Description
A Gamut of Games is one of the most important game related books available. Organized by the legendary Sid Sackson, with insights to many games that are relatively well know, rules for new games by Sid Sackson himself and many of his game's author friends, this book alone can satisfy most of the avid gamers. The chapters are divided with a theme and various games are presented in each one. In the end, there is a review of various games on the american market in 1969.
From the dust cover of the 1969's Random House, Inc. edition:
"This is an exciting collection of 38 old and new games, none of which is avaiable in any book on the subject. They were selected not only because they fulfill some function not adequately satisfied by standard games.
Included is a completely novel game os strategy played on a checker-board by partners; a two-handed poker game that can be played for fun instead of money; a first-rate substitute for two stranded bridge players; a number of fascinating replacements for Tic-Tac-Toe; a card game of brain stretching skill; a rare game os inductive logic played with pencil and paper; and many others.
Among the contributors are a Polish film critic, a Benedictine monk, the son of a Russian aristocrat, two basket-weavers and Sid Sackson himself" Sid Sackson 10-69
"Sid Sackson's A Gamut of Games is a splendid, diversified collection of 38 remarkable, intellectually-stimulating indoor games, not one of which the reader is likely to have encountered before. The book is written in a clear, informal style, rich in amusing anecdotes and surprising historical sidelights, by the country's leading game inventor, collector, and expert on game history. It is an absolute must for all game buffs.
Many of the book's best games are inventions of the author, here published for the first time. Others have been contributed by top game inventors around the world. Still others are unusual finds the author made in exhaustive searches through museums of America, Canada and Europe, and through old patent files. All the games are playable by anyone, child or adult, with easily made or obtainable equipment such as cards, counters, checkerboards, dice, pencil-and-paper, and so on. One of the book's most useful features is a section of brief reviews of more than 200 outstanding games currently on sale in the United States.
A Gamut of Games is the most important book on games to appear in decades, and the only book ever devoted exclusively to unfamiliar games not to be found in any other book. It is a genuine milestone in the literature of both games and mathematical recreations" Martin Gardner
