[Rarebooks] FS: The Second American Book on Billiards, Illustrated, price reduced

[Charles Agvent]

Price reduced:    Was $1500   Now  $1250:

PHELAN, Michael. THE GAME OF BILLIARDS. New York: D. Appleton and 
Company, 1863. Fifth Edition. "Revised, Enlarged, and Richly Embellished 
with Engravings." First published in 1856, all editions of this early 
billiards book, the second American book on the game, are scarce. The 
author, Michael Phelan, also published the first American book on the 
game, BILLIARDS WITHOUT MASTER, just thirteen years before this edition. 
Considered the father of American billiards, Phelan was influential in 
devising rules and setting standards of behavior, holds many patents for 
table designs and cushions, and is credited as being the first to put 
diamonds on tables. Phelan almost single-handedly turned American 
billiards into a socially acceptable pastime. This book is indeed richly 
embellished with engravings, mostly full-page diagrams showing shots on 
tables but also including full-page and text engravings of people 
playing billiards. The author covers rules, practical advice, and the 
history of the game, including a brief chapter on Shakespeare as a 
billiards player. There are four pages of ads at the end with two 
illustrations. This book appears to have had a frontispiece portrait of 
the author. A tissue guard is present, and there is a very, very faint 
image on the verso of the opposite page indicating that the portrait 
would have been removed long ago. Despite the missing portrait, a Fine, 
bright copy.         $1,250.00

See images of this title here:

http://home.ptd.net/~chagvent/013615.jpg

http://home.ptd.net/~chagvent/013615a.jpg

http://home.ptd.net/~chagvent/013615b.jpg

http://home.ptd.net/~chagvent/013615c.jpg

http://home.ptd.net/~chagvent/013615d.jpg

http://home.ptd.net/~chagvent/013615e.jpg

http://home.ptd.net/~chagvent/013615f.jpg

http://home.ptd.net/~chagvent/013615g.jpg

http://home.ptd.net/~chagvent/013615h.jpg

-- 
All items subject to prior sale. Cash with order; institutions may be billed. Postage additional: $10.00 for the first book; $5.00 each thereafter. Overseas postage billed at approximate cost. Pennsylvania residents must add 6% sales tax. Mastercard, Visa, American Express and Discover accepted. Books may be returned within 10 days of receipt for any reason provided they are in the same condition as sent and prior notice is given. Please insure returns for their full value. We carry a diverse stock with major specialties including Modern and 19th Century Literary First Editions, Autographed Books, and the world's largest inventory of Limited Editions Club books. We are celebrating our 23rd year of business and are proud to be members of the Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America (ABAA) and the International League of Antiquarian Booksellers (ILAB). Please feel free to contact us with any wants or offerings. Thank you.

CHARLES AGVENT
291 Linden Road
Mertztown, PA 19539-8750
610-682-4750
info at charlesagvent.com
Please visit our shop: http://www.charlesagvent.com