Here is the autobiography of The Daddy of Them All--the greatest pool hustler the world has ever known--Minnesota Fats. The Bank Shot and Other Great Robberies is a candid, anecdote-filled account of the fabulous Fat Man's life, told in his own uninhibited patois. A rollicking, rotund, Runyonesque character, Rudolph Wanderone is part rogue, part philosopher, part sinner, and--if we're not stretching the meaning of the term too far--part saint. He is the last of the old-fashioned high rollers, with a hundred-dollar bill in his handkerchief pocket, and the guts to use it. Recalling the good old days, Minnesota Fats speaks fondly of his hustling escapades, and of his stickmen, men with names like Tuscaloosa Squirrely, Cornbread Red, Handsome Danny Jones and Weanie Beanie, to name a few. He recounts the all-night shoot-outs, the highs and the lows, his long marriage, his one-day stint at college at the height of his career, and the madness surrounding the movie The Hustler, based on his life. As an added dividend for pocket billiard buffs, Professor Fats describes his game and how it is played, illustrating his techniques for chalking the tip, cueing up, and hitting the ball. He also talks about the speed of the stroke, and the development of effective combinations, kiss shots, and bank shots. The Professor takes his pool seriously, and long time players as well as beginners will benefit from his instruction and his expert analysis of the various approaches to the game. Illustrated with photos and line drawings, The Bank Shot and Other Great Robberies is a vivid portrait of a legend in his time, the incomparable Minnesota Fats, a high-spirited read, and a useful handbook.
