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Reviews
IBooks I DVD's I Dart Products I
BooksThe Official Bar Guide to Darts by Patrick Chaplin, PhD, Darts Historian
Followers of my work will know that I have previously co-authored books with three-time World Darts Champion John Lowe (2005 and 2009) and eight-time Women’s World Champion, Trina Gulliver (2008) and had the book based on my PhD (Darts in England 1900-1939: A social history) published by Manchester University Press last year, but this latest work is, for me, a bit special. The Official Bar Guide to Darts is written specifically with the general reader in mind. The book is aimed at all those interested in playing the game whether they are beginners, seasoned members of a darts league or even - dare I suggest it – seriously experienced darts players looking to hone their skills or to solve a particular problem with their game.
THE DARTS BIBLE BY DAVID NORTON & PATRICK MCLOUGHLIN (WITH STEVE BROWN)
PLAYED AT THE PUB – THE PUB GAMES OF BRITAIN by Arthur R. Taylor
Arthur’s first excursion into pub games publishing was Pub Games (St. Albans: Mayflower Books) in 1976. Sixteen years later ‘son of Pub Games’ was published in the form of The Guinness Book of Traditional Pub Games (Enfield: Guinness Publishing, 1992), a massively expanded and extended version of his earlier book with much more information and many more illustrations and photographs. But Played at the Pub, quite honestly, kicks both of them into a cocked hat.
Darts in England 1900 - 1939 I am proud to announce that my book Darts in England 1900-1939: A social history is now available. The book, the culmination of over 12 years intensive research, is the very first academic work to be published relating to the social history of the most popular pastime and sport in the world - DARTS. It is published by Manchester University Press as part of that publishers’ prestigious series ‘Studies in Popular Culture.’ I appreciate that the cost will be prohibitive for most fans, although some bookshops and supermarkets are offering the work at a reduced price online. However, I am confident that the interest stimulated by my unique work will result in a paperback version being made available within a year or so.
OLD STONEFACE REVEALS ALL IN HIS AUTOBIOGRAPHY(Now available in paperback with an additional chapter)
Although in the pipeline for a long time, it was not until the summer of 2004 that John was able to schedule the time to write this, his fourth book. John says, “The first two books were basically ‘how to play’ and consisted of passing on my skills and knowledge to my readers. The third book ‘The John Lowe Story – Inside Pro Darts with the World Champion’ was my first stab at autobiography and took my story up to 1987.”
‘THE DARTS ‘B’ TEAM’ by Colin S. Drury
THE COMPLEAT DARTSHOOTER
Describing himself as ‘an erstwhile dart shooter’, Pappalardo’s book is a strange and effective combination of a dark yet whimsical look at the world that lies nestled in the bosom of every small town in America. From the moment that the orphaned exile Aznap “Nappy” Ochnas meets a charismatic mafia bagman named Fletcher Widdy, the pair roam about searching for the meaning of life, or at least a good game of darts.
JOHN LOWE REVEALS ‘THE ART OF DARTS’ (Update)
John said “It is almost four years since I first realised that the sport of darts was badly in need of a comprehensive manual that would help the beginner and the professional alike and so I have written The Art of Darts.” He added, “I believe The Art this book once bought would never be loaned - always owned - and an on-going source of self help to all darts players.” This important instructional work is written in a way to make it easy reading and simple to understand. It is relevant to all levels of play and not only shows the beginner the correct stance, grip and release but shows all players how to build the self-confidence needed to be more than just proficient at this most popular of sports.
ERIC BRISTOW – THE CRAFTY COCKNEY |
After more than four years in
the making, my new book The Official Bar Guide to Darts has now been
unleashed on an unsuspecting global darting public. 
When David Norton co-author of The Darts Bible
contacted me some months ago I was happy to provide him with mainly darts
history information plus contacts. David and Patrick Mcloughlin’s book was
then in its very early stages of construction although I was aware that they
were working to a very tight timetable. I knew that my own book The
Official Bar Guide to Darts was due to be published in June 2010 and so
assumed that the Bible would be published before my Guide. 
Arthur
R. Taylor has been researching pub games for nearly forty years and has recently
published his ultimate work on the subject Played at the Pub – The pub games of Britain
Three times World Professional
Darts Champion, John Lowe, has recently completed the task of writing his
first major work of autobiography.
Colin Drury, a retired
civil servant, was born in Bridgend and raised on licensed premises (which
included ‘The Masons Arms’ (now demolished) in the Kenfig area of the town) and
presumably he used that experience to bring some semblance of reality to his
book The Darts ‘B’ Team.
Pennsylvanian-born Peter Pappalardo had his first novel Bluegrass
published by AuthorHouse (a self-publishing house) in 2005 and now, for his
second venture into authorship, applies his knowledge and love of the sport of
darts to bring us The Compleat Dartshooter. 
