Billiards as it should be played by Hoppe (online book)

Vorpal Cue

Just galumping back
Silver Member
Ran across this site that has Hoppe's book on billiards. When I bought the book back in the '60's it quickly became my 'bible' on the mechanics of the game. Since it's hard to come by I suspect most members haven't had the chance to read it. There's also some interesting stories that Hoppe tells about some of his tournament play and other pros he toured with. Enjoy.

https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=inu.30000011917675;view=1up;seq=6
 

Bob Jewett

AZB Osmium Member
Staff member
Gold Member
Silver Member
Ran across this site that has Hoppe's book on billiards. When I bought the book back in the '60's it quickly became my 'bible' on the mechanics of the game. Since it's hard to come by I suspect most members haven't had the chance to read it. There's also some interesting stories that Hoppe tells about some of his tournament play and other pros he toured with. Enjoy.

https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=inu.30000011917675;view=1up;seq=6
It was also the book I tried to learn carom from. I think it is mostly useful for the stories. It belongs in any billiard library but today much better printed instruction is available. The book was not written by Hoppe.

If anyone wants a printed copy I have extra copies. It is also available on the used book market but the prices tend to be a little high. It often appears on Ebay.

It was in print until the 1980s or so from Contemporary Books in Chicago. It seems that it has passed out of copyright as there is a modern printing. DO NOT BUY THE NEW VERSION! They reduced the original version (which was 14 inches tall) to 5 by 8 and it is illegible.

There was an edition in French that included considerable additions that was in print until at least 1991:

001.jpg
 

maldito

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
It was also the book I tried to learn carom from. I think it is mostly useful for the stories. It belongs in any billiard library but today much better printed instruction is available. The book was not written by Hoppe.

If anyone wants a printed copy I have extra copies. It is also available on the used book market but the prices tend to be a little high. It often appears on Ebay.

It was in print until the 1980s or so from Contemporary Books in Chicago. It seems that it has passed out of copyright as there is a modern printing. DO NOT BUY THE NEW VERSION! They reduced the original version (which was 14 inches tall) to 5 by 8 and it is illegible.

There was an edition in French that included considerable additions that was in print until at least 1991:

View attachment 481156

Re reprints - I bought a "new version " of Daly's Billliard Book print was small condensed but the diagrams were missing !!! - got a refund and bought a used copy.
 

Bob Jewett

AZB Osmium Member
Staff member
Gold Member
Silver Member
Re reprints - I bought a "new version " of Daly's Billliard Book print was small condensed but the diagrams were missing !!! - got a refund and bought a used copy.
That seems to have been done with a lot of old books including billiard books. I think the scammers don't even bother to do the scan themselves, they just pull the text out of a Google scan like in the OP. They turn a 200-page book into a 50-page book with lots of misspellings from the uncorrected text recognition. Billiard books are often worthless without the graphics.
 
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