Barry Bonds: Baseball Superman

Rating:
Summary: Bonds is Smashing!
Review: 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
[e-mail]



Rating:
Summary: Never cared for Bonds
Review: 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:
Summary: Fair, balanced work of excellent sports jopurnalism
Review: Barry Bonds is often depicted as a demon, but he has those who treat him like a god. This book centers in the middle, is fair and responsible, incisive and great writing. I recommend this to smart, thinking sports readers, as it contains much about history and events that go beyond the usual boring "baseball books." Bonds' place not only in sports history but American history - his effect on the immediate post-9/11 period, the merits and de-merits of the New Media, race relations in the 21st Century, steroids and all-time records - are dissected in expert manner.

Rating:
Summary: Falls Flat
Review: Being a great Barry Bonds fan, I wanted to like this book. I truly did. But its flaws were too glaring; it came across as one of those "strike while the iron is hot" books. Such books rarely offer anything of lasting quality.

Author Steve Travers tries to offer readers an insightful look into Barry Bonds The Man. While the attempt is admirable, I couldn't help but come away with the impression that the attempt failed. I came away knowing little to nothing new about what makes Barry Bonds tick. And isn't that why Bonds fans would be drawn to this?

A good portion of the book is fleshed out with pulpish sports writing. It's passable, but too often lacks passion. Some passages scream "written too quickly!" Where was the editor? (...)

Bonds fans should remain patient; a definitive book on this superstar is inevitable. This ain't it.

Rating:
Summary: Steve should write more books like this
Review: I decided to post this because of something I just noticed. I read Brent Bozell's book and was going to write a review of it (I liked it). I previously wrote a review of Barry Bonds: Baseball's Superman, written by my friend Steven Travers, so I checked it out. I was amazed to see all kinds of negative reviews of his book, which sold well and even won an award, I think. Then I read these reviews further and discovered that none of it had anything to do with Steve's book. It turns out Steve writes reviews of books and movies on Amazon himself. Like me, he is pretty conservative. He wrote some reviews about Michael Moore, books and documentaries by him, a few about him, etc.

Anyway, the stuff Travs wrote about Moore was not real flattering of Moore, but it looked to be researched and was basically within the framework of the stuff a lot of people write and say about Moore, who is pretty controversial either way you cut the mustard. It turns out somebody turned the Moore supporters on to Steve, how I'm not sure, but they all decided to give a bunch of negative, fake reviews of Barry Bonds: Baseball's Superman. Lord, I could not believe some of the stuff people were saying about my friend's book. Terrible reviews. One stars. Calling him a liar, claiming all kinds of untruths about him, and the Bonds book had nothing to do with politics. One clown apparently wrote more than one of the reviews, and when I looked at other reviews I saw this dingleberry shadowing Steve's reviews, sort of the way a kid repeats what another kid says on a schoolyard. The guy looks like he has several aliases or something and gives Steve "unhelpful" votes even when Steve gives the best review in the lot.

Here is a sports book and people were writing stuff like, "Boycott this book because of what Steve said about Michael Moore." Are you kidding? A guy gives his honest opinion, like it or not, and you're calling for a boycott of some totally separate entity! This in a nutshell is why the left is losing. All they do is protest, strike, complain.

This is the way the left operates. These people just hide and do hit-and-runs. Steve puts his name and email address up there like a man. If you like him or not, and he's opinionated so you might not like him, you know who he is and what he stands for. These people are cowards. Just shut up or, if you have anything to say, be up front about it.

Anyway, I'll say it again. Steve's book was excellent. Write some more of them.

Rating:
Summary: Steven Travers on Barry Bonds
Review: I have lived overseas for many years but was an avid Giants fan in the 60's & 70's. Steven Travers' book on Barry Bonds was a welcome gift. I had read various news articles about the "controversial" Bonds and feel that Travers' book puts things right. I especially enjoyed the insights into the life styles of high powered sports figures. The build-up to Bonds' record setting home run season was handled in an excellent manner. This book is a great read for any baseball fan.

Rating:
Summary: A woman's POV
Review: 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:
Summary: Steve Travers on Barry Bonds
Review: 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:
Summary: The Best of Bonds
Review: This insightful, well-written book is a must-read for the sports fan interested in a personal, inside view of the multi-faceted personality of the immensely talented Barry Bonds.

Bonds has provided few people with the access and insight he provided Steve Travers, the author. History will prove it to be the definitive work on one of baseball's greatest players.

Frank McCormack


Rating:
Summary: Steven Travers writes with a unique insight
Review: With the multitude of books written regarding the sport of baseball, Steven Travers writes with a unique insight into not only the sport, but the day to day lives of Bonds and his peers. As a former professional baseball player, Travers touches on the subject matter with a unique insight and perspective. Additionally, Travers attended and graduated from USC during the time Bonds played at Arizona State (Pac-10). As such, Travers is not only a writer, but a fan. Travers not only documents Bond's achievement of becoming baseball's all-time single season homerun champion, but he touches on Bond's trials and tribulations with his peers and the media. Ultimately, the reader soon realizes that Travers was able to do what many has tried and failed at; that is, he was able to garner the respect and support of Bonds in the ability to tell his amazing story to the whole world. As a former Pac-10 pitcher at USC who battled Bonds on many occasions, I found Traver's insight very refreshing and commendable. I found the book a very easy read that kept me entertained throughout.
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