Pool History Resources
1
Billiard Congress of America: Pool History
2
History of Brunswick Billiards
3
One Pocket History at Onepocket.org
4
Pool History from Robert Byrne
5
New York Historical Society: Pool History
6
Artistic Pool History
7
Billiards After the Civil War
8
Slate: Pool Balls and The Age of Plastic
More Books on Pool History
New Illustrated Encyclopedia of Pool, by Mike Shamos
This is the essential reference work for anyone interested in pool and its history.
McGoorty: A Poolroom Hustler, by Robert Bryne
This is the true story of Golden Age billiards hustler Danny McGoorty.
Cornbread Red: Pool’s Greatest Money Player, by Bob Henning
This is the story of Cornbread Red, a hell-raising player from the 1960s.
Byrne’s Wonderful World of Pool & Billiards, by Robert Byrne
This includes plenty of historical details about the sport.
Winning One-Pocket, As Taught by the Game’s Greatest Players, by Eddie Robin
Besides including great diagrams of fantastic one-pocket shots, this book includes a collection of historical and priceless anecdotes about some of the games greatest players.
Hustlers, Beats & Others, by Ned Polsky
Hustlers, Beats and Others is Ned Polsky’s fascinating examination of the underground life of pool hustlers, and how hustlers fit (or don’t) into larger society. The book discusses how pool players see themselves, the milieu in which they operate, and the connection between poolroom life and single men.
Billiards, by John Grisssim
An interesting read with plenty of colorful anecdotes about the history of American pocket billiards.
Willie’s Game, by Stanley Cohen:
This is Willie Mosconi’s memoirs, and an invaluable source of information about the straight pool legend.
Byrne’s Book of Great Pool Stories, edited by Robert Byrne
Not technically a book on pool history, this tome nonetheless includes some of the most noteworthy short stories ever written about the sport.
Billiards in the Twentieth Century, by Riso Levi
Originally published in the late 1800s, this is an anthology of articles on Billiards by masters of the game.
Billiard Encyclopedia: An Illustrated History of the Sport, by Victor Stein and Paul Rubino
First Born
The Autobiography of Cisero K. Murphy, son of the billiards champ.
