The Complete Book of Billiards

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 of  archival 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.

Mike Shamos is the curator of The Billiard Archive, the world-famous storehouse of information about billiards located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He is the world's leading authority on the lore and history of billiards.
He lives in Pittsburgh.