Roll the Bones: The History of Gambling
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In Roll the Bones, historian David G. Schwartz tells the epic story of gambling, beginning with its early emergence from divination rituals and ending with today's global gaming culture. In a sweeping, rollicking narrative, Schwartz looks at the betting games people have played since the dawn of history, and argues convincingly that gambling has always been a crucial part of the human experience. The book begins with the rolling of knucklebones in prehistoric times, progresses through the casting of lots portrayed in the Bible and sacred Hindu writings, and traces gaming through the heights of the Greek and Roman civilizations. Schwartz continues through the Middle Ages, investigating the mysterious invention of playing cards in twelfth-century China, the birth of the casino and table games such as baccarat in Venice, and the British Empire's work in spreading gambling throughout the world. Schwartz describes how lotteries financed some of the first American colonies, how gambling prospered in the Civil War and the Old West, how organized crime exploded in the twentieth century by running illegal gambling operations, and how gambling dollars transformed Las Vegas into the world's number-one tourist destination. Packed with colorful characters from Julius Caesar to Casanova, George Washington to Steve Wynn, Roll the Bones is an all-in history of humanity's fascination with chance. The New York Times - William Grimes Mr. Schwartz,…takes his assignment seriously. He begins even before the beginning, with the great wagers described in ancient religious texts, where even the gods gambled furiously…Having rooted his narrative, rather grandly, in the ancient cultures of Mesopotamia, China and India…Mr. Schwartz sets out on a quick global march that takes the reader from the gambling dens of Pompeii to the slots at Caesars Palace.
Foreword James McManus xiPrologue: The Rainmaker Reborn xvThe Discovery of Gambling 1Thoth's Gift: The Ancient Origins of Gambling 5The Die Is Cast: From Classical to Medieval Times 22Knaves and Kings: Cards Come Into Play 41Gambling Becomes a Science 69Taming Tyche: The Science of Chance Creates Professional Gambling 73The Ridotto Revolution: Mercantile Gamblers Create the Casino 92Gambling Takes to the Sea 107All Is on the Hazard: The British Come to Play 111Star-Spangled Gamblers: The Birth of American Gambling 135Baiting John Bull: British Gambling, 1750-1914 158Europeans Gamble at Home and Abroad 181Seeking the Cure: Spa Gambling Defines Europe 185Flight of the Sparrow: Gambling, Conquest, and Colonies 215The United States Bets Big 243Wild Cards: Gambling Moves West 247Fools of Fortune: American Gambling Becomes Urban 269Gambling for Fun and Profit 293A Sunny Place for Shady People: Gambling on the French Riviera 297Wise Guys and One-Armed Bandits: Big-City Gambling in the TwentiethCentury 325The Legitimization of American Gambling 347Hard to Resist: Nevada Becomes America's Gambling Oasis 351The Salvation of Sin: Is Gambling a Crime or a Virtue? 369A Place in the Sun: The Strip is Born 391Gambling's New Prominence 423Runaway American Dream: Gambling in the Public Interest 427All In: Gambling's Global Spread 447Into the Twenty-First Century 475A Clockwork Volcano: Technology and Triumph 479The Dream: History in Perspective 495Acknowledgments 499Notes 501Index 551
