Bridge books reviewed - 6

The Abbot and the Monks of St Tutus series by David Bird and Terence Reese.     This series of books are based on collections of humourous articles, many of which have appeared in various Bridge magazines. The original articles were the sole work of David Bird. Terence Reese, a much more famous author and UK bridge international, collaborated on updating the first five of them for publication in book format. After Reese's death Bird continued with the series alone. The emphasis is on card play and so it does not really matter what bidding style you are used to.                           Miracles of Card Play .     As well as following the adventures of the monks on the domestic scene, "Miracles of Card Play" includes a section covering two monks on missionary work in tribal Africa. This makes an intersting change from the usual monastic setting.     "Unholy Tricks" is a further collection of bridge tales from David Bird and Terence Reese involving the eccentric monks of St Titus. In addition to their rubber bridge games the monks become involved in duplicate matches against nuns, visiting Italians and even the local police.                                         "Doubled and Venerable" is the third title in the collection of stories about the bridge-playing monks of St Titus, whoses exploits delight readers the world over. In this volume David Bird has even introduces a bridge-playing parrot.   A bonus in "Cardinal Sins" is the first appearance of Robin Hood and his band of outlaws playing against the Sheriff of Nottingham. As usual, the stories have all previously appeared in assorted Bridge magazines and have been enhanced by Terence Reese working with David Bird.                         "Divine Intervention" is the last book in the series with Terence Reese's involvement, it is also the last in the series to feature the fictional missionary outpost in Africa. Political correctness having finally quashed a very funny setting.   David Bird's series of stories about the bridge playing monks of St Titus and their obnoxious Abbot have appeared regularly in bridge magazines throughout the world. "The Abbot and the Sensational Squeeze" is a brilliant collection of stories will not dissapoint.                         "Saints and Sinners" is the seventh book in David Bird's the series about the Monks of St Titus. It is presented in a new quiz format so that you can try to solve the bridge problems before the monks encounter them. At the end of the book an annotated answers section allows you to rate your own game.   In "Heavenly Contracts" St. Titus is hosting the annual St Francis of Assisi Swiss teams for monastic establishments. Hilarious encounters ensue against a team of monks from Germany and some equally incomprehensible friars from Scotland. The show-down comes in a final match against their old rivals, the nuns of St Hilda's.                         Apart from playing in the monastery's regular weekly duplicates, in "The Abbot's Great Sacrifice" he hosts a visit from the Australian Brother Hermann who tries his luck in some matches and a local Swiss teams. Also, in a rare spirit of generosity, the Abbot gives up a day to speak and play at the Women's Institute.                       __________________________                     Bridge author/humourist David Bird tackles an almost new scenario with this book. Almost new in that one of his earlier books, "The Abbot and The Sensational Squeeze", does included a short section in which the famous Bridge playing Abbot spent some time as the host on a bridge cruise. In this book "All Hands on Deck" we are introduced to a completely fresh cast of characters lead by the cruise host Mr Knight, generally referred to as Rupert Knight. As with Bird's excellent Robin Hood books, many of the hands are the work of Tim Bourke and the bridge content is excellent. The bridge hands described alternate between ship board duplicate sessions and on shore rubber bridge with an unlikely cast of characters enountered by the cruise passengers. This allows good variety and provides scope for the wit for which David Bird is highly regarded.                   "Bridge Over Troubled Waters" is David Bird's excruciatingly funny sequel to the previous book, with brilliant true-to-life bridge on a cruise liner. David Bird is acknowledged as the world's best when it comes to humorous bridge fiction. As the bridge cruise traverses the Far East, the bridge organiser, Richard Knight, visits Patpong - the notorious red-light district of Bangkok, Thailand; and is enticed by three attractive Thai girls into a bridge game. Other hilarious adventures take place in a drug den in Hong Kong, in backpacker land in Bali, in a Shinto monastery in Kyoto, and in the Double Bay Club in Sydney. A mixture of top-class bridge, exhilarating narrative and a host of true-to-life characters.                   __________________________                     England has long had a virtual monopoly on the production of bridge books in which excellent bridge hands are spiced with wit and humor. S. J. Simon began the tradition half a century ago, and was succeeded by Victor Mollo. They were followed David Bird, sometimes in collaboration with fellow bridge authors like Terence Reese or Martin Hoffman. Now we are fortunate enough to have David Bird working with Simon Cocheme.                   "Bridge With a Feminine Touch" recounts the entertaining adventures of Debbie, a young Englishwoman who ventures into a local bridge club and progresses to international class. En route she meets some interesting men, mostly predatory, and forms a partnership with an equally lively woman her own age. The climax arrives when they play for a British team against the Polish women's team.                                                     In "Bachelor Bridge: The Amorous Adventures of Jack O'Hearts " by David Bird and Simon Cochené, bridge-playing Jack O'Hearts searches high and low for the perfect - er, partner. He steps alphabetically and uncertainly from Anna to Bianca, Claire and Debbie... This book is currently out of print but available from Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk.                   _______________________________                                     Jenny Mae                 "The Adventures of Jenny Mae, Bridge pro." by Martin Hoffman and Matthew Granovetter. In this highly entertaining book we meet Jenny Mae, an up-and-coming bridge professional living in New York city. Laugh and cry with Jenny Mae as she makes her way up the bridge-pro ladder, playing with hilarious characters such as Dizzy Agnes, Harry the Horse, Mr and Mrs Oilfield and her arch rival, fellow pro Pickles Peeker. The bridge hands are marvelous and teach the reader to think like an expert.                                       Matthew and Pamela Granovetter asked 100 world class players to submit favourite deals and they published 52 of them in "Tops and Bottoms". The format of the book is that after the play, each hand is reviewed by the co-authors by holding a post-mortem in an entertaining dialogue manner in their familiar style. Included are 52 real-life stories of tops and bottoms. How did Marty Cohn go down 8 redoubled in two notrump? Why did Andy Bernstein get a top for just following suit? How did Sidney Lazard bid and make four hearts on a 4-1 fit? What was the story behind the opening lead that cost $50,000.00? How did Dick Frey lose a Spingold match while travelling on the Long Island Railroad? Why did Paul Heitner get a bottom for bidding and making a doubled slam? Every tale of triumph or disaster is followed by a post mortem dialogue between Matthew and Pamela Granovetter. The hands are described by at least two experts as the greatest they had ever seen.       Tops and Bottons                                                                       It is a little known fact that many movie directors are avid bridge players and over the years have assiduously tried to work bridge scenes into their films. Sadly many of these have ended up on the cutting room floor due to the lack of a similar enthusiasm for bridge amongst studio executives. Against all the odds many of these scenes have survived, and at great expense and after exhaustive research John Cook has unearthed a number of these forgotten treasures and in his book "Bridge at the Movies" he presents them in an effort to show you what might have been a part of one of your favourite movies.                                 Bridge Movie Guide                 The One and Only "Movie Guide for Bridge Players" contains 180 movies recommended by Pamela Granovetter, Editor of Bridge Today magazine, with with review and bridge-related comments for every film.                 Low Bridge and Punk Pungs Sam Hellman                     "Low Bridge and Punk Pungs" by Sam Hellman is the amusing story of a gambler and his wife. When he sacrifices in 8 clubs doubled the opponents claim 100 points, but he counter-claims 100 for honours and 1000 for making the grand slam. The book is nicely illustrated with cartoons of the players by Tony Sarg.                               "Sherlock Holmes, Bridge Detective" and "Sherlock Holmes, Bridge Detective Returns" by leading US bridge teachers George Gooden and Frank Thomas are entertaining and instructive presentations of classroom tested bridge hands. These are fun books designed to instruct the reader in spotting clues at the table and drawing reasonable conclusions from them.                         "Our Man Godfrey: Tales From the Bridge Table" by George Rosenkranz is a love story involving two bridge players. A young English expert settles in Mexico City and coaches promising players; one of them is Meche, a beautiful and intelligent young lady. They mutually enjoy the good things of life including food and wine, as well as bridge, on the way to a life partnership. The book is packed with interesting deals and play problems.         Unavailable at Amazon.co.uk                                   The Bridge Player Who Laughed   Ron Klinger     "The bridge player Who Laughed " by Ron Klinger is a humorous collection of stories covering bridge from all around the world.   "A Funny Thing Happened On Our Way to a Slam" by Canadian life master Joy Schick is a book for players who need a boost in confindence, and those who recognize and appreciate some of the silly, bizarre things we players do when we're sitting at the bridge table.         go to the Bridge shop, Bridge CD-ROM's or Bridge book review index or page: - B1, B2, B3, B4, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25,       Visit Bridge Books website for a list of bridge books categorised by content and level.