Product Description
Information from so many high level billiard researchers and noted players, make this volume unique...names such as Ameen, Bitalis, Blomdahl, Conlon, Hallon, Hayama, Jaspers,Lauridsen, Rojas, Machida, Machetta, Maloney, Piedrabuena,Procita, Sang Lee, Shimado, Shooni, Strange, Van Barel, Viguera, and players of lesser fame. The 9-ball and one pocket player, along with the 3-cushion world, will now have extra study material. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Excelent
This book containts a very good source of methods and systems easy to remember and help you to improve your level game.
I recomend you this product.

Epic Achievement
What Mr. Harris accomplished in this series is phenomenal. This is an ultimate and indispensable guide to 3-cushion players. All four books of this series are full of precious formulas and tips many of which have been secret to amateurs. Systematic and pin-pointed explanations and diagrams are incredible.

River City Miracle
In Wichita, I selfishly organized these locals recently using Bondzinsky's ladder club concept so that they could see their averages and have their hearts on improvement. It worked too. There are 14 players. In one monththey've played over 100 games and the housemen are cleaning the tableeveryday. Without 4 pounds of chalk, they play longer and rather well. Then, I make available the Atlas books for those that stand still longenough to read a select page or two.Most will.Those of us that rely onthe books and our working our way through them (one new thing at a time)"call our shots" to each other, so we can compare and discuss themany approaches.It's a minor miracle, right here in River City. One guywill say, "Rising Sun," another offers, "Dead Ballhere", "Sid", "Walt's," "Sang Lee,""Plus," all those familiar names in the books. Here's thepunchline: "these writings have given even Wichita a body ofinformation that is improving play and interest in the game...not just forstudents and 3 cushion fanatics, like me, but for the newcomers andconverted pool players in town. The way these books play a part in theimprovement of the game is probably greater than Walt will ever know."

Legally change his name to Santa Claus
All year long Walt Harris should wear a red cap and a long white beard . And have his name legally changed to SANTA CLAUS (to Room Billiard Players). I had my 1926 Bruns. table re done recently; and I just finishedpracticing third rail arrivals, with the West Chicago Long Angle. Wow, whatapleasure to see shot after shot right on the money!! A real Christmaspresent to me and a pleasure to look forward to all year long.PerhapsI'll send him a reindeer or two.

850 enjoyable pages.
The most comprehensive four-volume collection of billiard systems and techniques, ever published. ... Read more

Product Description
Do you have a passion for billiards? If you do, you know there is always room to improve your game. Learn tips and techniques from a pro within this book. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

You get what you pay for
This small sequel to the Billiards for Beginners volume is really more for intermediate players.While a book like Byrned's Advanced or Play Your Best Pool will teach you a lot more, there are a handful of gems in here.My rule of thumb: Get every pool book you can find, because you'll learn at least one thing from each of them that the other authors forgot to write about.(This is especially true if you re-read them, more than once - you won't absorb every detail in every book the first time through.Absorb what you can, play for 6 months, and start re-reading; repeat).Anyway, yes, this book doesn't get very in-depth about anything (what do you expect for such a small publication?)But it's cheap.And at roughly the price of one (good) beer, how can you lose?

Don't waste your money!!!
This was certainly one of the worst pool books I have ever read.I bought this book because it was supposed to be for advanced players.There was absolutely nothing in this book that I didn't already know.And I am certainly not advanced enough to know everything about pool.It is more a book of fundamentals than anything else.The book by George Fels was 100 times better.I would definately not recommend this book ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (2)

Great book
I stumbled onto this book while searching through a game room store that was going out of business, and had everything on sale.The book was a little used and I guess had been sitting under some boxes for decades.Anyway, got it forin 2003 and it's a hardback in sweet condition!

Right - so on to content:the book is great.It reads very well, and definitely provides insight into the billiard world. It's about 200+ pages, and I devoured it in a day of reading. I'm a player, not a great one, and I have a real career as well, so pool's a hobby for me, but one which I take pretty seriously.I've spent time at lots of pool halls, some seedy, some nice, most in-between.I could relate to lots of the book, but there was definitely lots of new stuff I picked up from it with respect to the billiards culture.Highly recommended.

