The lions and the lambs - thomas fensch

First published in 1970, The Lions and the Lambs profiles the best pool players of that time.

It followed the release of The Hustler , a highly acclaimed - and financially successful film - starring Paul Newman and Jackie Gleason.

Until 1970, there has been no book about pool/billiards that separated the facts from the legends of this timeless sport.

Shakespeare mentions billiards in Anthony and Cleopatra ; Mary Queen of Scots played the game and Lord Bryon also mentioned billiards.

Lions, in the language of the game, are gamblers or hustlers; those who can win when there is money on the table; Lambs are tournament players, but not necessary gamblers.

The book includes both categories of players; each chapter is a comprehensive profile of the player - his (or her) attitudes toward the game and comments about other players.

Also included is a Introduction about pool in the United States; a section about the film The Hustler and a lexicon of terms.

It is illustrated with a wide variety of photographs, many taken by the author.

The book went out-of-print after its original printing and the book publisher also disappeared.

Copies available on the internet have listed at $200-$250 or more; this is a reprint of the 1970 edition.