No different from the rest   January 8, 2006

If you are an improving player and you do not currently own a book like this then it is a good choice from the bunch because it basically contains everything it could and Steve Davis is a good author, but if you've got one already don't think this will be of much use other than the entertainment from reading it BECAUSE IT WONT. Go and play a couple of hours extra down the club and do a line up.


disappointing   December 23, 2003
  19 out of 21 found this review helpful

I just read the previous reviewers who wrote that this book was the best around or things to that effect. I beg to differ. I would say that it is currently the ONLY book available on the subject currently but not THE best.

It covers the basics but all VERY wordy and short of diagrams.hasnt it been said before that a picture paints a thousand words?. Many of the important stuff i recognise also can be found in Frank callan's website eg dominant eye and some practice routines. Explains the various types of shots but doesnt explain the effects or ball paths eg what happens when you play a 3/4 ball shot with screw. Talks about side but doesnt show what running or check side is diagramatically or covers anything about combined spin. I also find some of the angles taken by the photographer of Jim posing in his stance pose pretty awkward.

Lots of nice photographs of stars but I dont think relevant for too many to be shown if it is meant to be purely instructional. The space could be used to write more on the fundamentals and techniques.

However i have to admit that the section on tactics and billiards is worth studying. Hence the stars otherwise I wouldnt bother about in any further given that there is hardly anything on english billiards these days.

For a good instructional book, one of the best ive ever read is Cliff Thorburn's Snooker skills. Lots of photos showing techniques, photographed ball paths of shots, and explains with diagrams about play around the black. etc. Its a real pity that this book is already out of print. One can also consider Steve Davis's insructional video more enlightening than this book.


The best snooker book out there!   November 10, 2002
  11 out of 12 found this review helpful

This is by far the best snooker book I've come across, even though it's 11 years old!
There's plenty of great photos that show you what's being explained, and every major aspect of the game is covered in reasonable detail.
Don't bother with any other snooker book, this is the one you'll need!


A Great Book!   January 18, 2002
  6 out of 7 found this review helpful

A very helpful book for beginners like myself. The style, layout, coverage are great. Unfortunately, there are a number of absolutely useless photoes where some more info could have been. I would definitely recommend it.


This book is the best   May 6, 2001
  12 out of 14 found this review helpful

This book gives you what no video can. True you don't see the players taking the shots and taking cracks, but its explained well and writen by one of the snooker greats Clive Everton