Great banter between two hustlers
If you'd like to know what it's really like to experience the banter of two of the top hustlers of their time--then you'll love the chapter dealing with Gene Nagy's one pocket game.Great fun! ... Read more

Product Description
More than three hundred secrets and showstoppers, explained and diagrammed by a master player. “The most complete book on the subject I have ever come across. I especially like the historical notes”(Jimmy Caras, four-time World Champion). Diagrams, photographs, and line drawings. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Perfect Gift for My Husband
As soon as my husband started flipping through this book, he was so excited. I surprised him with it on Valentine's Day, and within a couple of minutes, he was checking out trick shots that had always eluded him, shots that he always wanted to learn, some he had never seen before, and some that he was doing incorrectly. It has great diagrams and excellent explanations. We whole-heartedly recommend this book!

A great addition to you pool library
Highly entertaining, and informative to boot, even for regular, non-trick play.Anyone who already has Byrne's Standard Book of Pool and Byrne's Advanced should also get this, and his Wonderful World of Pool & Billiards book, as all four volumes regularly refer to (useful) information in each other.While this is MOSTLY a fun book about cute tricks shots (and possibly profitable ones, if you can master them and find suckers for bar bets), your casual, league and even tournament player can learn a few good pointers from the materials herein.

[...]

Super-Excellent, Awesome Book for Trick Shots!
This book covers the classics, such as the football shot, butterfly shot, machine gun shot, just showin' off, etc, plus variations, (i.e. masse machine gun shot) lesser known shots, and shots by the author. Some require almost no skill at all, while making others could keep pros happy all day.
Every shot has information about its history, how to do it, and sometimes even suggestions on what to say before you attempt it, plus a clear yet detailed digram of the setup and shot.
Almost any book will tell you how to do a few, common trick shots, but this one has them all.

Byrne's Delivers
Once again Byrne delivers concise info in an easy understandable manner. I currently own several of his books and videos; all of which are helpful. Some of his info may be found in earlier writings, but that's the case with many tomes in this area. It's no surprise he was inducted into the BCA Hall of Fame for his wonderful contributions to this sport via his writings/videos.

Good Luck...
The book is interesting, but I tried a number of the supposedly "easy" trick shots.. They're not easy and I'm a fairly decent shot (play in leagues etc..).I'm sure with consistent practice, you couldactually make 1 or 2 of these shots, but even then they would be "lowpercentage" shots.The placement of the balls must be perfect and notext can tell where to place these balls with the kind of precision you'llneed to make these shots.Just don't expect to buy this book and be makingtrick shots the next day.. - You'll be disappointed.Even so, it's funjust to see these shots diagramed and the historical facts/anecdotes areinteresting. ... Read more

Product Description
This is a novella (10,500 words) taken from the collection "Months and Seasons." "The Sun is a Billiard Ball" weaves two stories around each other like a good French comedy. The first tells the tale of Albert, a car dealership owner in Santa Monica who finds blood in his stool one morning, and on this particular day, the craziness of his sales staff charge at him full force. Will Albert survive? The second story involves a young man named Wade who has just slept with a woman named Jazz, who he met the night before at a club. He loves her, but a secret she reveals bring them both to Santa Monica. Will they survive?

A literary writer who uses humor, Christopher Meeks is known for his award-winning short story collections that include "The Middle-Aged Man and the Sea" and "Months and Seasons," as well as his novel, "The Brightest Moon of the Century." Carmela Ciuraru in the Los Angeles Times describes Meeks's fiction as relentlessly probing, honoring his characters' lives, "treating them with the dignity and introspection they deserve." ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Knuckles deep-down to the core of the matter...
There is a fundamental truth to all of Chris Meeks' writing which defies the standard literary form. Whether as a dramatist, a pragmatist, or a futurist, Meeks' works traverse that sensitive and permeable membrane between reality and fiction; always leaving an indelible imprint. Less an entertaining yarn -- which this story so genuinely is -- and more an instructive machete cutting through the claptrap of the "live-decadently" poobahs, The Sun is a Billiard Ball portends a possible tragic scenario anyone of us might find ourselves in at any given time in life. For instance, in reading about the character Albert's travails, I was right there with him as he underwent his examination, cringing along with him as his physician coldly went about his diagnosis. I felt deeply and intrinsically what character Jazz must have been sensing as she received the sordid news of her irreversible fate -- a still-pernicious malaise the developed world is so shockingly flippant about.

