If I Only Had a Heart: Bridge over the rainbow

Art. # 978-1-55494-632-7

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By: Bill Buttle & Harry Smith & Alex Adamson

Number of pages: 224
Isbn: 978-1-77140-035-0
Language: English
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$19.95

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$23.95

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About the Book

Fictional bridge clubs, from Victor Mollo’s Menagerie to the monks of David Bird’s St. Titus Abbey, are familiar backdrops for writers. Perhaps therefore it’s surprising that no one has gone ‘over the rainbow’ before. It’s not a surprise, though, to find that everyone in Oz is a keen bridge player, even the Scarecrow and the Tin Man. The Lion is as cowardly a player as you would expect, and the witches of all flavors are deliciously wicked. The Wizard himself, of course, is a visitor from Down Under… Some of these stories have appeared in BRIDGE magazine, and in AUSTRALIAN BRIDGE, but all are collected here in book form for the first time. Bill Buttle’s illustrations add to the fun.

About the Author

Bill Buttle

Bill Buttle (1940-2020) was a former dentist who took up drawing cartoons post-retirement. His 'Two's a Crowd' and 'Double Bill' features have been syndicated in newspapers across Canada. Bill's bridge humor was familiar to North Americans since it appears regularly in the ACBL's monthly Bridge Bulletin (circulation approx. 200,000). Read our exclusive interview with Bill Buttle on Teachbridge.com -- http://teachbridge.com/author-spotlight/bill-buttle/

Harry Smith

Harry Smith (Scone, Scotland) has represented Scotland in both the Open and Senior Teams. As NPC, he captained the Senior Team to a European Bronze Medal in Dublin in 2012, and to the quarterfinal of the World Championships in Bali the following year, the story of which is told in Scotland’s Senior Moment.

Alex Adamson

Alex Adamson (Linlithgow, Scotland) is a Scotland Open Team player. Additionally, he has captained the Scottish Open, Junior and Women's teams. After a successful European Championships in 2018, he captained the women in the Venice Cup in Wuhan in 2019.

Media Reviews

October 4th, 2016

Roy Bennett, British and Scottish international

On the train down from Scotland and Harry thrust the proof copy at me. I stopped reading in London! I couldn\'t put it down! Harry and Alex, in their second venture, have produced something pretty unique. A bridge book with characters we can all recognize, and which is not only funny and entertaining but instructive and very well analyzed. I believe I am the first \'outsider\' to read it but I certainly won’t be the last. As soon as it comes out I urge everyone to buy it; you won\'t be disappointed.

December 13th, 2016

ABTA Quarterly

A delightful excursion into fantasy bridge. The hands are most entertaining and often instructive. A thoroughly enjoyable book.

August 8th, 2017

Bridgetidningen, Sweden

In this humorous and nicely put-together book, the action takes place in a local bridge club, called the “Over The Rainbow Bridge Club”, peopled by characters from the book: Dorothy, Aunty Em, Uncle Henry, the Lion, the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, the Witches, and, of course, the Wizard himself. They also take their personalities from the characters in the book. The Lion, for example, exudes great self-confidence at first glance, but, at the table, when the going gets tough, his courage fails him, just as in the book. Writing bridge humour is not straightforward; it can easily be heavy or over the top. But I liked this one. The tone is good, and the hands are exciting and well analysed. I have found it a really good read. I hope they’ll write more. Recommended.