List of contract bridge books


Bridge, or more formally contract bridge, is a trick-taking card game of skill and chance played by four players. This article consists of lists of bridge books deemed significant by various authors and organizations.

History

Books on bridge and its predecessor games have spanned centuries with the earliest known popular book on the subject of Whist having been published by Edmond Hoyle in 1742 or 1743.
The timelines in the evolutionary path to modern contract bridge books are generally as follows:
  • 17th century: the emergence of Whist from earlier games such as Ruff and Honours and Triumph
  • 18th and 19th centuries: Whist is widely played with many variants in scoring methods; similar games such as Vint and Khedive are also played
  • 1886: Evidence that Bridge-Whist has emerged with John Collinson's four page pamphlet entitled Biritch, or Russian Whist.
  • 1903–1932: from the first known publication on Auction Bridge to the last publication of Laws of Auction Bridge by the Portland Club
  • c. 1915: Bridge Plafond emerges in France and Belgium and is essentially contract bridge without vulnerability
  • late 1925: a significant new scoring system was proposed by Harold Vanderbilt introducing the concept of vulnerability, large bonuses for slams and heavy penalties for undertricks. Within two years, "Auction was swept off the tables" in the dawn of modern contract bridge.
  • 1926–1935: numerous books on bidding are published and compete for status as the 'official system' of choice. Ely Culbertson rises to prominence in the US as a self-promoting bridge player, challenging his English and European counterparts to international matches all the while building a business empire based on his bridge writing and related investments. In the early Thirties, Acol is fashioned by S. J. Simon and Jack Marx, and eventually becomes the most popular bidding system in Britain.
  • 1935: Culbertson publishes the first Encyclopedia of Bridge.

Precursor games

The following are books on the various precursor games to modern contract bridge; the first books on contract bridge appeared in 1927.
  • 86 pages. / London: Thomas Osborne, 10th Edition, 1750, 224 pages
  • / 8th Edition, 1868, 120 pages; 9th Edition, 1872, 120 pages; 11th Edition, 1876, 268 pages; 12th Edition, 1879, 268 pages; 13th Edition, 1881, 268 pages; 15th Edition, 1885, 272 pages; 20th Edition, 1892, 303 pages; 21st Edition, 1893, 320 pages; 22nd Edition, 1895, 306 pages; 23rd Edition, 1898, 306 pages; 24th Edition, 1901, 306 pages. American Editions published by: John Wurtele Lovell, 1880 from the 12th English Edition, 257 pages; John Wurtele Lovell, 1881 from the 12th English Edition, 257 pages; Charles Scribner's Sons, 1899 from the 23rd English Edition, 348 pages.
  • / Second Edition, 1870 / First American Edition: Henry Holt and Company, 1874, 153 pages. / New American edition from the second English Edition, 1880, 163 pages.
  • Article on the evolution of Whist.
  • / G.W. Carleton & Co. Publishers 1879, 144 pages. / Longmans, Green, and Co., 14th Edition, 1883, 112 pages. / G.W. Carleton & Co. Publishers 1884, 114 pages. / Frederick A. Stokes, 1887, 136 pages. / 1889, 128 pages.
  • / Brentano's, 2nd Edition, 1891, 168 pages. Frederick Warne and Co. with Mudie and Sons,, 2nd Edition, 1891, 168 pages. Brentano's, 3rd Edition with American Leads, 25th Thousand, 1896, 195 pages. Frederick Warne and Co. with Mudie and Sons,, 4th Edition, 1899. Frederick Warne and Co. with Mudie and Sons,, 5th Edition, Thirty-fifth Thousand, 1900, 168 pages.
  • / Brentano's, 5th Edition, 1895, 109 pages
  • / 1903, 136 pages / 1907, 136 pages / 1911, 136 pages.
  • / 6th Edition, Charles Scribner's Sons, 1907, 297 pages.
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People and culture

