The Great Mahjong Book: History, Lore, and Play (Paperback)

by Jelte Rep (Author)
Key Phrases: three dragons, imperial jade, bonus tiles, Waiting Hand, Hong Kong, Red Dragon (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
The Great Mahjong Book is a perfect resource for the beginning or experienced mahjong player. This comprehensive book covers the entire history of mahjong as it spread around the globe, on the equipment and accessories used in the game, the basic rules, how and where the game first developed and all the international variants of mahjong—including China, the U.S., Holland, the U.K., France, Germany, Italy, Japan and Hong Kong. Filled with hints, fun facts and numerous illustrations of memorabilia and artifacts, this authoritative and thoroughly enjoyable book is a perfect gift for anyone interested in this ancient and beguiling game.

About the Author
Author Jelte Rep is a passionate proponent of the Game of the Thousand Miracles, researching its history, equipment, playing variants and cultural artifacts. In addition to teaching mahjong and organizing mahjong tournaments, Rep spends his time filming documentaries and writing dramas for television.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Tuttle Publishing (December 15, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0804837198
• ISBN-13: 978-0804837194
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #440,117 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Enthusiastically recommended, July 8, 2007

By	Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

Written by globe-trotting mahjong enthusiast Jelte Rep, The Great Mahjong Book: History, Lore, and Play is a thorough guide to the history and play of mahjong world wide - illustrated throughout in full color, which is particularly helpful when it displays sample mahjong tile groups. The straightforward text covers both basic and advanced mahjong rules for gamers of all skill and experience levels, and an index allows for quick and easy reference. Anyone seeking to learn mahjong, improve their skills, or especially, play the game while visiting another nation, is enthusiastically recommended to immediately add a copy of The Great Mahjong Book to their personal library.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great mahjong book, indeed, August 29, 2008

By	Mikko Saari (Tampere, Finland) - See all my reviews

Jelte Rep's Great Mahjong Book, originally published in Dutch, is an interesting tour of mahjong around the world. It starts from the history of the game - not thousands years like many sources like to claim, but actually more like 150 years.

Then he takes a look at how the game is played in the US, Japan, China, other Asian countries and several European countries. The local variations are described, not always in great detail, but detailed enough so you can try them out if you wish. If you want to learn a particular style well, get a book or a web site focused on that variant, but for a general overview, Rep's book is excellent.

Add to that a sleek, stylish layout and plenty of good pictures, and you get a rather fine book on a rather fine game. This book will serve both newbies and enthusiasts.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Mahjong explained.. , January 12, 2009

By	Jeanette L. Ko "retropolitan" (Los Angeles Ca.) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I like this book and have given it as a gift to mahjong enthusiasts who have also liked and enjoyed it. Its a good explanation to just about everyone of the different rules and the different meanings of the tiles. No one I know thats seen this book hasnt learned something! This comes from a white woman married to a Chinese man and has friends of every Asian background!