Recommended Books on History/Art/Culture of Amercian Pool Cues

[cumisk]

Recommended Books on History/Art/Culture of Pool Cues

Like many of the people who frequent this forum, I have a growing interest in the history of billiards and cue making. I guess I have a curious mind, and I love the game... and find some pool cues to be beautiful pieces of art. Basically I would like to buy some books which catalogue and show off the art of the major influential cue makers, their cues - the classics, the rare and unusual, with some historical background.

Searching around on the internet I have come across The Blue Book of Pool Cues. I've also stumbled upon The Billiard Encyclopedia .... Does anybody have a copy of either of these books? And if so, would you recommend either of them or any other book which is worth a look?

 

[alpine9430]

I've also stumbled upon The Billiard Encyclopedia .... Does anybody have a copy of either of these books? And if so, would you recommend either of them or any other book which is worth a look?

I have the 2nd and 3rd edition of the Blue Books, the Encyclopedia's written by Shamos and the massive book "The Billiard Encyclopedia".
The Blue Books do not have any real history of the sport but deal primarily with the cue industry. The Shamos versions of the encyclopedia are not written in a story format. It is set up like a dictionary where you can look up things of interest that are in an alphabetical format. I would not recommend this encyclopedia if you really want to read about the sport of billiards in a chronological order.
For a true history of billiards the only book that provided a true history of the game and provided me with enough details about the sport is The Billiard Encyclopedia. I really enjoy picking it up but it is not bedroom reading material - you need a desk! The illustrations are great and the pictures are plentiful. The Billiard Encyclopedia has been out of print for a while so finding one is difficult unless you are willing to pay the price. I have seen The Billiard Encyclopedia fetch $200 to $350 on e-bay depending on the condition of the book and the book is in high demand with true collectors.
Hope this helps!
Myron