A record 5 Super Bowl victories. The unmatched feat of 16 consecutive winning seasons. For over 20 years, the legendary San Francisco 49ers dominated the NFL and earned the title of the most successful team in the history of professional football. But all that glitters is not gold. Front-office shakeups, bitter rivalries, aging stars, a punishing salary cap, and ownership embroiled in personal crises have taken a bruising toll. Long at the top of the football world, this fabled franchise is struggling to recapture its former glory. And one man has witnessed it all. Celebrated San Francisco sportswriter and 49er insiderGlenn Dickeyreveals the untold story of this extraordinary organization-the good, the bad, and the ugly.

He takes you beyond the headlines and into the minds of those who made the back-room deals, the men who played like heroes, and the personnel who built and destroyed the 49er dynasty. Spanning the glory days of Joe Montana to the twilight years of Steve Young, from "The Catch" to the devastating 4-12 season in 1999, this candid account takes you into the trenches and through the breathtaking highs and heartbreaking lows of a team that has played some of the greatest football the world will ever see.