Books : Barry Bonds: Baseball's Superman

In association with Amazon.com

Rating:

- Bonds is Smashing!
As a member of the Bay Area sports media, I had the opportunity to interview author Steven Travers when he wrote his best selling, Casey Award-nominated (for best baseball book of the year) biography, "Barry Bonds: Baseball's Superman". I got the inside scoop on how this book came about and became the published, acclaimed work that it is. The author approached Bonds as early as May, 2001 with the prediction that Barry would break Mark McGwire's home run record, and would he like to write a book? Barry eventually gave Travers the go-ahead to pursue a book deal. Big money became a big issue, and by season's end the autobiography became a biography. Travers enjoyed his time with Bonds, and certainly does not do a "hit piece" on the controversial superstar, but his overall assessment is of a man who feels the world revolves around him. As a former
pitcher in the Cardinals and A's organizations, Travers developed rapport that is rare for a writer, and this gives him a perspective on athletes that is just as rare.

Travers is fair, well meaning and talented. His success with this work is deserved, and further inside scoop has it that the New York literary community has approached him about a follow-up to "Barry Bonds: Baseball's Superman". This time, Steve is going to look at Barry's subsequent MVP seasons in light of
his assault on the term, Greatest Baseball Player of All Time, and how his place in history will be judged in light of recent allegations of steroid abuse in the BALCO scandal. The book, working titled "Strike Three!", will go deeply into steroid abuse in all sports - baseball, football, Olympics and,
most alarming for America's parents, high school athletes. I can't wait to read it.

MIKE MCDOWD
Westwood One Sports Radio anchor and Former KFTY TV Sports Director Bay Area
mmcdowd@yahoo.com

Rating:

- Never cared for Bonds
And, I'm still not much of a fan. But, after reading this book I began to understand why Bonds has been a misunderstood player and person for many years. I always knew that Bonds was a great player, but this book forces me to acknowledge just how great a player and interesting person Bonds really is. If you're going to have one book on your shelf about the greatest player of this generation (and maybe any generation) this is the one!

Rating:

- One of the best sports books I've read in years
I loved this book very much. The first chapter's descriptions of Bonds breaking Mark McGwire's record is nothing less than pure poetry. The writing just rolls off the page, placing me in the chilly night air ("in a town that Mark Twain once said was the coldest Winter he ever spent in the Summer"), to the fabulous descriptions of how sports are the one place where we can lose ourselves and see man's heroism without life and limb being on the line. Who else writes like that? Murray in his prime maybe. This is a book about history, and baseball history second.

Rating:

- Steve Travers on Barry Bonds
Steve Travers being a true sports aficionado has gone where no other writer has gone. Capturing Mr. Bonds in such a way that brings him to life as a person first and than as a respected superstar on the diamond second. Steve Travers himself a great ball player from the little league fields of memorial park to the bigs knows what readers want when reading about their favorite sports hero. Steve I thank you for the journey you provided me when I read your book. I hope their will be more books to follow.

Rating:

- Travers reveals the complex man behind the Giant's star
This inciteful book leaves the reader with many interesting stories about Barry Bonds. It is not just about Bonds, but brings in many other players and people in Bonds' life. For the person who loves baseball it will be particularly meaningful with many historical facts about the players and how they interacted with Barry Bonds.
The book is an honest look at Bonds and who he is. Bonds never played up to the press. His 73 homeruns in 2001 was something that won the nations heart and as Travers said was a great distraction for the public that helped them forget 9/11.

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