Roll the Bones: The History of Gambling [ILLUSTRATED] (Hardcover)

by David G. Schwartz (Author) "Ancient storytellers said that gambling was part of our lives for a reason: A cunning god or hero taught people to gamble..." (more)
Key Phrases: mercantile gambling, mercantile games, homeland casinos, Las Vegas, United States, Monte Carlo (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
This comprehensive and often entertaining history of gambling begins with the origins of odds and evens as an ancient divination "game" and ends with the 21st-century Internet gambling phenomenon. Schwartz, a historian at the University of Nevada's Center for Gaming Research, gets credit not only for his thoroughness in describing the development of gambling in Western Europe and the U.S., but also for including gambling in Native American, Chinese and other non-Western cultures. Similarly inclusive is his examination of the doctrinal attitudes of each of the world's major religions toward the human penchant for gambling. Schwartz adds interesting anecdotes, even if likely apocryphal: aces, for instance, supposedly became superior to kings as a result of 18th-century French revolutionary fervor. But this thoroughness leads Schwartz to devote too much space to the rules of archaic games of chance and to the exploits of famous and not- so-famous gamblers. Although he doesn't ignore the underside—such as compulsive gambling and cheating—this aspect is underdeveloped. Also, a more in-depth inquiry into why people gamble and the societal impact of government-sponsored gambling, such as lotteries, would have made this encyclopedic effort even more complete. (Oct.)
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Review
“An epic story with an epic cast. . . . Remarkable.”
—The Washington Post

“[A] lively history of gaming through the ages.”
—the New York Times

“[A] fine history. . . . Schwartz’s celebratory account of gambling’s history confirms the persistence of this human impulse down through the ages.”
—The Wall Street Journal

“Remarkably detailed. . . . A wealth of fine material.
—The Philadelphia Inquirer --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 592 pages
• Publisher: Gotham; illustrated edition edition (October 5, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1592402089
• ISBN-13: 978-1592402083
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.4 x 1.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #409,061 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Easy To Read and Very In Depth - Great Book!, November 26, 2006

By	Hunter RateVegas "Hunter" (Santa Barbara, CA USA) - See all my reviews

Roll The Bones, is a history of gambling all the way back to an including ancient Mesopotamia. We get a look at the gambling (never 'gaming', always 'gambling' - this was before lobbyists!) habits of cultures including the Greeks, Romans, Chinese, other random Europeans and all the way through Americans. The message I was getting from this book was that gambling is a universal trait that seems to permeate every society, no matter how any of the other attributes stack up.

A book like this could easily be so boring as to guarantee a good night's sleep. That's not the case here as Schwartz is a gifted writer who is able to connect and reconcile all of the games across the centuries.

I really enjoyed Roll The Bones and I think that anyone who likes history would too. If you are interested in casino gambling, this book will give you some new insight into how it all hangs together.

I recommend this book to all readers.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Highly Enjoyable Read, March 28, 2007

By	Stephanie Manley (Houston, TX) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Roll Them Bones is David G. Schwartz's wonderful account of the history and the impact gambling has made on our lives throughout time. I found this book to be a quick, fascinating, and a entertaining read; it is often difficult to combine so many of these characteristics in one book. Have you ever realized that gambling has been around as long as man has. I found the fact that even monkey's seem to prefer to gamble by their preference in taking chances, rather than going for an action that gets them a set amount of food, whereas the other task would give them a random amount of food which was always less.

Cards, dice, bones, or whatever else was handy, man has always enjoyed games of chance. Historical documentation from the Greeks, the Etruscans, the Eyptians and so much more lays the foundation that forms of gambling have always been popular. Roman emperors were known for enjoying gambling for recreation. Royalty has been known throughout time to enjoy and encourage gambling among the masses.

This is a terrific book as it is an enjoyable read, sprinkled with much historical facts. This historical information isn't given in a format that may be dull, or unexciting, but rather Schwartz does an excellent job of making you want to continue to turn the page. I would highly recommend this book to anyone that enjoys gaming, and those who are history buffs, you won't be disappointed.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great History of Gambling, March 14, 2007

By	Frank Scoblete "Author of The Virgin Kiss and... (New York) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Since I like to "roll the bones," I am fascinated by fun historical books on gambling. It seems mankind has been gambling since we were, well, actually rolling the bones.

This is a terrific, entertaining book.

Frank Scoblete: author of Golden Touch Dice Control Revolution! and Golden Touch Blackjack Revolution!