[Rarebooks] FS: The Second American Book on Billiards

[Charles Agvent]

PHELAN, Michael. THE GAME OF BILLIARDS. New York: D. Appleton and 
Company, 1863. Fifth Edition. "Revised, Enlarged, and Richly Embellished 
with Engravings." Decorated cloth. 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 of this uncommon title. (#013615)        $1,250.00

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