[haka9]

FelicityR, on 2019-September-16, 05:02, said:

Only occasionally do I buy a new bridge book as there are plenty to pick up from charity shops, secondhand booksellers and eBay. However, I am really glad I found this one by accident as it is very instructive and funny, too.

Master of Bridge Psychology by Jeppe Juhl and Peter Fredin.

It deserves to be a bridge bestseller. Having read the book, I can conclude that Peter Fredin is the Scandinavian equivalent of Zia Mahmood, not only an excellent bridge player but a larger-than-life character too.

I will try to buy that book (Amazon?). I have lots of favourite books. The oldest is Elimination by Roger Trezél in Swedish, Jannersten Bridgebibliotek. I was a young and eager player working for a while in Sweden years ago. I bought many bridge books and this was one of them. This was one of my first "advanced" view of how to play. Last week I played a classic "elimination och inpetning" 4 ♥.

Then some years later I was visiting London and of course a book shop. I opened a bridge book just to look at it. On page 13: Oscar the Owl, senior kibitzer at the Griffins: 'Curious hand. Both sides can make 4 hearts.' Peregrine the Penguin, senior kibitzer at the Unicorns: 'A technician is a man who knows exactly what to do the moment he has done something else.' Of course I bought it and many others. Victor Mollo is still my favourite bridge writer, both Menagerie and serious-minded books.

Mike Lawrence books on overcalling and balancing are also my favourite books. The last to mention is "Bid Against the Masters. The Best of Bidding Forum." by Keith McNeil & Terence Reese. Deals from Bidding Forum in Australian Bridge. It contains a lot of McNeil's (sometimes brilliant) comments to expert players' answers of bidding problems and a Sum Up from Terence Reese to every deal.

[blackshoe]

haka9, on 2020-November-01, 12:30, said:

Then some years later I was visiting London and of course a book shop.

I spent the last three years of my Navy career at HMS Centurion in Gosport, across the water from Portsmouth. During that time I bought a good chunk of my current bridge library at Foyle's in London. Fun bookstore, that was.

[spade7]

Right Through The Pack. There are some excellent twists in some of the stories.

From an educational perspective The Art of Declarer Play by Tim Bourke and Justin Corfield. Advanced Plus to Expert declarer technique.

[Douglas43]

Strange as it might sound, I'd like to nominate "Golf is not a game of perfect" by Dr Bob Rotella as a worthwhile book for bridge players, because bridge is not a game of perfection either. The author is a sports psychologist.

[Winstonm]

It's impossible to review this thread and not add Master Play by Terrence Reese.

[P_Marlowe]

Since it got mentioned in a parallel running thread

How The Experts Win at Bridge, 1997, Burt Hall and Lynn Rose-Hall.

https://www.bridgeba...09#entry1031709

[mikeh]

mcphee, on 2020-October-05, 11:47, said:

All the choices mentioned are excellent books, but Adventures in Card Play is exceptional, not for newer players though.

I like the book but it is really nothing more than a curiosity. I’m sure I’ve played some hands where an overtaking squeeze or a backwash squeeze was there, but nobody saw it.

The one useful segment is about elopement…that is a very useful tool but I expect all good players know this technique from other sources.

The Rodwell Files has more and more useful, in actual play, techniques, and the best part is that it is, imo, accessible to advanced players as well as experts.

Returning to the OP, for years (when playing seriously), I’d re-read Kelsey’s books on imo play….The Needle Match, etc. The bidding was weird by modern NA standards but the books were a wonderful way to help remember how to think during the play.

I’d also re-read Love on Squeezes. I can do most basic squeezes without much effort (due to practice, practice and then some practice) but again the re-read is primarily to reset my mind heading into an important event.

[keylime]

"The Art of Declarer Play" by Bourke and Courfield has been my latest joy.

[armantt2k]

For Declarer play exercises, I recommend Take All Your Chances (Volumes 1 and 2) by Eddie Kantar.
For card play as both Declarer and on Defense, I'm currently enjoying Card Play Technique, or How to Be Lucky, by Gardener and Mollo.

[michel444]

Simple Squeezes by Hugh Kelsey
found it in a second hand bookshop
tokk me 5 time to read to begin to understand how Squeezes work

[bluenikki]

FelicityR, on 2019-September-16, 05:02, said:

Only occasionally do I buy a new bridge book as there are plenty to pick up from charity shops, secondhand booksellers and eBay. However, I am really glad I found this one by accident as it is very instructive and funny, too.

Master of Bridge Psychology by Jeppe Juhl and Peter Fredin.

It deserves to be a bridge bestseller. Having read the book, I can conclude that Peter Fredin is the Scandinavian equivalent of Zia Mahmood, not only an excellent bridge player but a larger-than-life character too.

Not only do I like the idea of a biographical - Jeppe Juhl is a personal friend - analysis of Peter Fredin, I personally like the way the book is presented. Anecdotes asides, I enjoyed the format where you are given the opportunity to think like Fredin, only to realise that your own bridge psychology and play is, for me, never going to be anything like his, and then actually admire how brilliantly intelligent the man is.

I found it a great read, brimming with good humour, published in easy to read print, and it has now replaced 'Bridge in the Menagerie' by Victor Mollo as my favourite bridge book. And whilst I still like 'Menagerie' and the St Titus monastery articles of David Bird, there is a difference reading about a real bridge character as opposed to imaginary ones.

Kelsey's "Killing Defense at Bridge."

[Douglas43]

Since i last posted, I have read Under the Table by Avon Wilsmore. Depressing (it compiles evidence that the Blue Team cheated) but an excellent read.

[Cyberyeti]

bluenikki, on 2022-October-01, 18:32, said:

Kelsey's "Killing Defense at Bridge."

The Kelsey books were my first series, I won Advanced play at bridge aged 12 for winning an adult tournament and while it may not have been the most appropriate thing at the time, given my bidding my play needed to be pretty good, so it wasn't too terrible.