Bridge, or more formally contract bridge, is a trick-taking card game of skill and chance played by four players. This article consists of lists of bridge books deemed significant by various authors and organizations.

History Books on bridge and its predecessor games have spanned centuries with the earliest known popular book on the subject of Whist having been published by Edmond Hoyle in 1742 263 pages. or 1743."Bibliography, Section A" in

The timelines in the evolutionary path to modern contract bridge books are generally as follows: 17th century: the emergence of Whist from earlier games such as Ruff and Honours and Triumph 18th and 19th centuries: Whist is widely played with many variants in scoring methods; similar games such as Vint and Khedive are also played 1886: Evidence that Bridge-Whist has emerged with John Collinson's four page pamphlet entitled Biritch, or Russian Whist. (Earlier, in 1869, Christian Vanderheid, an Austrian writer about card games, published Gründlicher Selbstunterricht zur Erlernung des Jarolasch oder das russische Whist (Extensive Self-teaching of Yeralash (Jarolasch) or Russian Whist). The game described by Vanderheid is almost identical to Collinson's Biritch, with the exception that it is not played with a dummy.) 1903–1932: from the first known publication on Auction Bridge (also known as Royal Auction Bridge and simply, Auction) to the last publication of Laws of Auction Bridge by the Portland Club c. 1915: Bridge Plafond emerges in France and Belgium and is essentially contract bridge without vulnerability late 1925: a significant new scoring system was proposed by Harold Vanderbilt introducing the concept of vulnerability, large bonuses for slams and heavy penalties for undertricks. Within two years, "Auction was swept off the tables" in the dawn of modern contract bridge. LOC 61-17743. 518 pages. 1926–1935: numerous books on bidding are published and compete for status as the 'official system' of choice. Ely Culbertson rises to prominence in the US as a self-promoting bridge player, challenging his English and European counterparts to international matches all the while building a business empire based on his bridge writing and related investments. In the early Thirties, Acol is fashioned by S. J. Simon and Jack Marx, and eventually becomes the most popular bidding system in Britain. 1935: Culbertson publishes the first Encyclopedia of Bridge.

Precursor games The following are books on the various precursor games to modern contract bridge; the first books on contract bridge appeared in 1927. 711 pages plus supplement. 86 pages. / London: Thomas Osborne, 10th Edition, 1750, 224 pages

/ 8th Edition, 1868, 120 pages; 9th Edition, 1872, 120 pages; 11th Edition, 1876, 268 pages; 12th Edition, 1879, 268 pages; 13th Edition, 1881, 268 pages; 15th Edition, 1885, 272 pages; 20th Edition, 1892, 303 pages; 21st Edition, 1893, 320 pages; 22nd Edition (The Seventy-fifth Thousand), 1895, 306 pages; 23rd Edition (The Eighty-sixth Thousand), 1898, 306 pages; 24th Edition (Containing the New Code of Laws Revised in 1900), 1901, 306 pages. American Editions published by: John Wurtele Lovell (New York), 1880 from the 12th English Edition, 257 pages; John Wurtele Lovell (New York), 1881 from the 12th English Edition, 257 pages; Charles Scribner's Sons, 1899 from the 23rd English Edition, 348 pages. / Second Edition, 1870 / First American Edition: Henry Holt and Company (New York), 1874, 153 pages. / New American edition from the second English Edition, 1880, 163 pages. Article on the evolution of Whist. / G.W. Carleton & Co. Publishers (London) 1879, 144 pages. / Longmans, Green, and Co. (London), 14th Edition, 1883, 112 pages. / G.W. Carleton & Co. Publishers (London) 1884, 114 pages. / Frederick A. Stokes (New York), 1887, 136 pages. / 1889, 128 pages.

/ Brentano's (New York, Chicago, Washington), 2nd Edition, 1891, 168 pages. Frederick Warne and Co. with Mudie and Sons, (London), 2nd Edition, 1891, 168 pages. Brentano's (New York, Chicago, Washington), 3rd Edition with American Leads, 25th Thousand, 1896, 195 pages. Frederick Warne and Co. with Mudie and Sons, (London), 4th Edition, 1899. Frederick Warne and Co. with Mudie and Sons, (London), 5th Edition, Thirty-fifth Thousand, 1900, 168 pages. / Brentano's (New York), 5th Edition, 1895, 109 pages

/ 1903, 136 pages / 1907, 136 pages / 1911, 136 pages. / 6th Edition, Charles Scribner's Sons (New York), 1907, 297 pages.

