Pinball books...

[BigWeather]

Do any of you own the Pinball Compendium books by Michael Shalhoub? Or The Complete Pinball Book by Marco Rossignoli? I'm looking for nice coffee table type books that show off many of the beautiful pinball tables as well as give interesting information about them, and maybe historical artifacts like fliers and the like. Thanks for any opinions on those books (or any other that fit that mold).

 

[SKILL_SHOT]

try e-bay?

 

[dtown8532]

I own the 1970-1981 and 1982-present compendiums along with the Complete Pinball Book. I also own three others that Rossignoli did called Pinball Memories, Pinball Snapshots and Pinball Perspectives. All of these books are coffee table style and would look good. The compendiums are my favorites because they're more about chronological information about pretty much every table made during those time periods. They have interviews with designers. While the compendiums do have a photo of each machine and back glass they're not always of the highest caliber.

The Complete Pinball Book is similar but it's trying to pack more info into the same size as one of the compendiums. It also has a bit more "artistic" style photos. So it's a good compromise if you're going to buy just one. The other three I mentioned each feature 50 random tables and have a write up along with photos. You can find table listings by doing a google search for the name of the book and table of contents. People have taken pictures of the page.

I still would like to get the classic OOP Pinball book that Roger Sharpe wrote back in the mid-late 70's but it's so expensive for the hard cover.

Hope this helps some.

 

[Captain B. Zarre]

I own the 1982-present compendium if that is of interest, I also have the Complete Pinball Book.

 

[BigWeather]

try e-bay?

I own the 1982-present compendium if that is of interest, I also have the Complete Pinball Book.

Oh, they are readily available so I was just looking for opinions on the book, if they matched what I was looking for before I bought them. Based on dtown8532's response they sound like they are.

I own the 1970-1981 and 1982-present compendiums along with the Complete Pinball Book. I also own three others that Rossignoli did called Pinball Memories, Pinball Snapshots and Pinball Perspectives. All of these books are coffee table style and would look good. The compendiums are my favorites because they're more about chronological information about pretty much every table made during those time periods. They have interviews with designers. While the compendiums do have a photo of each machine and back glass they're not always of the highest caliber.

The Complete Pinball Book is similar but it's trying to pack more info into the same size as one of the compendiums. It also has a bit more "artistic" style photos. So it's a good compromise if you're going to buy just one. The other three I mentioned each feature 50 random tables and have a write up along with photos. You can find table listings by doing a google search for the name of the book and table of contents. People have taken pictures of the page.

I still would like to get the classic OOP Pinball book that Roger Sharpe wrote back in the mid-late 70's but it's so expensive for the hard cover.

Hope this helps some.

That helped a lot, thanks! As each of the three compendiums runs about $40 I'll probably start with just the Complete Pinball book and see how much I enjoy it. Then maybe I'll dive into either the 70 - 82 or the 82 - present compendium and go from there. I hadn't heard of that Roger Sharpe book and I'll check it out -- though I'm sure it is waaaay beyond my willingness to pay at this point. =)

 

[Kolchak357]

I have the three compendium books. All three are super nice. Coffe table size books with nice bits of info and history. The pictures are top notch. They are kind of pricy though. Start with your favorite era of pins. That's what I'd did. Enjoyed it so much that I bought the other two.

 

[Espy]

I have the three compendium books. All three are super nice. Coffe table size books with nice bits of info and history. The pictures are top notch. They are kind of pricy though. Start with your favorite era of pins. That's what I'd did. Enjoyed it so much that I bought the other two.

£50 is a lot... I read this thread and was interested in them, until I looked them up on Amazon...

 

[Clawhammer]

The compendiums are great, but also overpriced. If money isn't an issue I would say go for it, definitely.

 

[dtown8532]

I'd probably just start with The Complete Pinball Book. In fact, I think I did. If you want free pinball history just download some of the TopCast Podcast interviews. All you need is an mp3 player and there is a wealth of info in those interviews.

 

[SKILL_SHOT]

I want a pinball book like cosmo krammers coffee table book it turns into a pinball table

 

[dtown8532]

I want a pinball book like cosmo krammers coffee table book it turns into a pinball table

Then, maybe, you can be on Regis, just like Cosmo Kramer.

 

[SKILL_SHOT]

you mean strahan & ripa

 

[Espy]

May actually pick up one of those tomes with Christmas money. They do look appealing, and the Amazon sellers have them a good bit cheaper than Amazon itself.

 

[Shaneus]

You want pinball coffee table books? You need Pinball Magazine. They're more books than magazines and well, WELL worth the price (if you can still find them). Issue 3 has a feature on Python

 

[BigWeather]

A friend got me Rossignoli's The Complete Pinball Book. It's really nice, I'm enjoying it. Shaneus, I'll look about for Pinball Magazine, thanks!

 

[night]

I got the Complete Pinball Book for christmas, very nice large heavy book, it can serve as a coffee table itself.

 

[wilbers]

I'm a bookdealer and have been browsing some pinball books lately. Ordered Pinball Wizardry by Polin & Rain from a seller on Amazon for £28 inc. postage - easy to make a profit on eBay, so I can decide when I get it if I'll just read it and sell it, or keep it. Hopefully pick up a few tips as it looks quite useful even though it is 40 years old.

 

[Striker]

I own two of the Shalhoub Compendiums and can recommend them both. 70-81 is nice and a fairly orderly presentation of the pins. There were a couple of surprising omissions - I want to say Flight 2000 is not in there.

82 - present is my favorite, because this was my era. Shalhoub devotes a lot of attention to his favorites - Elvira and Twilight Zone get a lot of attention and pages. But some classics only get a half-page mention. Overall, though, I recommend it. IIRC it goes up to Wizard of Oz.

Both books are great at identifying anomalies. There’s an Empire Strikes Back table I’ve never seen before (and looks average). The 82 to current book shows one-off productions like Aaron Spelling pinball, Kabuki (made for a Japanese millionaire), and Krull (only 10 made).