Pool Books

SixSence

Richmond Boy'
Silver Member
Anyone have any suggestions for good non-fiction pool related novels? I'm not talking about instructional books, but more like R.A. Dyer's 'Hustler Days' which was a fantastic story of three of the best/most legendary players from the 20's-50's. I would recommend that book to anyone who is inspired by true pool tales. Anyway, if anyone knows of any other good books like this one, it would be appreciated.

Thanks.
 
You could try "Playing Off the Rail", which is an OK book that documents the adventures of a road-trip taken by a stakehorse (the author) and his player.

I found it a fun read because I know many of the places and people mentioned. Drawbacks: the writing is not polished and the plot just meanders alongside the travelers.
 
stroke was pretty good

I liked the book "Stroke". I believe it was a story based on
the real life of a woman pro, but I forget her name. Had some
hustling in it, as well as tournament stuff. I liked the hustling
parts the best though.
 
Try to find Hustlers, Beats and Others, by Ned Polsky; and McGoorty, a Pool Bum, by Robert Byrne (this is a part of several stories, written by Byrne). There's also another book written by John Grissom, whose name escapes me at the moment.

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com
 
SixSence said:
Anyone have any suggestions for good non-fiction pool related novels? I'm not talking about instructional books, but more like R.A. Dyer's 'Hustler Days' which was a fantastic story of three of the best/most legendary players from the 20's-50's. I would recommend that book to anyone who is inspired by true pool tales. Anyway, if anyone knows of any other good books like this one, it would be appreciated.

Thanks.

You can check out "Cornbread Red, Pools Greatest Money Player" by Bob Henning.

"Cornbread Red, Pools Greatest Money Player"

Has anyone read "Road Player" by Jerry Forsyth or "One-Pocket Man" by Albert J. Betz?

"Road Player"

"One-Pocket Man"

George
 
Last edited:
McGoorty- a poolroom hustler- by Robert Byrne. I thought it was one of the better reads.Johnnyt
 
SixSence said:
Anyone have any suggestions for good non-fiction pool related novels? I'm not talking about instructional books, but more like R.A. Dyer's 'Hustler Days' which was a fantastic story of three of the best/most legendary players from the 20's-50's. I would recommend that book to anyone who is inspired by true pool tales. Anyway, if anyone knows of any other good books like this one, it would be appreciated.

Thanks.

From a previous post... I have some extra copies of several of the books below.
Add to the books below The Beard's "The Gospool."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I'm surprised that no one has mentioned "The Bank Shot and Other Great Robberies" by Fats and Tom Fox. OK, so it's largely fiction, but it is very entertaining, and it pretty much made the Fats legend. It has recently been reprinted, I think. Byrne: Great Pool Stories; Dyer: Hustler Days; McCumber: Playing off the Rail; Byrne: McGoorty (also recently republished with the pictures present)... Here is a previous post on the topic of non-instructional books:

If you're tired of instruction, but crave something pool related,
you might want to check out the following. The biographical
and/or historical stuff is not entirely fiction, but I think much
of it qualifies. -- Bob

"The Unsinkable Titanic Thompson" is available from the publisher. I posted a link recently.

Byrne, "Great Pool Stories"
Walter Tevis, "The Hustler" and "Color of Money"
Dyer, "Hustler Days"
Byrne, "McGoorty"
Bentivegna, "Banking with the Beard"
Tom Fox and Fats, "The Bank Shot and Other Great Robberies"
McCumber, "Playing Off the Rail"
Grady, "Bet High, Kiss Low"
Mosconi and Cohen, "Willie's Game"
Grissim, "Billiards"
Fels, "Legends of Pool"
Ricketts, "Walter Lindrum - Billiards Phenomenon"
Hoppe, "Thirty Years of Billiards"
"Brunswick: The Story of an American Company"
WW Woody, "Buddy Hall, Rags to Rifleman"
Thomas Fensch, "The Lions and the Lambs"
Joe Davis, "The Breaks Came My Way," autobiography
Ned Polsky, "Hustlers, Beats and Others"
Clive Everton, "The History of Snooker and Billiards"
Gordon Burn, "Pocket Money, Bad boys, business heads and boom time snooke"
Art Tully, "How to Hustle Your Friends at Pool"
Gerald E. Huber, "Green Felt Jungle"
Bob Henning, "Cornbread Red: Pool's Greatest Money Player"
Alex Higgins, "Alex, Through the Looking Glass"
Jon Bradshaw, "Fast Company"
Chris Rhys, "Snooker Disasters and Bizarre Records"
Mike Shamos, "The New Illustrated Encyclopedia of Billiards"
also: "Pool" and "Shooting Pool"
Stein and Rubino, "Billiard Encyclopedia"
Fred Walther, "Minnesota Fats, Never Behind the Eight Ball"
William Hendricks, "History of Billiards"
Peter Linhard, "How to Get By without Working"
 
And the title you were trying to think of is...

Scott Lee said:
Try to find Hustlers, Beats and Others, by Ned Polsky; and McGoorty, a Pool Bum, by Robert Byrne (this is a part of several stories, written by Byrne). There's also another book written by John Grissom, whose name escapes me at the moment.

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com
"Billiards" by John Grissim. That book has the greatest subtitle of any pool book I've ever seen ("Hustlers & Heroes, Legends & Lies, and the Search for Higher Truth on the Green Felt"). I would rate this one in the top ten of non-fiction, non-instructional pool books.

BTW, it was nice to finally meet you in person at the One Pocket Hall of Fame dinner.
 
Same here Bill!:D I'll be back in Cincy before too long, and we'll have another go at that dinner together. I can't count the HOF, since we were at different tables! :D I knew that Grissim's book had a really long name, but couldn't remember it! LOL Very cool to see your photo cd ready to go! Hope you sell a ton of them! Willie got a LOT of action on his 'pool trivia' dvd's!

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com
 
Rags

I have near perfect copy of Buddy Halls book "Rags to Riflmen" if you anyone wants to buy it let me know. It's also signed by Buddy.

Thanks,
 
Back
Top