Backgammon Books Through the Ages

There are hundreds of backgammon books on the rules and strategies of the backgammon game which millions of backgammon players avidly read. However, apart from being a game of skill, backgammon has a rich and varied history. Most backgammon players are aware of this. They want to learn more about backgammon history because being a part of something enduring is a big motivation. There are books on backgammon that narrate backgammon history through the ages.

One of the earliest backgammon books was the one written by Hoyle in the 1800s. The 1838 edition has a wonderful section on the backgammon game. It goes beyond merely the rules and dwells on backgammon history as well.

The 1920s and the 1930s were the decades of the boom in the backgammon game in America, which followed the introduction of the backgammon doubling cube. Backgammon books flourished during this period as well. The backgammon books of this period tended to be colorful with many illustrations that captured the spirit of the backgammon game. Vanity Fair's "Backgammon to Win" by Georges Mabardi was very popular and has been reprinted. This book made backgammon history by being the first to acknowledge that backgammon doubles can be accepted because of imperfect play.

There were several good backgammon books written in the 1960s and the 1970s. "The Backgammon Book" by Jacoby and Crawford stands out for its section on backgammon history, which features illustrations of the backgammon board through the ages.

Present books on backgammon tend to deal with the mathematical aspects of the backgammon game rather than backgammon history. The possibility of computer simulations has greatly expanded the scope of such books. It is up to us to preserve the books on backgammon history and keep the legacy alive.