THE ARGUS

Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

19 October 1918

(page 6)

NEW BOOKS.

MISCELLANEOUS.

Holding that in the playing of auction bridge too much attention is generally given to the theories of the older game of bridge, Mr. R. F. Foster, an American writer on card subjects, has added to his earlier books "Foster on Auction," an exposition of "the latest developments of modern auction." The book includes the American official laws and 130 deals from actual play. "Auction as now played," says the author, "seems to have reached the end of its evolution. Pirate will probably replace it." He has written a comprehensive volume on this game also—"Foster on Pirate Bridge." The invention of the game is attributed to Aleister Crowley, an English writer and traveler. "The idea of auction bridge was to distribute the privilege of making the trump, giving everyone at the table a chance. Crowley's idea was to distribute the privilege of picking the partner who could best support that trump, or who could offer the best defence against it," Both volumes will be found to be useful by those for whom they are written. They are published by E. P. Dutton, New York, and have come to hand from F. W. Cole, Melbourne.