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Used book in good and clean conditions. Pages and cover are intact. Limited notes marks and highlighting may be present. May show signs of normal shelf wear and bends on edges. Item may be missing CDs or access codes. May include library marks. Ships directly from Amazon. Used book in good and clean conditions. Pages and cover are intact. Limited notes marks and highlighting may be present. May show signs of normal shelf wear and bends on edges. Item may be missing CDs or access codes. May include library marks. Ships directly from Amazon. See less
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Robert Charles Bell
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Board and Table Games from Many Civilizations Paperback – January 1, 1979

by R. C. Bell (Author)
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 57 ratings
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There are many authoritative books on card games and chess, but only a handful on the dozens of other games known to mankind. This excellent handbook by R. C. Bell is a basic reference to board and table games from around the world, and one of the two or three finest books ever written on the subject. Originally published in two volumes in the 1960's, it is now available for the first time in a corrected, one-volume edition.
Mr. Bell's encyclopedic work provides the rules and methods of play for 182 different games: Ma-jong, Hazard, Wei-ch'I (Go), backgammon, Wari, Continental draughts, Pachisi, Japanese chess, Bidou, Domino Loo, Cribbage, and many others. Volume one is divided into chapters devoted to race games, war games, games of position, Mancala games, dice games, and domino games; volume two follows the same arrangement and then proceeds to games with numbers, card games requiring boards, and games requiring manual dexterity. Additional information is furnished on making boards and pieces, and on gaming-counters.
Game players, toymakers, and historians of culture will welcome this guided tour of games from Egypt, Meso-America, the Orient, India, Persia, Rome, Africa, Victorian England, and many other societies. Over 300 illustrations, both photographs and line drawings, add an illuminating counterpoint to the text.
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  1. Print length
    464 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Dover Publications
  4. Publication date
    January 1, 1979
  5. Dimensions
    5.5 x 1 x 8.5 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0486238555
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0486238555
  8. See all details
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Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Dover Publications; Revised edition (January 1, 1979)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 464 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0486238555
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0486238555
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.05 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 1 x 8.5 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 57 ratings

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  1. Robert Charles Bell

    Robert Charles Bell

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  2. R. C. Bell

    R. C. Bell

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Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
57 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

  • William D. Shirley
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great Source Book
    Reviewed in the United States on December 8, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    Excellent source for many varieties of games from around the world. The rules are explained and it is easy to make your own from the pictures and descriptions. It's also a very reasonable price.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Magnus M
    5.0 out of 5 stars I love the information about different games from other civilations and ...
    Reviewed in the United States on May 3, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    Sitting on my shelf within reach, I love the information about different games from other civilations and how many were created about the same time. Thank you for a great little book that was in great condition for its age and use through time.
    One person found this helpful
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  • M. A.
    4.0 out of 5 stars Great, huge, informative
    Reviewed in the United States on September 30, 2012
    Verified Purchase
    There are just SO many games in this book, its really great. They span multiple game styles and also go into many different variations of the same game.

    As with other R.C. Bell books, the formatting and print generally isn't the greatest. Also, there is no standard for reporting the rules though it seems like one could have been established for each game type. Sometimes you get a set of rules, and others you get a kind of a verbose walk through pointing out the rules.

    A great introductory read for all the games included. I would definitely cross check the rules with other books or online. Many times, especially with games so old as these, there are slight nuances in reported rules, such as the ability to move 3 instead of 4 spaces, or other small balancing issues like that.

    I'm generally a big fan of R.C. Bell's game books. This is is the most comprehensive. Discovering Old Board Games is a great tiny book that covers a ton of books, but they are all included in this one too (Board and Table Games is much less portable). Board Games round the World: A Resource Book for Mathematical Investigations is great from him too. It has larger pages and better formatting and pictures, but not any better content then you can get in his other two books.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • K. Anderson
    5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Source Material
    Reviewed in the United States on January 1, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    This book, unlike the vast majority written about board games, eschews Eurocentricism. An additional bonus is its cost. When reading the book, I am reminded of the much more expensive Harold J. R. Murray's Board Games Other than Chess. It is a great resource for building a global perspective into the study of games.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Keith D. Burgun
    5.0 out of 5 stars *THE* book on the history of games
    Reviewed in the United States on December 10, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    Basically THE BEST BOOK on the history of games. If you buy some other book on the history of games, it will just be some guy talking about what R.C. Bell said in this book, seriously. As someone who has written their own book on games, this book was incredibly useful.
    One person found this helpful
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  • CAROLYN J. BORCHARDT
    3.0 out of 5 stars game rules
    Reviewed in the United States on March 11, 2012
    Verified Purchase
    I have perused this book which I found very interesting. I purchased it with the idea that it provided a history/origins of board games, instead this book contains a selection of games and how to play them. I am sure I will be able to use information from this book in my research just not as originally thought.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • whitebeard
    5.0 out of 5 stars Good historical information!
    Reviewed in the United States on August 9, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    Bought this book for research. Lots of good information!
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  • Kevin M. Perry
    5.0 out of 5 stars Practical "how-to" guide
    Reviewed in the United States on June 6, 2010
    Verified Purchase
    I have been looking for such a resource for use in my Latin classroom. Bell includes his references to primary sources for the ancient games and that is highly useful.
    One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • Rogério Almeida
    5.0 out of 5 stars Demais!!!!!!!!
    Reviewed in Brazil on March 8, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    Muito bom!

    Esclarecedor e ao mesmo tempo um manual rico para entender e jogar nossa ancestralidade em jogos que vão além da expêriencia de entretenimento.
    Report
  • Marta
    5.0 out of 5 stars Bibbia
    Reviewed in Italy on December 11, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    Ottimo trattato molto esaustivo. Essenziale per chi studia l'argomento o vuole inventare nuovi giochi. Sarà datato ma assolutamente unico nel suo genere.
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  • M. J. Jacobs
    5.0 out of 5 stars The best reference ever to classic board and table games
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 15, 2009
    Verified Purchase
    If you are interested in ancient and comparatively modern board and table games, you won't find one better than this. I used to borrow the copy from my local library as a child and make playable copies of the historical games. I developed a love of board and table games which continues today.

    The games are divided into categories (such as chess family, parchesi [Ludo] family, etc.) and lists all known members of each group, along with the instructions or speculations on how they must have been played, and history of the evolution of each game family.

    The book is a treasure-chest full of information, and well worth a look. It isn't colourful, or even in colour, but the copious black and white photos and drawings of the games and their components makes it easy to reconstruct and play games that were popular in ancient times. It is presented more as an academic study by a keen collector than as a "popular" book, but it is very readable, and is more of an encyclopedia than a narrative history of games.

    The companion volume (now extremely hard to find) is also essential reading if you enjoy this one.
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  • Luiz Carlos
    3.0 out of 5 stars Um pouco bagunçado
    Reviewed in Brazil on September 25, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    É um livro que acrescenta muito em termos de conhecimento, mas sua disposição é confusa e bagunçada, porém não impede de ler e compreender sobre vários jogos.
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  • Mister Tester
    5.0 out of 5 stars IF YOU'RE A GAMER, DON'T MISS THIS BOOK...
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 10, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    Incredibly detailed collection of ancient board games from many civilisations. Throw away your games console, read this book and be hooked on board games forever.
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