Byrne's New Standard Book of Pool and Billiards (Paperback)

~ (Author) "A family can have a lot of fun on a department store pool table costing only a few hundred dollars..." (more)
Key Phrases: ducking kisses, centerball hit, diagrammed shot, Advanced Technique, New York, Byrne Collection (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

In the world of cue sticks and side pockets, this is the gospel, the 1998 revised, standard version of the 1978 bible. A champion player, indefatigable writer, and inexhaustible promoter of his sport, Byrne racks his book into two halves, the first a primer on pool, the second on three-cushion billiards. Beginning with the fundamentals, he goes on to run the table with lots of readable advice and detailed diagrams for how to play individual shots, including trick shots, strategies for eight- and nine-ball, and rules for the major pool games. Then it's on to billiards, where he banks from the fundamentals to the art of shot making and tactics for play at every level, touching on every conceivable cushion along the way. --Jeff Silverman

Review

In the world of cue sticks and side pockets, this is the gospel, the 1998 revised, standard version of the 1978 bible. A champion player, indefatigable writer, and inexhaustible promoter of his sport, Byrne racks his book into two halves, the first a primer on pool, the second on three-cushion billiards. Beginning with the fundamentals, he goes on to run the table with lots of readable advice and detailed diagrams for how to play individual shots, including trick shots, strategies for eight- and nine-ball, and rules for the major pool games. Then it's on to billiards, where he banks from the fundamentals to the art of shot making and tactics for play at every level, touching on every conceivable cushion along the way. (Amazon.com Review - Jeff Silverman )

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Product Details

• Paperback: 432 pages
• Publisher: Harvest Books; Second Edition edition (July 15, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0156005549
• ISBN-13: 978-0156005548
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 7 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #18,616 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Robert Byrne is brilliant!, February 4, 2003

By	P. Elward "crashomon" (Chicago, IL USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is a book I come back to time and time again. As someone who plays off and on, I often refer to the book when pool is 'back' in my life. This is a keeper!

The diagrams, the history, why shots do what they do, how to play the angles, you can't beat it. Its both informative and entertaining.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars How to run a table & Shot you can't learn anywhere else!, November 23, 2002

By	D. Thurman (Sandy, UT United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Robert Byrne has set the standard. As a state ranked player I decided to read this book. My game went to the next level. His checklist for running a table, his description of different types of "throw" shots and his simplifying the stroke all were instrumental. In pool, unlike other sports, there are few real teachers, Robert Byrne is a great teacher for the beginner to the very advanced player. It's the least expensive pool lesson you'll ever get.

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars All I Needed, December 28, 2004

By	Dan (Flanders, NJ) - See all my reviews

I have only been playing for about six months, so I am not too good. If you are like me, and you want to improve your game, buy this book. It is fun to read and extremely helpful. I probably won't be able to master every technique in the book in ten years, but the two or three things I have learned have taken my game to a whole new level. I love it. It is all I need.