Bridge and the Romantics

It is June 1822. Percy Shelley is planning a new bridge book. It will feature the most dazzling, difficult deals ever published, the bridge of the gods… But before he leaves on his ill-fated trip to Livorno, Shelley only has time to send his publisher a short ‘Declarer Play Problems’ pamphlet. Nick Smith, however, has unearthed a series of hitherto unchronicled episodes in the poet’s life, which demonstrate where the deals first arose, and what actually happened at the table in each case. Historically accurate and beautifully illustrated, this is a book for fans of classic literature as well as bridge players.