Starting Out in Backgammon

Played Back Gammon for many years in Dubai/Bahrain while on tour out there. It wasn`t until I read and continue to read Paul`s book I came realise the in depth meaning of the game. Thoroughly recommend for beginners like myself. I`ve been playing for five years now but never see myself as an expert - the game is amazing thanks to Paul`s book. Stu Harvey

I still consider myself a beginner when it comes to playing serious backgammon, this book goes over the basics in a no frills format that is easy to understand. You get clear diagrams and instructions to basic strategy that are relatively easy to understand though I think it would take time to incorporate them into your actual play. It's a very sound book for those, who like me, have fallen head over heels for this incredible game.

Haven't finished it yet, but it is a good, clear introduction. was expecting to play at Christmas at my nieces' but didn't transpire. However, may seek out a club here in Sheffield, if such a thing exists.

This arrived in the usual excellent manner from Amazon and was used almost immediately, great fun when away in caravan easy to play but difficult to become an expert wonderful value

All you need to know to become a much better player at backgammon. Much recommend, especially if you start playing backgammon online and play stronger opponents...

The quality of the materials used could be improved as the covers are quite flimsy but the content is excellent.

I cant fault the company on delivery but suppose the price should have told me its poor quality the he book gives you all you need to know how to play ,but the paper is no better quality than newspaper, There was discoloration around the edges of the book Some way of grading paper quality of books is needed , suppose you need to go to the bookshop after all I would not entertain a book like this on my bookshalf Useful book reduced to rubbish by the quality of it .

This is a must for beginners at backgammon. Paul's writing style is clear and easy to read, making the most complicated concepts manageable. Each chapter is peppered with warnings and tips, highlighting the most important points. Starting Out is targeted squarely at the novice/beginner readership, though casual players would find the book an efficient and effective introduction to the formal game.

Easy to read, covers all the important things beginners need to know.

The nice thing about this book and the sequel is that they both pack a lot of information into a small package. This one is excellent for introducing the basic strategy elements to improving your play assuming you know the basics. A solid choice for the beginner who has played awhile and now wants to start winning more.

Ein ausgezeichnetes Buch für Anfänger. teilweise etwas mathematisch und wissenschaftlich abgehandelt, aber durchaus hilfreich wenn man kein Hobbyspieler bleiben will, sondern das Spiel ernsthaft betreiben möchte. Das Buch ist mit 128 Seiten perfekt, also nicht zu dick. Lamford schreibt auf hohem Niveau, aber trotzdem noch gut verständlich für den Laien. Ein empfehlenswertes Buch und der Preis stimmt auch! Leider gibt es keine guten Backgammon-Bücher in Deutsch. Beherrscht man den Grundwortschatz in Englisch, sollte man sich Backgammon-Bücher in Englisch von Paul Lamford zulegen. Fazit: Backgammon lebt, dank Lamford.

Very nice. It does not look or feel cheap, but it does not look or feel like very good quality, either. Overall, it is very good, which is more than good enough for a portable thing like this.

This thin book is packed with useful information. Neural net software has significantly changed the way backgammon is played over the last 15 years, and this book incorporates those lessons in an excellent introduction to the game. Furthermore, this book is the best introduction to the doubling cube that I have encountered. I grew up playing backgammon with my Armenian father. If you are also Armenian, Turkish, or Greek, you may have grown up playing backgammon in your family and already have a strong grasp of checker play but a weak grasp of the doubling cube. Other introductory backgammon books may be too simple for you. They may include one chapter on doubling which explains *how* to use it, but not how to evaluate a position to decide *when* to use it. And if you try to pick up an advanced book (like I did a few years ago before Lamford's book was available), the description of doubling decisions presumes so much prior knowledge as to be virtually unintelligible. This book adequately covers doubling theory at a beginner to intermediate level. Doubling decisions are kept in mind in every chapter of the book, and common reference positions are provided that show exactly when to double and when to take or drop. Finally, the book has great reviews of both neural net backgammon software and of online gaming sites. This alone makes most previous introductory books obsolete.