It was Valentine's Day, 1978, and Howard Cosell was hosting the long-awaited show-down between the best-ever tournament player, Willie Mosconi, and the game's most famous hustler, Minnesota Fats.  This was The Great Pool Shoot-Out, one of the most highly rated televised sporting events of the year.  R.A. Dyer, author of the best-selling Hustler Days, writes about this acrid, but mutually beneficial rivalry between Fats and Mosconi, and how the televised shoot-outs came to embody that rivalry, which was nothing less than a bitter rift within the soul of American pocket billiards.  They were born the same year, but they were vastly different characters.  One stood for artistry, the other for show business. One brought dignity to pool, the other made it fun.  They are without doubt the two most important players ever to hold a cue.  This book is the ultimate tale of American sportsmanship.  Hardcover only.  $24.95  (HTC)

This new book is subtitled:  The Legend of Kid Delicious, the Last Great American Pool Hustler.   It is the outrageous tale of Kid Delicious, a 300-pound, bipolar Jewish kid from New Jersey, who lights up the seamy side of pool as much with his glittering play as he does with his magnetic personality.  He teams up with Bristol Bob, a nutrition and physical fitness nut and pool player.  The entertaining and mismatched pair go underground into the world of hustling, experiencing the highs and lows of life on the road. Action gets hotter, calls get closer, and Delicious’ prowess with a stick becomes more and more known. Ultimately, he sheds his cover to become professional pool’s biggest media sensation since Minnesota Fats.  His story was first featured in Sports Illustrated and the movie rights to this book have already been optioned by Lionsgate.  Hardcover only.  $24  (RTT)

This book is an autobiographical classic about the most famous pool hustler of all times...Minnesota Fats.  It is a candid, anecdote-filled account of the fabulous Fat Man's life, told in his own uninhibited patios.  Illustrated with photos and line drawings this book is a vivid portrait of a true pool legend as well as a high-spirited read, and a useful handbook for those who want to know his techniques and expert analysis of the various approaches to the game.  $15  (FATS)

This book takes the reader into the life of pool's legendary money player.  It is action-packed, entertaining, and easy to read.  An inside look at the Johnson City tournaments and the world-famous money room--the Rack.  It has received rave reviews from pool publications and other reviewers!  $16.95  (RED)

PLAYING OFF THE RAIL:
A Pool Hustler’s Journey
by David McCumber

This modern road adventure received a lot of media coverage—NBC:Dateline, USA Today, etc.  The author and a top player take $30,000 on a six month trip in search of high-stakes pool.  It’s a great look into the behind-the-scenes world of the road player.  This author hides nothing!  $14.95  (RAI)

HUSTLER DAYS
by R.A. Dyer

This new book explores “ America ’s second great age of pool” by following the lives of Minnesota Fats, Wimpy Lassiter, and Jersey Red.  They weave together through the Norfolk war years, the Johnston City Hustler Tournament era, and Fats’ rise to fame.  Dyer has done extensive research and writes in an entertaining novel-like style.  A great read!  softcover -  $14.95   (HDS)

DO IT FOR THE GAME
by Robert Campbell

As a young man, Brian Dwyer walked away from the game to go after the “good” life.  So he collected a beautiful family, a big house in the suburbs, and a nice corporate job.  Then, one by one, he lost everything.  As the story opens, now adrift and drinking heavy, he returns to his hometown to bury his father and ends up in the old time neighbor pool hall where he once ruled.  This novel centers on Brian’s reawakening to his authentic values and his struggle to get back into competitive pool, helped and hindered by the colorful characters that hang out at The Cue.  $15 (DOIT)

ONE POCKET MAN
by Albert J. Betz  

This 184 page novel is primarily a mob story.  Danny Bonte loves one-pocket, but he is also an aging hit man for the Chicago mob who has outlived his usefulness.  When the feds reveal his boss has put a contract on him, Danny sings like a bird.  For his reward, they move him to Philadelphia and set him up with a pool room.  There he teaches one-pocket to a neighborhood kid,  finds love and friendship, and battles the Philadelphia mob.  Each chapter starts with a quote from Jack Koehler’s book Upscale One Pocket.  $15  (OPM)

STROKE
by Carlos Ledson Miller  

This is a novel about a young champion golfer who gets retired by an injury and decides to fulfill her competitive destiny with pool.  It’s well-written and fast-paced.  If you like to read pool stories, this one will hold your attention for a couple of days.  $15  (STK)