Game of Shadows

Barry Bonds, BALCO, and the Steroids Scandal that Rocked Professional Sports

By: Mark Fainaru-Wada, Lance Williams

Narrated by: Scott Brick

Length: 10 hrs and 36 mins

Publisher's summary

The complete inside story of the shocking steroids scandal that turned the sports world upside down

For years, in the shadowy reaches of the world of sports, there were rumors that some of our nation’s greatest athletes were using steroids, human growth hormone, and other drugs to run faster, jump higher, and hit harder. But as track stars blazed their way to Olympic medals and sluggers brought fans back to baseball, sports officials, the media, and fans looked past the rumors and cheered on the athletes to ever-higher levels of performance. Then, in December 2004, San Francisco Chronicle reporters Mark Fainaru-Wada and Lance Williams broke the story of the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative, a tiny nutritional supplement company that, according to sworn testimony, was supplying elite athletes with banned drugs. The stories shocked the nation and the exposés led to congressional hearings on baseball's drug problems and a revived effort to purge the US Olympic movement of drug cheats.

Now, in Game of Shadows, Fainaru-Wada and Williams tell the complete story of BALCO and the investigation that has shaken the foundations of the sporting world. And at the center of the story is the biggest star of them all, Barry Bonds, the muscle-bound MVP outfielder for the San Francisco Giants whose suspicious late-career renaissance has him threatening Hank Aaron’s all-time home run record.

Shocking, revelatory, and riveting, Game of Shadows casts light into the shadows of American sports to reveal the dark truths at the heart of the game today.

©2006 Mark Fainaru-Wada and Lance Williams (P)2006 Books on Tape

Critic reviews

"A sober, skillful and utterly damning account of not just the Bonds fiasco but the pervasive influence of steroids in sports." (Los Angeles Times)

"Devastating. . . . groundbreaking. . . . Necessary reading for anyone concerned with the steroids era in baseball and track and field and its fallout on sports history." (Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times)

"A compelling portrait of conspiracy. . . . Fascinating." (The Boston Globe)

Eye opening

Great book, well researched and narrated. I hadn't realize the extent of doping in sports. It's amazing how some of the athletes alleged with doping in the book are still doing the stuff and getting caught.

Worth a listen

This book was a great insight to what is actually going on with many professional athletes, not just Barry Bonds. It's a real eye opener to what these athletes are willing to put in their bodies to succeed at their sport. Definitely worth a listen, especially before the Mitchell report is released next month.

Drugs Are Bad

Third time with this book, first time listening. All these years later, I will never understand Bud Selig’s complicity.

Irresistable

Game of Shadows is audio book crack -- I was mesmerized from beginning to end. My only caveat would be -- if you love sports, the revelations in this book are gonna hurt.

Great narration too -- amazing how important that is.

Absolutely perfect!

Scott Brick was perfect, as always. This book is written Ana’s produced so well, that I cannot help but suspect that the authors and narrator are juicing.

More about track than baseball

This is an interesting book on a timely topic, but there's not much insight into the life of Barry Bonds that hasn't already been revealed.

Moreover, the book is about 60 percent track and field/40 percent baseball, so it's probably not appropriate to call it a book about Barry Bonds, as it is being sold.

Finally, there's a little too much preaching at the end.

Narration is good and the authors do a nice job of portraying the book's real central character -- Conte, not Bonds.

Bonds Led in Lying to Break Aaron's Record

A sad and bitter end to the Steroid Era Home Run Kings, the greatest indignity to informed traditional fans was watching Barry Bonds conspicuously use PEDs to eclipse Henry Aaron's sacred home run record of 755.

Seven League MVP Awards were presented to Barry Bonds, but in no way can he compare to Aaron's integrity.

Reads like a Novel

Amazing audiobook that reads like a novel. Kept me intrigued from first chapter to the last. I thought I knew what happened regarding the steriod craze in sports but didn't realize how indepth and deep it went. Only let down in the book was the end. Seems to suspend you in air after a clamatic build since the story is still going on in real life. I hope the author ammends the ending after the full story comes to a close.

great read

great read and it really shows you how they got away with playing professional baseball as dirty players.

Undeniable

I don't see how anyone reading this book can come away with any conclusion other than that Barry Bonds took PEDs in a conscious effort to cheat.

Though the book is not entirely about Bonds, all of the supporting evidence is brought to bear ultimately to condemn Bonds of PED abuse and knowingly cheating at baseball.

The book is very well written, easy to follow and the case is laid out in a very convincing fashion.

Any baseball fan owes it to him or herself to read this book and make a decision for themselves, whether they believe Bonds or not.