Robert Byrne Byrne's Complete Book of Pool Shots

Annotation

The game's preeminent writer (his Byrne's New Standard Book of Pool and Billiards, first published in 1978, has been a top seller for a quarter century) returns with his trademark blend of succinct sentences, dry wit, and sound advice. In some ways, the concept is similar to Ray Martin's The 99 Critical Shots in Pool (1982); by mastering the most commonly occurring shots, players will learn to recognize their variants in game situations. Byrne, however, does Martin one better--or perhaps 251 shots better--by including esoteric moves that represent the most advanced applications of the physics involved. This staggering collection--including caroms, billiards, rail-first shots, tickys, and masses--is not for the rank beginner. There is scant information on how to hold a cue or how to stand while shooting. But any player with a reasonably consistent stroke will find engaging exercises here. Even better, the chapter on fouls provides ample fodder for spotting hustlers (Byrne notes that this information is provided "for your protection, not so that you can start a life of crime yourself."). Keir Graff