Meeks chose these particular characters, I believe, because he had to deliver this vital message via this form. Meeks doesn't claim to be a polemicist, and neither should any writer in truth be. Yet the voice which beckons from these pages doesn't merely leap -- it ricochets -- into your grey matter and sticks there.

Billiard Ball will move you to action. It will inspire you to change your ways, to alter your more corrosive habits. You know, the ones we all find facile one-off excuses to continue doing, only to pay that burdensome price months later when we least expect it. There are no free lunches, and Meeks makes this painfully clear.

You won't be the same after reading this story. This 30-odd page tale is less day-in-the-life story, but more a call to action for Ms. and Mr. Everyman.

I encourage more of the same. I suspect part of the reason author Meeks hasn't posted more similar compelling tales is because it -- and god-forbid (tongue firmly in cheek) -- might shock us into a permanent and positive change.

Billiard Ball will get you to reassess the way you look at waking up in the morning to the things you place in your mouth as food. You'll see yourself in the mirror differently, to be sure, and this is the real mastery of Meeks' writing.

While others are out there seeking futile answers from the usual suspects of drugs, alcohol, and self-disrepect, within a tight handful of pages Billiard Ball at least offers you more than a palm frond of hope.

Like a magnet, it will coax you along a path. If it doesn't, you don't have a pulse. ... Read more

Product Description
This is a unique reference to the intriguing world of pool halls and billiard parlors. Over 700 beautiful color photographs explore the history of the sport through pool and billiard collectibles from the 18th through the early 20th centuries. Balls and their boxes, cues, racks, triangles, scorekeepers, specialized chairs and lights, chalks, medals, tokens, trophies, historic photos, prints, posters, matchbox holders, matchsafes, pocket mirrors, advertisements, catalog pages, and much more are all part of this specialized presentation. The text, by experienced dealers, imparts useful tips for newcomers and experienced collectors alike. Values are found in the captions. A gallery of ninety different pool and billiard tables is a tribute to their diverse designs. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Pool & Billiard Collectables
Great book, just as described, shipped quickly, this was a good transaction. Would buy from this supplier again.

Highly informative!!
Great book full of valuable information.Only hope there is an updated version in the works!! ... Read more

Product Description
Compiled by an international group of more than 40 authors, this reference book supplies an engaging and comprehensive review of the major topics and key issues associated with narcolepsy and hypersomnia. Spanning the latest advances in the field, this source covers current diagnostic procedures, genetic developments, explorations of animal models, new definitions and criteria, and improved epidemiological surveys to reflect the explosion of research in this evolving science. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Billiards at Half-Past Nine
Robert Faehmel, strongly antiwar and antitotallitarian, had fled from the Nazis during their rise, had lost his wife and watched his mother lose her mind amid the horror of their time. He nevertheless became commander of retreating German forces which senselessly destroyed an abbey - the greatest of his father's architectural accomplishments. In an effort to retain his sanity, Robert Faehmel now lives a rigorously scheduled life; his daily ritual includes a game of billiards at the local hotel each morning at half-pat nine. The interruption of this routine by an oldschoolmate and former Nazi who has become a power in German reconstruction triggers a conflict both absorbing and profound.
--- from book's back cover ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A fun tour of the golden age of billiards in the US
Thank goodness for people like Robert Byrne who have the foresight and passion to document the lives of subculture luminaries. Dan McGoorty was one such personality, and I'm glad this book is back in print.

On one hand, McGoorty was a person whom many considered a waste of life; on the other hand, he was a master of a complex and subtle game. The contrast of these two aspects of McGoorty makes for a fascinating read. There's also a section in which McGoorty shares with us his experience with other notable pool and billiard champs. Highly recommended for anybody interested in the history of billiards.

