Mark McGwire: Home Run Hero is the first full length biography of baseball's premiere slugger. The occasion of the book is McGwire's 1998 season and his headline-making chase to beat one of baseball's most enduring records: the 61 home runs hit by Roger Maris in 1961. This book tells McGwire's life story, from his southern California childhood to college at USC to his stellar career with the Oakland Athletics, concluding with his new career as the St. Louis Cardinals' first baseman. It also covers his off-field dramatics, including the severe injuries he has overcome and his work with charitable foundations for children that led him to be named Sportsman of the Year in 1997 by The Sporting News. This is an upbeat book at one of contemporary sport's few true heroes, tying in with the most dramatic sports story of 1998. Includes 8 pages of black and white photos.