The following books provide insights into the people and culture of contract bridge and while they may contain occasional references to certain technical aspects of the game, they are generally not instructional in theme. Fictional novels with a bridge theme are listed separately.
  • / Prentice-Hall Inc. 1965, 217 pages.
  • / Simon and Schuster, 191 pages.
  • / Robert Hale, 1976, 221 pages,.
  • [|The Bridge Bum] by Alan Sontag, 1977
  • / Granovetter Books, 1992, 252 pages, / Netco Press, 1994, 252 pages, / Netco Press,, 2003, 264 pages,
;Fictional novels
*

Encyclopedias, dictionaries and almanacs

The following are listed chronologically:
  • 32 pages.
  • 477 pages.
  • 252 pages.
  • 691 pages.
  • 674 pages.
  • 793 pages.
  • 858 pages.
  • 922 pages.
  • 277 pages.
  • 827 pages
  • 826 pages
  • 490 pages.
  • 536 pages.
  • 423 pages.
  • 634 pages.

Book of the Year Awards

American Bridge Teachers' Association (ABTA)

Each year since 1982, ABTA has recognized one or more books as contributing significantly to the teaching of contract bridge. The following are the award recipients:
  • 1982 –
  • 1983 –
  • 1984 –
  • 1985 –
  • 1986 –
  • 1987 – [|Commonsense Bidding] by William S. Root
  • 1988 –
  • 1989 –
  • 1990 –
  • 1991 – Basic Book:
  • 1991 – Advanced Book:
  • 1992 –
  • 1992 – Advanced Book: [|To Bid or Not to Bid], The LAW of Total Tricks by Larry Cohen
  • 1993 – Basic Book:
  • 1993 – Advanced Book:
  • 1994 –
  • 1995 –
  • 1996 – Points Schmoints! Bergen's Winning Bridge Secrets by Marty Bergen
  • 1996 –
  • 1997 – Advanced Book:
  • 1997 – Basic Book:
  • 1998 – Beginner/Student Book:
  • 1998 – Advanced Book:
  • 1999 – Basic Book:
  • 1999 – Advanced Book:
  • 1999 – Student Book: 25 Bridge Conventions You Should Know by Barbara Seagram and Marc Smith
  • 2000 – Advanced Book:
  • 2000 – Beginner/Intermediate Book:
  • 2001 –
  • 2002 –
  • 2003 – Beginner/Novice Book:
  • 2003 – Intermediate/Advanced Book:
  • 2004 –
  • 2005 –
  • 2006 –
  • 2007 – Beginner Book:
  • 2007 – Intermediate Book:
  • 2008 – Intermediate Book:
  • 2008 – Novice Book:
  • 2009 – / 176p.
  • 2010 – Beginner Book: / 231p.
  • 2010 – Intermediate Book: / 160 pages.
  • 2011 –
  • 2012 – Beginner/Intermediate:
  • 2012 – Intermediate/Advanced:
  • 2013 – Intermediate/Advanced Book:
  • 2013 – Beginner Book:
  • 2014 – Beginner:
  • 2014 – Intermediate/Advanced:
  • 2015 – Intermediate/Advanced:
  • 2015 – Beginner/Intermediate:
  • 2016 – Beginner/Intermediate:
  • 2017 – Beginner/Intermediate:
  • 2017 – Intermediate/Advanced:
  • 2018 – Newcomer:
  • 2018 – Beginner/Novice:
  • 2018 – Intermediate/Advanced:
  • 2019 – Beginner:
  • 2019 – Intermediate:
  • 2019 – Advanced:
  • 2020 – Beginner/Novice:
  • 2020 – Intermediate/Advanced:
  • 2020 – Advanced:
  • 2021 – Beginner/Novice:
  • 2021 – Intermediate:
  • 2021 – Advanced:

International Bridge Press Association (IBPA)

Annually since 2004, the IBPA has chosen one bridge-related title of exceptional merit as follows:
  • 2004 –
  • 2005 –
  • 2006 –
  • 2007 –
  • 2008 –
  • 2009 –
  • 2009 –
  • 2010 –
  • 2011 –
  • 2012 –
  • 2013 –
  • 2014 –, 386 pages
  • 2015 –
  • 2016 –
  • 2017 –
  • 2018 –
  • 2019 - 240 pages.