A great book from a better time in America
McGoorty: A billiard hustler's life is one of the greatest books I have ever read. It is out of print, but a few years back I got it from the Cornhusker catalog. Anyway, this book is a narrative that is just funny as hell and poignant, from beginning to end. It's all about Danny McGoorty, and his rise from being a no-name drunk pool hustler, to a drunk box car bum, and then to a sober billiard champion playing among the likes of Willie Hoppe and Ray Ceulemans. A must read for anybody who likes a story that won't slow down, and a definite must for any pool player or fanatic. Find this used or whatever, but get it!! ... Read more

Product Description
In a career approaching thirty years in duration, Henry Taylor has established himself as one of the most accomplished poets of our time. Taylor's widely acclaimed third collection of verse, The Flying Change (LSU Press), received the Pulitzer Prize in 1986. Now his first two full-length collections, The Horse Show at Midnight and An Afternoon of Pocket Billiards, published in 1966 and 1975, respectively, are brought together in one volume. The Horse Show at Midnight consists of poems Taylor wrote while still an undergraduate at the University of Virginia, and many of the poems in An Afternoon of Pocket Billiards were composed while he was in the graduate writing program at Hollins College. Despite their youthful provenance, the poems display an already emergent skill and power. The reissue of these two long-unavailable collections is an important literary event. ... Read more

Product Description
The origins of billiards, pool, snooker, and other cue sports date back centuries, and The Complete Book of Billiards is the essential reference guide to these and all associated cue games.

The book is both informative and entertaining as it defines the whole of billiard terminology within a historical context. In accessible A-to-Z format, with hundreds ofarchival illustrations and prints, most of the entries are brief encyclopedia-type paragraphs containing anecdotes, quotes, and analysis of the term. Thoroughly cross-referenced, with an extensive bibliography as well as several appendices, this is a particularly comprehensive guide. Here is such information as:

 ¸         À la Royale -- an obsolete game of English billiards that allowed three players to participate
 ¸         Bar Pool -- pocket billiards usually played on coin-operated tables
 ¸         Dress -- to prepare the tip of a cue stick
 ¸         Pool Shark -- an expert but unsavory player
 ¸         Skyrocket Shot -- the cue ball takes a curved path

A terrific source for the serious player
as well as a fascinating look back for
the lover of history, The Complete Book of Billiards is an authoritative guide to cue games.
... Read more

Product Description
Simply Pool teaches the basics of pocket billiards for the beginner. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Excellent for the beginning player
Billiards Digest reviewed this in August 1998 issue.This was theirheader: "A decent, clear stab at basic instruction from an average Joe." ... Read more

Product Description
Originally published in the late 1800s, this is an anthology of articles on Billiards by master of the game. Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. Obscure Press are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork. Contents Include Great Players I have Watched Professionals V. Amateurs Billiards for Woman A Billiards-Table Problem An Astounding Feat with Billiards Balls A Challenge from Willie Smith and My Reply A Hundred in Four Minutes Composition Balls Billiards Compared with other Games The Ideal Temperament The Billiards Stance Past and Present Styles What Constitutes Good Cueing Brandishing the Cue The Value of Ones Cue Billiards-Table Clothes The Best Practice Stroke The Long Inn-off After the Balls are Touching Slight Variations From Half-Ball Contacts The Angels of Large and Small Balls Tightening the Cue Hold The Billiards Sense Commencing the Game Red-Ball Play A Little-known Cannon The Question of Transmitted Slide ... Read more

Product Description

The secrets of billiards--taught by two of its greatest players

Pool legend Steve Mizerak has teamed up with Ewa Mataya Laurance, the "Striking Viking," to write A Quick-Start Guide to Pocket Billiards, an essential resource for players of all levels to learn the skills required to attain proficiency at the game and then take their games to the next level.

In clear, step-by-step instructions and friendly language, it teaches readers how to:

• Think like a pro
• Select and hold the perfect cue
• Sink balls
• Analyze and set up shots
• Play the offensive in a game

Customer Reviews (1)

A likeable (albeit arguably not the very best available) "beginners guide"
This is sort of a "middle-of-the-road-quality," 150-page guide for beginners. Its many black-and-white illustrations noteworthily include some pleasing (albeit far from high-resolution) little photos of the perennially sexy Ewa Mataya Laurance (as well as her delightful daughter, Nikki).

There's also considerable content (illustrated with typical pool-tabletop diagrams) on shots & drills, though it doesn't fully rival the best books' more in-depth coverage.

It's certainly worth collecting (I'm speaking as someone who's collected 51--virtually "all"--of the best-known pool books), provided you don't pay full price. (Instead, order a greatly discounted new copy via a third-party vendor.) ... Read more