The Joy of Bridge

The Joy of Bridge is a compendium of the key elements of bidding, declarer play and defence, filled with amusing hands and bridge stories. Written for the social bridge player, this book also offers much for more experienced players. It is a collection of tips, techniques, and examples designed to enhance your knowledge in key areas of the game, ensuring you are more likely to succeed, whether you're playing in the kitchen, at a local group, or in a club.

Eschewing most conventions, everyday bidding problems are solved logically and clearly. Declarer play techniques, from the ubiquitous 3NT to tricky little part-scores, are broken down into critical areas for consideration. Defensive decisions are made easier by knowing the exact target for which you are striving.

For forty years, Paul has lectured live and online, and alongside his easy-to-follow guidance, The Joy of Bridge shares a selection of his infamously entertaining stories and hands. His aim is always to encourage bridge players, at any level, to stop trying to remember what to do but simply to think instead, making solutions to problems readily apparent and play more enjoyable.

Paul Mendelson is a writer for theatre and television and has been the bridge columnist for the Financial Times for over a quarter of a century. He is the author of fifteen non-fiction titles on mind-sports such as bridge and poker, as well as a crime novelist whose first novel, The First Rule of Survival, was shortlisted for the CWA Golden Dagger Crime Novel of the Year in 2014. His second novel, The Serpentine Road, was long-listed for the same prize in 2015. Both have been translated into several languages, and a television adaptation is in preparation. His two subsequent books are The History of Blood and Apostle Lodge. Paul resides in London and Cape Town with his two- and four-legged family.

Paul's first and second bridge books, The Right Way to Play Bridge and Bridge for Complete Beginners, were originally published in the mid-1990s. They have been updated and reprinted, regularly selling thousands of copies each year. The Joy of Bridge is by the UK's bestselling bridge author, the bridge columnist for the Financial Times, and appeals to the widest possible market of social players, estimated to be 3 million in the UK alone. Paul's ten books on bridge to date have together sold a quarter of a million copies, with most being number-one bestsellers in the UK and available worldwide in bookshops.