American Contract Bridge League (ACBL) surveys

The ACBL has conducted the following surveys:

1994 survey

The ACBL survey of 1994 was a poll of well-known players and writers only and resulted in the following list of the 20 best books of all time:Why You Lose at Bridge by S. J. SimonKilling Defence at Bridge by Hugh KelseyRight Through the Pack by Robert Darvas and Norman de V. HartReese on Play: An Introduction to Good Play by Terence Reese[|Bridge in the Menagerie] by Victor MolloTo Bid or Not to Bid by Larry N. Cohen[|Adventures in Card Play] by Géza Ottlik and Hugh KelseyThe Expert Game by Terence ReeseDefensive Bridge Play Complete by Eddie KantarPlay Bridge with Reese by Terence ReeseHow to Read Your Opponents Cards by Mike LawrenceCard Play Technique or the Art of Being Lucky by Victor Mollo and Nico GardenerFive Weeks to Winning Bridge by Alfred SheinwoldBid Better, Play Better by Dorothy HaydenBridge Squeezes Complete by Clyde E. Love[|Matchpoints] by Kit WoolseyBridge With the Blue Team by Pietro ForquetThe Official Encyclopedia of Bridge by Henry Francis et al.All 52 Cards by Marshall MilesWatson on the Play of the Hand at Contract Bridge by Louis H. Watson

2007 survey

The ACBL survey of 2007 resulted in two lists of favourite books as follows:
;Top 10 books as rated by Experts – in descending orderThe Expert Game by Terence ReeseWhy You Lose at Bridge by S. J. SimonAdventures in Card Play by Géza Ottlik and Hugh KelseyKilling Defence at Bridge by Hugh KelseyBridge in the Menagerie by Victor MolloRight Through the Pack by Robert Darvas and Norman de V. HartWatson on the Play of the Hand at Contract Bridge by Louis H. WatsonCard Play Technique or the Art of Being Lucky by Victor Mollo and Nico GardenerBridge With the Blue Team by Pietro ForquetReese on Play: An Introduction to Good Play by Terence Reese
;Top 10 books as rated by Other Readers – in descending orderWatson on the Play of the Hand at Contract Bridge by Louis H. WatsonPoints Schmoints! Bergen's Winning Bridge Secrets by Marty BergenHow to Read Your Opponents Cards by Mike LawrenceWhy You Lose at Bridge by S. J. SimonKilling Defence at Bridge by Hugh Kelsey25 Bridge Conventions You Should Know by Barbara Seagram and Marc SmithCard Play Technique or the Art of Being Lucky by Victor Mollo and Nico GardenerAdventures in Card Play by Géza Ottlik and Hugh KelseyStandard Bridge Bidding for the 21st Century by Max Hardy[|The Secrets of Winning Bridge] by Jeff Rubens

The Official Encyclopedia of Bridge (7th edition) recommendations

The 7th edition of the Encyclopedia recommended the following books with the caveat that the "list on this page is by no means definitive. It was influenced to a degree by surveys published in 1994 and 2007 in the Bridge Bulletin", published by the American Contract Bridge League. Listed alphabetically by first author surname.

Mark Horton's recommendations

In his 1999 book, The Mammoth Book of Bridge, Mark Horton lists his recommendations for "Bridge Books You Should Read", grouped as follows:

Classics

GeneralFive Weeks to Winning Bridge by Alfred SheinwoldBid Better, Play Better by Dorothy HaydenMatchpoints by Kit Woolsey
BiddingCommonsense Bidding by William S. RootTo Bid or Not to Bid, The Law of Total Tricks by Larry N. CohenBridge Conventions Complete by Amalya KearseThe Complete Book of Hand Evaluation by Mike Lawrence[|The Complete Book of Overcalls] by Mike Lawrence
Declarer PlayWatson on the Play of the Hand at Contract Bridge by Louis H. WatsonHow to Read Your Opponents Cards by Mike LawrenceCard Play Technique or the Art of Being Lucky by Victor Mollo and Nico GardenerReese on Play: An Introduction to Good Play by Terence ReeseThe Expert Game by Terence ReesePlay these Hands with Me by Terence Reese[|Bridge Squeezes Complete] by Clyde E. LoveThe Dictionary of Suit Combinations by Jean-Marc RoudinescuAdventures in Card Play by Géza Ottlik and Hugh Kelsey
Defender's PlayKilling Defence at Bridge by Hugh KelseyOpening Leads by Robert Ewen
EntertainmentWhy You Lose at Bridge by S. J. SimonRight Through the Pack by Robert Darvas and Norman de V. HartBridge Humor by Eddie KantarThe Best of Eddie Kantar: Funny Stories from the Bridge Table by Eddie KantarBridge in the Menagerie by Victor MolloMiracles of Card Play by David Bird and Terence Reese[|Bridge with the Blue Team] by Pietro ForquetThe Bridge Bum by Alan Sontag

