Roll the Bones: The History of Gambling (Casino Edition) - Softcover

Schwartz, David G.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1939546001 ISBN 13: 9781939546005

Publisher: Winchester Books, 2013

Synopsis

A history of gambling from its origins to the present day, with a highlight on the development of casino gaming. After discussing the origins of casinos in Venice and European spas, the book shifts to the United States, where illegal gambling halls and legal frontier gambling came together in Nevada casinos. From there, the book charts the rise of the casino business in Las Vegas, its transplanting to Atlantic City, and its spread across the United States. New material chronicles the rise of casinos in Asia and online gaming. Praise for the new edition: "This is a serious history that's as fun to read as a fiction thriller, written by a guy who really understands gambling. A winning trifecta." --Aaron Brown, author of Red-Blooded Risk and The Poker Face of Wall Street "This updated edition of Roll the Bones is even more indispensable than the original. . .a comprehensive and compelling look at the history of risk-taking, refocused on casinos" - James McManus, author of Positively Fifth Street

About this title

From the Back Cover

Advance Praise for Roll the Bones

"Roll the Bones is a comprehensive and compelling look at the history of risk-taking—a necessary book in our age of plutonium poker, state lotteries, and billion-dollar Internet gaming sites. David Schwartz, a serious historian writing for a general audience, illuminates an urge we feel deep in our cells."
—From the Foreword by James McManus, author of Positively Fifth Street

"Simultaneously entertaining, informative, and provocative, Roll the Bones looks through the veils of luxury, elegance, and pleasure that surround mankind’s obsession with lady luck, to give a panoramic view of generations of gamblers, from the Caesars of Imperial Rome to Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas. Behind the lively narrative is a mass of information on the origin and rules of most popular games of chance, and a thoughtful analysis of the place of gambling in the 21st century."
—Iain Gately, author of Tobacco: A Cultural History of How an Exotic Plant Seduced Civilization

"David Schwartz has written a masterful and encyclopedic history of gambling, from hunter- gathering peoples to the tourists on the twenty-first-century Las Vegas Strip. Throughout Schwartz maintains an accessible writing style with plenty of enjoyable anecdotes. Both the professional historian and the average reader will find the work rewarding."
—Larry Gragg, author of Englishmen Transplanted and The Salem Witch Crises

"Roll the Bones is an impressive telling of our journey with gambling, from its evolutionary beginnings to today—a great read for both the serious student of gambling history and the merely curious. This book will become the ‘gold standard’ of gambling history."
—Crandell Addington, championship poker legend and member of the Poker Hall of Fame

About the Author

David G. Schwartz, the Director of the Center for Gaming Research at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, is a writer, speaker, and consultant whose areas of specialty include the history of gambling and current issues facing the industry. An Atlantic City native with a Ph.D. in U.S. History from UCLA and hands-on experience in the gaming industry, Schwartz has been at UNLV since 2001.
Currently the Gaming and Hospitality Editor for Vegas Seven, Schwartz writes the regular "Green Felt Journal" column and features for the magazine. He is a member of the Vegas Gang podcast, and has been widely quoted on gambling topics in the national and international media. He's been in several documentaries, including "All In: the Poker Movie," "Secrets of the Palms," "Secrets of New York New York," "Vegas Whales Tales" (Travel Channel); "The History of Poker," "Modern Marvels: Casino Technology," and "Anything to Win" (History Channel). He has served as an off-screen consultant for these and several other programs.
To date, Schwartz has written or edited six books, including Suburban Xanadu: the Casino Resort on the Las Vegas Strip and Beyond, Cutting the Wire: Gambling Prohibition and the Internet, and Roll the Bones: The History of Gambling.
Schwartz lives in Las Vegas with his wife and their two children.

About this edition

• Publisher: Winchester Books
• Publication date: 2013
• ISBN 10: 1939546001
• ISBN 13: 9781939546005
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 454