I’m always on a quest to expand what I know about the game, and part of this is adding more bridge books to the bookshelf every now and then.
What do I read when it comes to bridge books? The honest answer is anything and everything. Historical bridge books, strategic bridge books – and I have a particular love for autobiographies and fictional or real bridge tales.
Here’s what I got to browsing through lately.
Kosher Bridge (David Bird, Ron Klinger)
“This is a collection of bridge stories with a Jewish flavor.” This was all that I really needed to see in order to pick up this title – and it delivered exactly the fun, quirky, particularly Jewish writing style I was hoping to read. First published in 1992, and still good, this one definitely gets a smile out of me.
Bridge with a Feminine Touch (David Bird, Simon Cocheme)
Bridge with a Feminine Touch tells the story of Debbie, a newbie to cards who makes her way through bridge as a newcomer up to more serious, higher-stakes tournaments. It’s a classic “protagonist’s journey” sort of story that works very well. (Although, shouldn’t bridge with a feminine touch have included more, well, female input?)
Your Deal, Mr Bond (Phillip King, Robert King)
Did you know that not all of the great James Bond fiction was written by its original author? There’s a lot of fiction involving double-oh-seven that spans far beyond the universe Fleming created – and in my opinion, that’s fantastic for any writer. Your Deal, Mr Bond is the story that features Zia Mahmood as a character. (Really, read it!)
Takeout Double: A Bridge Mystery (Jim Priebe)
When a bridge player dies, lieutenant Art Fraser picks up the case. What makes this story work is that the story’s protagonist happens to have what’s called an investigative edge: he also plays bridge. And like a good deal of murder mysteries go, a second body appears – and that’s the real start of the story.
Cards on the Table (Agatha Christie)
Cards on the Table isn’t a book about bridge theory or conventions – but you can’t say that it’s not a bridge book. It’s one of the most famous books about bridge known to people that might not play the game at all. If you haven’t read it, it’s time – and if you have, read it again. It’s an everlasting classic.