition to being his coach. Brady said something along the lines "I have a father. I don't need another one. Bill is my coach and we want to go out and win."

Do you remember the Football Life of Belichick? There was a great scene where Brady and Bill are talking about the Ravens and how to pass on them. Just listening to them discuss the Xs and Os was awesome!

I am not sure there are two other individuals on the planet that want to win as much as these two. I am dying to read this book to see the convos and ancedotes that Holley unearths.
 
PatsFanLisa said:
Belichick was on Dale & Holley the other day, and he had asked Jerry for a signed copy of the book, which Jerry gave to him. I mean, Jerry had to be over the moon. His hero (besides his son, who just came home from a tour in Afghanistan, I think) asking him for an autograph. Who would have thought, right?

I could not be happier for him. He's just a great guy.
Click to expand...

He is a great guy.

BTW, his son was not actually in Afghanistan and is home for a few weeks awaiting orders for his next deployment. A great kid that is doing his job as a Marine.

Just to add a little detail, they had Bill in for his regular weekly appearance and Jerry said he was not in a great mood during the interview. Afterwards, Jerry asked him if he would like a copy and Bill said "sure" and thanked him and left. A minute later he came back in to ask Jerry to sign it for him and that was a great moment for Jerry.

We know Bill loves his football history and it would be really interesting to see what he thinks about the book.
 
Got home from work yesterday, and noticed a weird light emanating from my front step. It's here. Thanks, Jerry.
 
Read the entire book in about 5 hours.

Laughed until tears ran down my face while reading page 119, shed real tears reading pages 136-137, and dropped a few more directly onto page 256.


Good stuff. Kudos, Jerry :toast:
 
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