Roll the Bones: The History of Gambling
by Schwartz, David G
- Used
- Hardcover
- first
- Condition
- See description
- ISBN 10
- 1592402089
- ISBN 13
- 9781592402083
- Seller
-
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
"A narrative chronicle traces gambling's early emergence from divination rituals through its modern incarnation as a global and cultural diversion, in an account that documents such topics as the practice of casting lots, the invention of playing cards in twelfth-century China, and the role of organized crime in illegal gambling operations."
Synopsis
Now in paperback: the first narrative history of gambling, spanning the Stone Age to the Internet eraIn Roll the Bones, historian David G. Schwartz tells the epic story of gambling, beginning with its emergence from divination rituals and ending with today's global gaming culture, arguing convincingly that gambling has always been a crucial part of the human experience.Roll the Bones begins with the rolling of knucklebones in prehistoric times and the casting of lots in the Bible and traces gaming through the heights of the Greek and Roman civilizations. Schwartz continues through the Middle Ages, investigating the mysterious invention of playing cards in twelfth-century China, the birth of the casino in Venice, and the British Empire's work in spreading gambling worldwide. He describes how lotteries financed some of the first American colonies, how gambling prospered in the Civil War and the Old West, how organized crime exploded in the twentieth century by running illegal gambling operations, and how gambling dollars transformed Las Vegas into the world's number-one tourist destination. Packed with colorful characters from Julius Caesar to Steve Wynn, Roll the Bones is an all-in sure bet to captivate readers everywhere.
Reviews
(Log in or Create an Account first!)
Details
- Bookseller
- Black's Fine Books & Manuscripts (CA)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 3979
- Title
- Roll the Bones: The History of Gambling
- Author
- Schwartz, David G
- Format/Binding
- Hardcover
- Book Condition
- Used
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Edition
- First Edition, First Printing
- ISBN 10
- 1592402089
- ISBN 13
- 9781592402083
- Publisher
- Gotham Books
- Place of Publication
- New York
- Date Published
- 2006
Terms of Sale
Black's Fine Books & Manuscripts
About the Seller
Black's Fine Books & Manuscripts
About Black's Fine Books & Manuscripts
We are a rare book firm specializing in retrospective publications with notable strengths in Antiquarian Books, Archives, Canadiana, Culinary History, Fine Bindings, Indigenous Studies, Modern Literature, Socialism, and Slavic Studies. We actively buy-and-sell rare and out-of-print books, manuscripts, printed ephemera, personal and institutional archival collections, and other rare and unusual materials here in Canada, the United States, and Europe. Our trade is conducted chiefly online or through trade catalogues. When feasible, we will travel to examine collections of interest, particularly in areas of our specialization. We are also active in conducting monetary evaluations of select individual items, and collections for university archives, museums, and private clients. With over a decade-and-a-half of experience serving institutional and private clients alike, we are pleased to offer an eclectic, ever-changing selection of over 25,000 scarce and unique titles ranging from antiquity to the present day, only a small selection of which has been made available online. Please use our intuitive search function to search for titles of interest you may search by title, author, ISBN, or keywords. Please let us know if you are unable find what you are seeking and we would be pleased to search our extensive private inventory for you, or to assist you in acquiring it.
We warmly welcome visitors; however, our Toronto and Winnipeg studios operate by appointment only. Curated lists periodically issued.
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- Gilt
- The decorative application of gold or gold coloring to a portion of a book on the spine, edges of the text block, or an inlay in...
- First Edition
- In book collecting, the first edition is the earliest published form of a book. A book may have more than one first edition in...
- Tight
- Used to mean that the binding of a book has not been overly loosened by frequent use.
- Fine
- A book in fine condition exhibits no flaws. A fine condition book closely approaches As New condition, but may lack the...
- Spine
- The outer portion of a book which covers the actual binding. The spine usually faces outward when a book is placed on a shelf....