For beginners

GeneralBridge for Dummies by Eddie KantarWin at Bridge in 30 Days by David BirdBridge for Bright Beginners by Terence ReeseBridge Basics by Ron KlingerTeach Me to Play – A First Book of Bridge by Jude Goodwin and Don EllisonBridge for Beginners by Audrey Grant and Zia MahmoodBridge for Beginners by Nico Gardener and Victor MolloBeginning Bridge by Alan Hiron and Maureen Hiron
BiddingTeach Yourself Basic Bidding by Alan Truscott and Dorothy HaydenBasic Acol by Ben Cohen and Rhoda BarrowReally Easy Bidding by the English Bridge Union Teachers' Association
Declarer PlayIntroduction to Declarer's Play by Eddie Kantar
Defender's PlayIntroduction to Defender's Play by Eddie Kantar

For advancing players

GeneralWinning Contract Bridge Complete by Edgar KaplanThe Complete Book of Bridge by Terence Reese and Albert DormerThe Mistakes You Make at Bridge by Terence Reese and Roger Trézel
BiddingPoints Schmoints! Bergen's Winning Bridge Secrets by Marty Bergen25 Bridge Conventions You Should Know by Barbara Seagram and Marc SmithModern Bridge Conventions by Bill Root and Richard PavlicekJudgement in Bridge by Mike LawrenceHand Evaluation in Bridge by Brian SeniorPreempts from A-Z by Ron Andersen and Sabine ZenkelRaising Partner by Brian SeniorPrecision Bidding in Acol by Eric CrowhurstAcol in Competition by Eric CrowhurstWashington Standard by Steve Robinson
Declarer PlayCountdown to Winning Bridge by Tim Bourke and Marc SmithThe Basic Elements of Play and Defence by G. C. H. FoxPlay of the Hand Complete by Eddie KantarGuide to Better Card Play by Ron Klinger
Defender's PlayKantar for the Defense, Volume 1 by Eddie KantarKantar for the Defense, Volume 2 by Eddie KantarOpening Leads by Mike LawrenceStep-by-Step Signalling by Mark HortonEddie Kantar Teaches Advanced Bridge Defense by Eddie Kantar

For experienced players

GeneralThe Complete Book of BOLS Tips by Sally BrockThe Secrets of Winning Bridge by Jeff RubensFor Experts Only by Matthew GranovetterMatchpoint Bridge by Hugh KelseyHoffman on Pairs Play by Martin HoffmanExpert Tuition for Tournament Players by Raymond Brock and Sally Brock
Bidding[|Partnership Bidding] by Andrew Robson and Oliver SegalThe Modern Losing Trick Count by Ron KlingerBetter Bridge with Bergen, Volumes 1 & 2 by Marty BergenPrecision and Super Precision Bidding by Giorgio Belladonna and Benito GarozzoPowerhouse Hands by Albert DormerAces Scientific by Bobby Goldman
Declarer PlayStep-by-Step: Deceptive Declarer Play by Barry RigalAdvanced Play at Bridge by Hugh KelseySecrets of Expert Card Play by David Bird and Tony ForresterSimple Squeezes by Hugh KelseyPositive Declarer's Play by Terence Reese and Julian PottageBridge: Tricks of the Trade by Terence Reese and David Bird
Defender's PlayDynamic Defense by Mike LawrenceSecrets of Expert Defence by David Bird and Tony ForresterStep-by-Step: Deception in Defence by Barry RigalPartnership Defense in Bridge by Kit WoolseyPositive Defence by Terence Reese and Julian Pottage

British Bridge Almanack survey

The British Bridge Almanack reported on a survey of leading British bridge personalities. The survey presented a chronological list of 16 books by British authors deemed to have made a significant contribution to the development of the game. It asked the personalities to add as many as three titles of their choosing and then to identify their top five. Of the 24 reported respondents, 19 identified one or more titles.