People and culture The following books provide insights into the people and culture of contract bridge and while they may contain occasional references to certain technical aspects of the game, they are generally not instructional in theme. Fictional novels with a bridge theme are listed separately.

/ Prentice-Hall Inc. (Englewood Cliffs N. J.) 1965, 217 pages.

/ Simon and Schuster (New York), 191 pages. / Robert Hale (London), 1976, 221 pages, .

The Bridge Bum by Alan Sontag, 1977

/ Granovetter Books (Ballston Lake, N.Y.), 1992, 252 pages, / Netco Press (Little Falls, N.J.), 1994, 252 pages, / Netco Press, (Little Falls, N.J.), 2003, 264 pages,

Fictional novels

Encyclopedias, dictionaries and almanacs The following are listed chronologically: 32 pages. 477 pages. 252 pages. 691 pages. 674 pages. 793 pages. 858 pages. 922 pages. 277 pages. 827 pages (plus 38 page Bibliography) 826 pages (plus 60 page Bibliography) 490 pages. 536 pages. 423 pages. 634 pages (plus two CDs: 1. The Encyclopedia and 2. Biographies and Results).

Book of the Year Awards

American Bridge Teachers' Association (ABTA) Each year since 1982,ACBL Bridge Bulletin, September 2019, page 33. ABTA has recognized one or more books as contributing significantly to the teaching of contract bridge. The following are the award recipients: 1982 – 1983 – 1984 – 1985 – 1986 – 1987 – Commonsense Bidding by William S. Root 1988 – 1989 – 1990 – 1991 – Basic Book: 1991 – Advanced Book: 1992 – 1992 – Advanced Book: To Bid or Not to Bid, The LAW of Total Tricks by Larry Cohen 1993 – Basic Book: 1993 – Advanced Book: 1994 – 1995 – 1996 – Points Schmoints! Bergen's Winning Bridge Secrets by Marty Bergen 1996 – 1997 – Advanced Book: 1997 – Basic Book: 1998 – Beginner/Student Book: 1998 – Advanced Book: 1999 – Basic Book: 1999 – Advanced Book: 1999 – Student Book: 25 Bridge Conventions You Should Know by Barbara Seagram and Marc Smith 2000 – Advanced Book: 2000 – Beginner/Intermediate Book: 2001 – 2002 – 2003 – Beginner/Novice Book: 2003 – Intermediate/Advanced Book: 2004 – 2005 – 2006 – 2007 – Beginner Book: 2007 – Intermediate Book: 2008 – Intermediate Book: 2008 – Novice Book: 2009 – / 176p. 2010 – Beginner Book: / 231p. 2010 – Intermediate Book: / 160 pages. 2011 – 2012 – Beginner/Intermediate: 2012 – Intermediate/Advanced: 2013 – Intermediate/Advanced Book: 2013 – Beginner Book: 2014 – Beginner: 2014 – Intermediate/Advanced: 2015 – Intermediate/Advanced: 2015 – Beginner/Intermediate: 2016 – Beginner/Intermediate: 2017 – Beginner/Intermediate: 2017 – Intermediate/Advanced: 2018 – Newcomer: ACBL Bridge Bulletin, September 2018, page 29. 2018 – Beginner/Novice: 2018 – Intermediate/Advanced: 2019 – Beginner: 2019 – Intermediate: 2019 – Advanced: 2020 – Beginner/Novice: 2020 – Intermediate/Advanced: 2020 – Advanced: 2021 – Beginner/Novice: 2021 – Intermediate: 2021 – Advanced:

International Bridge Press Association (IBPA) Annually since 2004, the IBPA has chosen one bridge-related title of exceptional merit as follows:

2004 – 2005 – 2006 – 2007 – 2008 – 2009 – 2009 – 2010 – 2011 – 2012 – 2013 – 2014 – , 386 pages 2015 – 2016 – 2017 – 2018 – 2019 - 240 pages.IBPA Book of the Year, awarded at the IBPA AGM at the World Bridge Championships in Wuhan, September 23, 2019

American Contract Bridge League (ACBL) surveys The ACBL has conducted the following surveys:

1994 survey The ACBL survey of 1994 was a poll of well-known players and writers onlyACBL Bridge Bulletin, June 2007, page 20 and resulted in the following list of the 20 best books of all time:

Why You Lose at Bridge by S. J. Simon Killing Defence at Bridge by Hugh Kelsey Right Through the Pack by Robert Darvas and Norman de V. Hart Reese on Play: An Introduction to Good Play by Terence Reese Bridge in the Menagerie by Victor Mollo To Bid or Not to Bid by Larry N. Cohen Adventures in Card Play by Géza Ottlik and Hugh Kelsey The Expert Game by Terence Reese Defensive Bridge Play Complete by Eddie Kantar Play Bridge with Reese by Terence Reese How to Read Your Opponents Cards by Mike Lawrence Card Play Technique or the Art of Being Lucky by Victor Mollo and Nico Gardener Five Weeks to Winning Bridge by Alfred Sheinwold Bid Better, Play Better by Dorothy Hayden Bridge Squeezes Complete by Clyde E. Love Matchpoints by Kit Woolsey Bridge With the Blue Team by Pietro Forquet The Official Encyclopedia of Bridge by Henry Francis et al. All 52 Cards by Marshall Miles Watson on the Play of the Hand at Contract Bridge by Louis H. Watson

2007 survey The ACBL survey of 2007 resulted in two lists of favourite booksACBL Bridge Bulletin, June 2007, pages 20-22 as follows:

Top 10 books as rated by Experts – in descending order The Expert Game by Terence Reese Why You Lose at Bridge by S. J. Simon Adventures in Card Play by Géza Ottlik and Hugh Kelsey Killing Defence at Bridge by Hugh Kelsey Bridge in the Menagerie by Victor Mollo Right Through the Pack by Robert Darvas and Norman de V. Hart Watson on the Play of the Hand at Contract Bridge by Louis H. Watson Card Play Technique or the Art of Being Lucky by Victor Mollo and Nico Gardener Bridge With the Blue Team by Pietro Forquet Reese on Play: An Introduction to Good Play by Terence Reese Top 10 books as rated by Other Readers – in descending order Watson on the Play of the Hand at Contract Bridge by Louis H. Watson Points Schmoints! Bergen's Winning Bridge Secrets by Marty Bergen How to Read Your Opponents Cards by Mike Lawrence Why You Lose at Bridge by S. J. Simon Killing Defence at Bridge by Hugh Kelsey 25 Bridge Conventions You Should Know by Barbara Seagram and Marc Smith Card Play Technique or the Art of Being Lucky by Victor Mollo and Nico Gardener Adventures in Card Play by Géza Ottlik and Hugh Kelsey Standard Bridge Bidding for the 21st Century by Max Hardy The Secrets of Winning Bridge by Jeff Rubens

The Official Encyclopedia of Bridge (7th edition) recommendations The 7th edition of the Encyclopedia recommended the following books with the caveat that the "list on this page is by no means definitive. It was influenced to a degree by surveys published in 1994 and 2007 in the Bridge Bulletin", published by the American Contract Bridge League. Listed alphabetically by first author surname.

Points Schmoints! Bergen's Winning Bridge Secrets by Marty Bergen Declarer Play the Bergen Way by Marty Bergen 52 Great Tips on Declarer Play by David Bird Another 52 Great Bridge Tips by David Bird Matchpoints Versus IMPs by August Boehm To Bid or Not to Bid: The Law of Total Tricks by Larry N. Cohen Right Through the Pack by Robert Darvas and Norman de V. Hart Bridge with the Blue Team by Pietro Forquet Commonly Used Conventions in the 21st Century by Audrey Grant How the Experts Win at Bridge by Burt and Rose Hall Two Over One Game Force (Revised and Expanded) by Max Hardy The Mysterious Multi by Mark Horton and Jan van Cleeff Canada's Bridge Warriors: Eric Murray and Sami Kehela by Roy Hughes Roman Keycard Blackwood: The Final Word by Eddie Kantar Take All Your Tricks by Eddie Kantar Modern Bridge Defense by Eddie Kantar Advanced Bridge Defense by Eddie Kantar Test Your Play II by Eddie Kantar Topics in Declarer Play by Eddie Kantar Killing Defense at Bridge by Hugh Kelsey