Book Review #15: Game Of Shadows

Game Of Shadows (2007)

Game Of Shadows is about BALCO and the impact that it had on the sporting world at large from Baseball (Barry Bonds, Jason Giambi, Gary Sheffield, Benito Santiago, etc...) to Track and Field (Marion Jones) to Football (Bill Romanowski). But the main crux of this book focused squarely on Barry Bonds, detailing his steroid use starting in 1999.

If Hollywood ever decides to make a movie about BALCO, this is the book they will no doubt use as it's blue print. I for one would love to see it happen because this book was a gripping, fantastic read. I could not put this book down for one second and that's saying a lot since I knew pretty much the entire sordid story before even reading it.

With all the knowledge of what's been happening in real life concerning BALCO, the more I read the book, the more I devoured what was happening in the pages here. Knowing how it all ends, it was fascinating watching, er...reading about this group of people and associates that comprised BALCO as they were building their house of cards. A very shaky house of cards at that. It amazes me that the house didn't collapse sooner than it did with Victor Conte at the helm. He is nothing more than a spoiled little child, crying out for attention. He never amounted to anything in life so the only way he could feel like "someone" was to hang on to celebrities.

I can recommend this if you want an excellent read that will have you flipping page after page, even if it is "incomplete" in that Barry Bonds was never convicted in a court of law or that the book came out before his assault on Hank Aaron's all-time Home Run record which is not documented within'.

On a personal note not related to the book itself, I think Barry Bonds is a dick and an asshole and does not deserve to go into the Hall Of Fame. Period. Even though he was never convicted, I (along with everyone else that doesn't live in San Francisco) think he was on the Juice and tarnished the game of Baseball that will take years to recover from. Fuck you Barry! And that goes for you too McGwire and Sosa!

Since I am on a rant...why stop now? Pete Rose....you suck!

Rant over. :)

Rating: 5 Stars out of 5

Review by Chiprocks1