Initial list

Lederer Bids Two Clubs by Richard Lederer, 1934The Acol System of Contract Bridge by Ben Cohen and Terence Reese, 1938Why You Lose at Bridge by S. J. Simon, 1945Reese on Play by Terence Reese, 1947Card Play Technique by Victor Mollo and Nico Gardener, 1955The Theory of Bidding by Norman Squire, 1957Winning Points at Match-Point Bridge by Norman Squire and Maurice Harrison-Gray, 1959Play Bridge with Reese by Terence Reese, 1960The Expert Game by Terence Reese, 1960The Acol System Today by Terence Reese and Albert Dormer, 1961Develop Your Bidding Judgement by Terence Reese, 1962Killing Defence at Bridge by Hugh Kelsey, 1966The Play of the Cards by Terence Reese and Albert Dormer, 1967Advanced Play at Bridge by Hugh Kelsey, 1968Hoffman on Pairs Play by Martin Hoffman, 1982Partnership Bidding at Bridge by Andrew Robson and Oliver Segal, 1993

Added titles

These additional titles were nominated by respondents.Bridge is an Easy Game by Iain Macleod, 1952Country Life Book of Bridge by Maurice Harrison-Gray, 1972Adventures in Card-Play by Géza Ottlik and Hugh Kelsey, 1979 The Bidding Dictionary by Alan Truscott, 1996The Big Game: Rubber Bridge in a London club by Richard Sheehan, 1999

Most mentioned

These were the leaders by number of selections.
  • 17 mentions: The Expert Game by Terence Reese, 1960
  • 14 mentions: Why You Lose at Bridge by S. J. Simon, 1945
  • 12 mentions: Killing Defence at Bridge by Hugh Kelsey, 1966
  • 11 mentions: Reese on Play by Terence Reese, 1947
  • 8 mentions: Play Bridge with Reese by Terence Reese, 1960
  • 7 mentions: Card Play Technique by Victor Mollo and Nico Gardener, 1955
No other title received more than three mentions.

Biographies

  • 314 pages.
  • 256 pages.
  • 205 pages.
  • 240 pages.
  • 287 pages.

Bibliographies

Encyclopedic bibliographies

Several encyclopedias on the subject of bridge have provided bibliographies of bridge related publications.
The Encyclopedia of Bridge
The Encyclopedia of Bridge of 1935 acknowledges certain authors' publications in their brief biographies but no summary tabulation or categorization of bridge literature or evaluative commentary is provided.
The Official Encyclopedia of Bridge
The Official Encyclopedia of Bridge is a publication of the American Contract Bridge League first published in 1964 with the 7th edition published in 2011. Up to the 6th, each OEB edition contains a bibliography of bridge related publications grouped by subject and rates selected publications as:
having made a significant contribution to the technical development of the game;
being mandatory for inclusion in a modern technical library;
being optional for inclusion in a modern technical library; or none of the foregoing. Subject categories and ratings for a publication may vary between editions of the OEB. The 1st edition bibliography spans 8 pages and lists about 400 titles; the 6th edition bibliography, prepared by Tim Bourke, spans 60 pages and lists approximately 4,100 titles;
Up to the 6th, each edition of The Official Encyclopedia of Bridge contains a bibliography of bridge and bridge related books; the following is a summary of their contents.
OEB
Edition		YearPage RangeNumber
of Pages		Number
of Categories		Number
of Entries
11964684-691815
21971783-7931115
31976849-8581015
41984902-9222117
51994Not numbered38
62001Not numbered60294096
72011Not includedNANANA

The Bridge Players' Encyclopedia
The Bridge Players Encyclopedia was published in 1967 by Paul Hamlyn and is an International Edition based on The Official Encyclopedia of Bridge of 1964 but geared to the needs of British and European players. The edition modified American spellings, "translated" bidding structures to the more widely used Acol system, omitted biographical notes on some lesser known Americans and added biographical notes on some British and European players. Although content differs from the 1964 OEB, the publication contains a 9-page bibliography of approximately 500 titles with subject categorization and rating schemes similar to those of the previous OEB editions.