John
Lowe’s eagerly awaited darts tuition book The Art of Darts is to be
published by Hodder & Stoughton at the end of May.
Over
two decades on from his first venture into biography in 1985, so much has
happened to Eric Bristow most of which not even the brash 26-year old back then
could have predicted.
Keith Lee Morris is an associate professor
of English and creative writing at Clemson University, South Carolina who
certainly knows his darts and how to weave the world of local darts into a story
of complex relationships, murder, drug-dealing and intrigue. Five fates are
inextricably linked in this fine novel and the whole thing is played out in one
night.
George Silberzahn is not the best known of
US darts player here in the UK but his influence on darters ‘across the pond’ in
terms of darts training is undeniable. George started playing darts in 1962 and
retired from the sport in 1982 and began to concentrate on writing about the
sport he loved. He published two darts booklets during the 1980s and the
contents of these (and much more) were finally produced in book form in 2004.
To darts
players in the UK, George Silberzahn may not be well know, but in the USA he has
carved out quite a reputation as the man whose mission in life is to teach
everyone to play darts.
Has darts
changed all that much in the past 45 years? Perhaps not says MAT COWARD, who
recently made a surprising discovery…
This
week is an exciting time for darts publishing. For the first time ever a female
darts champion publishes her life story. Yes, the eagerly awaited autobiography
by multi-world champion Trina Gulliver titled Golden Girl – The Autobiography
of the Greatest Ever Ladies Darts Player is published on 7th
January by John Blake Publishing of London. As I have helped Trina to write her
unique book, it would be unfair for me to say any more. Therefore, here are some
reviews from other darts aficionados that I am sure will be of interest.
Although
the title sounds like an Agatha Christie novel, this is not a murder mystery but
a book describing Justin Irwin’s ‘journey into the heart of dartness’.
Bellies and Bullseyes is
not, of course, Sid Waddell’s first foray into darts authorship, not by a long
chalk. Sid co-wrote The Indoor League with John Meade in 1975 and contributed to
and compiled two volumes of The BBC Book of World Darts (1979 and 1983), the
latter being edited by Darts World’s Tony Wood. Sid ghosted both Jocky Wilson’s
autobiography Jocky – Jocky Wilson’s Own Story (1983) and Phil Taylor’s The
Power – My Autobiography (2003) and delighted us with his ribald humour in
Bedside Darts (1985). Sid has written copiously on darts for over 30 years in
books, programme notes and newspaper articles. His new book is a celebration of
those years in which Sid helped in no small measure to make darts on TV what it
is today.
In the August issue of
Darts World, I praised the efforts of Eddie Austin in his mission to record the
entire history of the Shropshire County team. Then, out of the blue, came Dave
Taylor’s impressive work Make Mine A Double – The Story of Hull Darts. 
Anyone reading Bobby
Dazzler – My Story, Bobby George’s recently published biography, and expecting
it to reflect the style of his That’s the Way to Do It! column in Darts World
magazine will be disappointed. For his first major published work, Bobby, with
the help of journalist Lance Hardy, adopts a more serious, yet relaxed writing
style, demonstrating Bobby’s wish to make it, as he told me recently, “More than
just a book about darts.” 
The hilarious new novel
from the creator of Reginald Perrin begins with a not-so-brief encounter on a
train, between 58-year-old philosophy lecturer Alan, and Ange a twenty-something
darts groupie. Alan learns to live for the moment, and Ange to appreciate the
finer things in life.
KNOW THE GAME - DARTS
Wayne Mardle's new book is on the shelves
A look at Niall Edworthy's new book, aptly titled Planet Darts.......
'In and Out' - by Mat Coward
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THE OFFICIAL REVIEW OF THE HOLSTEN PREMIER LEAGUE DARTS 2006 and ERIC BRISTOW’S FIRST EMBASSY VICTORY 1980
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The Story of Darts - video & dvd
'The 'Story of Darts' Video - an impartial review by 'The Journal' December 2002
Dart Products
DIGLS Dartboard
Over the years there have been many attempts to bring our
games and pastimes to the dartboard. This is not in the form of alternative
games but alternative dartboards. In the past these have included golf,
snooker, football and even bingo. Now, for what is believed the very first
time, a form of ‘Darts meets Scrabble ®’ has been devised by Cases Project
Management of Bridport, Dorset.
The Circumluminator - Shadow Free Dartboard Lighting
THE CIRCUMLUMINATOR
DARTBOARD ILLUMINATION
BREAKTHROUGH
The Circumluminator: Uniform, shadow-free, glare-free light
Madhouse Darts Scoring System
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‘MADHOUSE’ MOBILE PHONE APPLICATION LAUNCHED |