Dynasty: The Oral History of the New York Islanders, 1972-1984 Paperback – October 10, 2012

If you are of the age where you remember the cup teams, you will love this book....and if you just love the Isles and want to learn a thing or two about the glory days, it's still a great read

This was a tremendous book. In the same way that Prato brought the Jets players to life as more than just players but as people in "Sack Exchange", he does the same for the Islanders during their amazing 4 Stanley Cup winning run. The oral history format works very well as you can hear this story play out in the voices of the players, front office, announcers, etc. Even a die-hard NY Rangers fan will appreciate just how good this team was in winning an unprecendented 19 straight series. Prato did a great job not only with the hockey being played in this time period, but the role that the Islanders played in the LI Community in forging a identity for that area. I still recall where I was during Bobby Ny's walk-off goal vs. Flyers for first Cup. This book is a no brainer for any Islander fan, but will be appreciated by fans of other teams and fans of great sports writing.

Decent oral history of isles from beginning of franchise thru championship years, players interviewed had alot to say about their experiences with the team throughout the years. Was disappointed that D. Potvin, M. Bossy, and B. Smith weren't interviewed for this book. Least favorite interviews were of Billy Harris, occasionally swearing like a drunken sailor, and that baba booie guy from the "Stern Show", thought he had no business being in this book; according to 'cast of characters' page just inside the cover he was just an intern for SportsChannel. Thought there should have been game pics and on-ice Cup celebration photos from all 4 titles, instead there are only some pictures of the victory parade from 1980. Overall think this is a good read.

Book is great to see what players felt and thought going through their dynasty years. Wish it would have had all the core players with quotes. My biggest gripe with the book is the inclusion of Baba Booey aka Gary Dell'Abate of the Howard Stern show. His comments are laced with foul language and aside from his "fame", his doing an internship at Sportschannel and being a fan of the Isles, I have no idea why he was included here.

Every Islanders fan should truly appreciate the painstaking effort by Greg Prato to produce this homage to the Islanders. Prato meshes dozens of player/coach/GM/fan interviews into a glorious account of the team's first 12 seasons, a time when the Islanders initially set records for ineptitude before shocking the league in the 1975 playoffs and becoming the first U.S.-based team to win four consecutive Stanley Cups.Prato received very candid interviews with the men who molded the dynasty and allowed them to create a stunning oral history of the franchise. This is a must-have for Islanders fans who remember Germain Gagnon's first hat trick, Denis Potvin's rookie season, Bryan Trottier's five-point game in his Coliseum debut and Mike Bossy's charge toward 50 in 50.

This book is great. I love the point of view, as hearing an oral retelling from the people connected to the Islander Dynasty. It’s a a great read and I recommend reading.

Excellent summary of the era in which the Islanders dynasty was built and then won an incredible 19 playoff series - and four Stanley Cups - in a row.

Basically it’s all players, the Arbour’s and Torrey’s recollections of the early years through the dynasty. If you lived through the Dynasty years or are a historian of the team, it’s nothing you haven’t heard before. The constant profanity used in quotes by Babba Booey ruins what should be a family friendly book for all ages. It’s hard to call Prato an author because while he may have conducted interviews he have much of any insight. He certainly didn’t edit much and it becomes quite redundant. To be honest, It’s kinda boring. There are few Islanders books still available that are worth seeking out on 2nd hand sites (abebooks) so I don’t recommend this unless you can get it on the cheap.