Bibliographies in Wikipedia articles

By subject

By author

Other bibliographies

*

- A -

290 pages.

- B -


- C -

  • 674 pages. 286 pages. 240 pages. London: Pelham.. 256 pages. 383 pages.
  • 157 pages.

- D -


*

- E -

226 pages. 162 pages. Also: London: Robert Hale Books.. 162 pages.

- F -

Revised 1973, further revised 1991.

- G -

/ 190 pages.

- H -

. First edition 1966: Harper & Row, 196p. / 1966: Award Books, 254p. / 1967: Universal, 254p. / 1967: Award Books, Tandem, 254p. / 1970: Award Books, Tandem, 254p. / 1981: Pinnacle Books, 235p. / 1986: Perennial Library, 235p.

- I -

- J -

*

- K -

  • Kantar, Eddie (Edwin): For a complete listing of Eddie Kantar books, see Edwin Kantar bibliography. 108 pages. Wilshire Book Company, 142p., / Prentice Hall, 147p. / Muller, 1971,, 147p Wilshire Book Company, 153p. / Prentice Hall, 153p. / Muller, 1971,, 153p / Wilshire Book Company, 1977,, 153p 151 pages. 200 pages. 200 pages. 214 pages. IDG Books Worldwide, 1997,, 382p. / Second Edition: Wiley Publishing Inc.,, 2006,, 388p. / Large Print Edition: Thorndike Press, 2008,, 563p 240 pages. 1121 pages. 191 pages. 192 pages. 120 pages. 217 pages. 146 pages. — The Modern Losing Trick Count: Bidding to Win at Contract Bridge. London: by Cassell in association with Peter Crawley, pp. 143..
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- L -


  • 423 pages.

- M -

59 pages. 381 pages. 143 pages.

- N -

- O -

Also,

- P -

- Q -

- R -

  • Reese, Terence: For a complete listing of Terence Reese books, see Terence Reese bibliography. 151 pages. / Dover Publications, 151 pages. / Oak Tree Press, 151 pages. / Oak Tree Press, 1965, 151 pages. / Cornerstone Library, 1968 and 1969, 144 pages. / Dover Publications, 1973,, 151 pages. 144 pages. / 1991,, 144 pages. 485 pages., Faber,, 469 pages., 128 pages., 128 pages. / Master Point Press 2005,, 160 pages. 1989,, 168 pages. / Reprint: Houghton Mifflin in association with Peter Crawley, 1992, / New Edition: Gollancz, 1994,, 168 pages. / Revised Edition by Ron Klinger: Cassell in association with Peter Crawley, 2006,, 160 pages. 300 pages. 244 pages; Three Rivers Press,, 244 pages; 1992, Crown Publishers Inc., Crown Trade Paperbacks,, 244 pages.,, 216 pages; 1995, Three Rivers Press,, 216 pages.,

- S -

, 140 pages; London: Batsford.. 127 pages.. First copyright 1959. / First printing 1960: Pocket Books, Permabook M7514, 548 pages. / 1960: Pocket Books, 548 pages, / 1960: Pocket Books, Permabook M5015 / 1962: Trident Press, Simon & Schuster, 528 pages. / 1964: Pocket Books, 549 pages. / 1964: Revised and enlarged, Trident Press, Simon & Schuster, 548 pages. / 1973: Pocket Books, 547 pages. / 1975: Pocket Books, 547 pages. / 1987: Pocket Books. 548 pages,

- T -


- U -

- V -

- W -

— Enlarged and modernized by Sam Fry, Jr. 162 pages. 287 pages. — Louisville, KY: Devyn Press Inc., pp. 343, OCLC 477153995. —, pp. 303,. — Louisville, KY: Devyn Press Inc., pp. 64,.

- X -

- Y -

- Z -

Lists

Books