Hustler & The Champ

Willie Mosconi, Minnesota Fats, And The Rivalry That Defined Pool

Nonfiction, Entertainment, Games, Sports
Cover of the book Hustler & The Champ by R. A. Dyer, Lyons Press
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Author: R. A. Dyer ISBN: 9781461749011
Publisher: Lyons Press Publication: October 1, 2007
Imprint: Lyons Press Language: English
Author: R. A. Dyer
ISBN: 9781461749011
Publisher: Lyons Press
Publication: October 1, 2007
Imprint: Lyons Press
Language: English

In the tradition of Pulitzer Prize nominated, Positively Fifth Street, here is a riveting account of a high stakes shoot-out between pool's two most famous personalities.

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, exceeding even World Series games and basketball championships. R.A. Dyer, author of the best-selling Hustler Days, which recounts the rise of pool during the 1960s, writes of the 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. Fats and Mosconi were born the same year, but 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 a doubt the two most important players ever to hold a cue. This is the ultimate tale of American sportsmanship.

R.A. Dyer is a columnist for Billiards Digest, and lives in Austin, Texas.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

In the tradition of Pulitzer Prize nominated, Positively Fifth Street, here is a riveting account of a high stakes shoot-out between pool's two most famous personalities.

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, exceeding even World Series games and basketball championships. R.A. Dyer, author of the best-selling Hustler Days, which recounts the rise of pool during the 1960s, writes of the 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. Fats and Mosconi were born the same year, but 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 a doubt the two most important players ever to hold a cue. This is the ultimate tale of American sportsmanship.

R.A. Dyer is a columnist for Billiards Digest, and lives in Austin, Texas.

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