Tiger: The Real Story »

Steve Helling has written over one thousand articles for People magazine, including fifty-five cover stories. He lives in Orlando, Florida.

Before the scandal, the world knew very little about Tiger Woods. After the scandal, they knew him even less. His handlers kept a tight rein on the private superstar, carefully controlling his media coverage. Although everyone recognizes Tiger Woods, his true character has remained a mystery.

Tiger: The Triumphs and Trials of an American Icon is the riveting story of this gifted athlete who tasted unprecedented success and fame. Using his storied golf career as a backdrop, it examines how the people closest to Tiger an ambitious father, an ambivalent mother, and a starstruck wife have shaped him into a complex and conflicted man. Central to the story is Tiger himself: how media hype and a sudden fall from grace have nearly destroyed his personal and professional life...and where he goes from here.

Publishers Weekly

Helling's biography offers insight mainly into Tiger's early years as a rising star with an impeccable reputation and stretches itself a bit as it tries to comment on the recent scandals plaguing the golfer. Kevin Kenerly's narration is standard fare; he reads in a deep and steady journalistic bass tone that is flexible enough to make certain insights sound secretive--to little effect. Helling brings mostly thin leads and hearsay to his account of what makes Tiger tick. A Da Capo hardcover (Reviews, July 5). (May)