Thirty-one stories on pool and billiards written over the past 150 years. The authors range from Pushkin to Vachss, the stories from Wallace Stegner's The Blue-Winged Teal, on competition between a father and a son, to Bill Pronzini's science fiction story, The Hungarian Cinch.
The definitive work on pool and billiards (National Billiard News) by champion player Robert Byrne Now updated throughout and expanded with new material on strategy in eight- and nine-ball, trick shots, and billiard memorabilia, Byrne's New Standard Book of Pool and Billiards is the classic guide to cue games complete with detailed diagrams and photographs to help improve play at every level."
Welcome to Byrne's Wonderful World of Pool and Billiards, a medley of instruction and lore from the best-selling authority on billiards technique. Here, clearly explained and illustrated, are tips on improving your pool game ("Three-Shot Planning"), unusual shots, technique in three-cushion billiards ("Handling Tough Leaves", "Kilgore's Opposite 3 System"), and clarification of the games people play (five pins, snooker, box billiards). In his inimitable style, Robert Byrne also entertains with stories, sage advice ("How to Cope with Sore Losers"), and profiles of top players - plus one of an infamous poseur.
Fully illustrated—in color for the first time!—with drawings of nearly 350 mind-boggling trick shots, Byrne’s Treasury of Trick Shots in Pool and Billiards will teach you everything from the basic “butterfly formation” to the most difficult and impressive shots. Robert Byrne will help novice and experienced players alike perfect their trick shots and learn about the historical context of each trick. Trick shots are anything amusing, surprising, or educational that can be done on a pool or billiard table with standard accessories, and have been around as long as the game itself. Byrne demonstrates historical shots, including some invented by the famous Captain Mingaud, the world’s first professional exhibition player, and newer tricks seen while travelling to tournaments around the world. Filled with easy as well as hard, and technical as well as showy tricks, the book’s clear diagrams, paired with secret insider tips, describe simpler stunts for the beginner, those that take years of practice, and some that the author doubts you’ll ever be able to do. Whether you want to impress a crowd, a group of friends, or yourself, Byrne’s wild, stunning, and unforgettable trick shots will make you question some principles of physics and wow an audience of one or one-hundred. Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Sports Publishing imprint, is proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in sports—books about baseball, pro football, college football, pro and college basketball, hockey, or soccer, we have a book about your sport or your team. In addition to books on popular team sports, we also publish books for a wide variety of athletes and sports enthusiasts, including books on running, cycling, horseback riding, swimming, tennis, martial arts, golf, camping, hiking, aviation, boating, and so much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to publishing books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked by other publishers and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.
The Broadway Books Library of Larceny Luc Sante, General Editor McGoorty is master billiards writer Robert Byrne’s racy account of the life of Danny McGoorty, a billiards champion of that bygone era when cue artists were often scam artists and pool rooms were held to be dens of iniquity. Hustler and hobo, womanizer and fashion plate, McGoorty was at once eyewitness to Capone’s Chicago and the feats of greats like Willie Hoppe and Willie Mosconi. In an all-American voice at once sarcastic, profane, humorous, and chock full of colorful lingo, he relates his colorful and seedy life and times with a unique style and brio.
Called a “masterpiece” in a starred review from School Library Journal, award-winning author Chris Crutcher’s acclaimed Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes is an enduring classic. This bestselling novel is about love, loyalty, and friendship in the face of adversity. “Superb plotting, extraordinary characters, and cracking narrative make this novel unforgettable.”—Publishers Weekly Sarah Byrnes and Eric Calhoune have been friends for years. When they were children, his weight and her scars made them both outcasts. Now Sarah Byrnes—the smartest, toughest person Eric has ever known—sits silent in a hospital. Eric must uncover the terrible secret she’s hiding before its dark current pulls them both under. Will appeal to fans of Marieke Nijkamp, Andrew Smith, and John Corey Whaley. “Once again, Chris Crutcher plunges his readers into life's tough issues within a compelling story filled with human compassion . . . with his characteristic intelligence, humor, and empathy."—ALAN Review An American Library Association Best Book for Young Adults
"This collection contains some real gems!" UNITED PRESS INTERNATIONAL From Golda Meir to Erma Bombeck...from Aldous Huxley to Abbie Hoffman...from Oscar Wilde to W.C. Fields...from Queen Victoria to Mae West...from Aristotle to Idi Amin....here are the 637 best things anybody ever said--on God, Life, Death, Murder, Stupidity, Narcisism, Birth, Youth, Sex, Love, Marriage, Horses, Greeks, Romans, Politics, Literature, Drink, Presidents, and a great deal more.
From a popular senior writer for Sports Illustrated comes this high-stakes, boys-on-the-road story about the most unlikely of phenoms--a heavyset, bipolar, and endlessly charming pool hustler named Kid Delicious In most sports the pinnacle is Wheaties-box notoriety. But in the world of pool, notoriety is the last thing a hustler desires. Such is the dilemma that faces one Danny Basavich, an affable, generously proportioned Jewish kid from Jersey, who flounders through high school until he discovers the one thing he excels at--the felt--and hits the road. Running the Table spins the outrageous tale of Kid Delicious and his studly--if less talented--set-up man, Bristol Bob. Never was there a more entertaining or mismatched pair of sidekicks, as together they go underground into the flavorfully seamy world of pool to learn the art of the hustle and experience the highs and lows of life on the road. Their four-year odyssey takes them from Podunk pool halls to slick urban billiard rooms across America, as they manage one night to take down as much as $30,000, only to lose so much the next night that they lack gas money to get home. With every stop, the action gets hotter, the calls get closer, and Delicious's prowess with a cue stick becomes known more and more widely. Ultimately, Delicious sheds his cover once and for all and becomes professional pool's biggest sensation since Minnesota Fats. In a book sure to appeal to fans of Bringing Down the House and Positively Fifth Street, Wertheim evokes a subculture full of nefarious but loveable characters and illuminates America's fascination with games and gambling. He also paints a lasting portrait of an insanely talented and magnetic hustler, who is literally larger than life.
Focusing on the execution of the necessary shots that both beginners and advanced players need to win games, this guide also shares the secrets behind seemingly impossible trick shots. By following the instructions illustrated in more than 100 photos and diagrams, players of any level can learn the skills needed to be serious contenders.