Fast-paced and gritty, McGoorty tells the story of Danny McGoorty, the infamous pool and billiards player. Ladies' man, bad boy, dandy, drinker, and hobo in the days before World War II, he skipped from town to town with his pool cue as a meal ticket. This is a raucous true tale from the sport's golden era, told by an authority on the game.
McGoorty: A Pool Room Hustler (Library of Larceny)
and over one million other books are available for Amazon Kindle.
Learn more
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Book Description
Editorial Reviews
Review
“Pool hustler, hobo, alcoholic, ladies’ man, and tournament player . . . McGoorty was a Runyonesque character and a first-rate raconteur. The result is a memoir that should rack up many readers, even among those that don’t know a cue from a swizzle stick.” —Publishers Weekly
“At times funny, occasionally filthy, here and there exaggerated, but it’s an entertaining story of a guy who doesn’t try to pass himself off as any sort of giant at the table: just a fellow who loved the game.” —Willie Mosconi, nineteen-time World Straight Pool champion --This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.
“At times funny, occasionally filthy, here and there exaggerated, but it’s an entertaining story of a guy who doesn’t try to pass himself off as any sort of giant at the table: just a fellow who loved the game.” —Willie Mosconi, nineteen-time World Straight Pool champion --This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.
From the Inside Flap
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.
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
More About the Author
Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
If vulgar doen't bother you,
By Rick Jennings (Lebanon, Tennessee USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: McGoorty: A Pool Room Hustler (Total/Sports Illustrated Classic Series) (Paperback)
This is another wonderfully written book by Robert Byrne. It shows the vivid life of a pool hustler/hobo/drunk/real person that was in his prime in the 1920's-1950's. If gives a real sense of McGoorty and his life in what apear to be his own words. He also shares extremely colorful insight, his opinion, into several famous and well known professional billiard players and World Champions of his era. It is full of real life experiences during those times; however, the language and crude tone are very vulgar. If you're not offended it is an enjoyable interesting read.
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Essential Americana,
By A Customer
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: McGoorty: A Pool Room Hustler (Total/Sports Illustrated Classic Series) (Paperback)
McGoorty, billiards legend, tells all. Not quite on the same plateau as, for example, Mezz Mezzrow's 'Really the Blues', but definitely up there in the modest pantheon of books unafraid to celebrate lowbrow Americana in all its primal glory. McGoorty's glorious world of the 1920s and 30s is gone now, but thankfully we have a few books like this to remind us what it was like.
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A unique read,
By "littlespooncom" (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: McGoorty: A Pool Room Hustler (Total/Sports Illustrated Classic Series) (Paperback)
Quick review: Very unique voice. Was a pleasure to read. Excellent Social Anthropological details contained within. Highly recommended. Made me want to learn 3 cushion.
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
|
|
Inside This Book
(learn more)
Browse and search another edition of this book.
Browse and search another edition of this book.
First Sentence:
If you think the Chicago cops are bad now, you should have seen them in the 1920's . . . my God, nobody was safe! Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
world tournament, straight pool, billiard player Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
San Francisco, Jesus Christ, Los Angeles, Joe Procita, Panther Piss, Jim the Barber, Johnny Layton, Ray Kilgore, World War, Masako Katsura, New York, Welker Cochran, Willie Hoppe, Alfredo De Oro, Augie Kieckhefer, Fleet-footed Dan, Jay Bozeman, Johnny Irish, Lucky Dan, Shamrock Eakin, Dick Adams, Gordon Thexton, Navy Pier, Ralph Greenleaf, Salt Lake City New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Surprise Me!
If you think the Chicago cops are bad now, you should have seen them in the 1920's . . . my God, nobody was safe! Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
world tournament, straight pool, billiard player Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
San Francisco, Jesus Christ, Los Angeles, Joe Procita, Panther Piss, Jim the Barber, Johnny Layton, Ray Kilgore, World War, Masako Katsura, New York, Welker Cochran, Willie Hoppe, Alfredo De Oro, Augie Kieckhefer, Fleet-footed Dan, Jay Bozeman, Johnny Irish, Lucky Dan, Shamrock Eakin, Dick Adams, Gordon Thexton, Navy Pier, Ralph Greenleaf, Salt Lake City New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 3
books:
- The Big Con: The Story of the Confidence Man by David Maurer in Back Matter
- Captive City by Ovid Demaris on page 58
- Low Life by Luc Sante in Back Matter
Books on Related Topics
(learn more)
|
|
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Suggested Tags from Similar Products(What's this?)Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product).
|
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
