What do you think?
Rate this book
Pots of Gold: A History of Snooker - Step Into Over a CENTURY of Snooker Legends
Mark the upcoming 100th Snooker World Championship with this gripping journey through the game's legends, rivalries, and defining triumphs.
'THE UNDISPUTED NUMBER ONE OF SNOOKER BOOKS' BARRY HEARN
'Terrific' Phil Yates, snooker broadcaster
'Must-read … Enthralling' Neal Foulds, former world no.3
'Perfection!' Alan McManus, former Masters champion
'A truly great read' Hazel Irvine, sports presenter
'Read this book for the story, which is spectacular; the analysis, which is surprisingly cogent; and for the deep knowledge and love of the game, which are hard to resist' Spectator
A Telegraph Book of the Year 2025
Snooker is a British success story, a working-class game which became a multi-million pound professional sport, exported to the world. A sublime test of skill and nerve, it has fascinated succeeding generations of players and spectators.
In this new history of the sport, David Hendon shows how the fortunes of snooker have mirrored wider changes in British society. Beginning as an upper-class pursuit invented in the British Raj, snooker was taken up in the working men's clubs of industrial Britain. It nearly ceased to exist as an organised sport in the late 1950s, before reviving and becoming big business in the Thatcher 18.5m people watched the famous 1985 World Championship final. Since then, it has become a global sport, most notably in China and the Far East.
Weaving the big picture with the personal stories of snooker's big characters, from Alex Higgins and Jimmy White to Ronnie O'Sullivan, anyone who has ever wielded a cue or breathlessly watched a marathon safety exchange will love this book.
'THE UNDISPUTED NUMBER ONE OF SNOOKER BOOKS' BARRY HEARN
'Terrific' Phil Yates, snooker broadcaster
'Must-read … Enthralling' Neal Foulds, former world no.3
'Perfection!' Alan McManus, former Masters champion
'A truly great read' Hazel Irvine, sports presenter
'Read this book for the story, which is spectacular; the analysis, which is surprisingly cogent; and for the deep knowledge and love of the game, which are hard to resist' Spectator
A Telegraph Book of the Year 2025
Snooker is a British success story, a working-class game which became a multi-million pound professional sport, exported to the world. A sublime test of skill and nerve, it has fascinated succeeding generations of players and spectators.
In this new history of the sport, David Hendon shows how the fortunes of snooker have mirrored wider changes in British society. Beginning as an upper-class pursuit invented in the British Raj, snooker was taken up in the working men's clubs of industrial Britain. It nearly ceased to exist as an organised sport in the late 1950s, before reviving and becoming big business in the Thatcher 18.5m people watched the famous 1985 World Championship final. Since then, it has become a global sport, most notably in China and the Far East.
Weaving the big picture with the personal stories of snooker's big characters, from Alex Higgins and Jimmy White to Ronnie O'Sullivan, anyone who has ever wielded a cue or breathlessly watched a marathon safety exchange will love this book.
313 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 25, 2025
13 people are currently reading
27 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
March 21, 2026
[Swift] (2025). HB. 1/1. 276 Pages. Illustrated. Purchased from Waterstones.
The image painted of the sport, in its formative years, is quite dismal. Something of a ‘closed shop’, dominated by Joe/Fred Davis and John Pulman from 1927 to 1968. It echoed of dressage - a persistent but utterly ludicrous Olympic ‘discipline’ - undertaken by a microscopic few.
Billiards, in the early days, sounds stultifyingly boring, described thus (with a trailing statement of the obvious):
“…Tom Reece making a break of 499,135 over the course of three weeks in 1907 against Joe Chapman, who did not have a single shot throughout the entire time.” (p. 7.)
The text is bloated with reams of extraneous padding, pointlessly establishing the wider historical context. It’s tedious in the extreme. Why, in God’s name, would Hendon see fit to share viewing figures for the 1977 Morecambe and Wise Christmas Show? (p. 38.) The tally given, incidentally, is different to that quoted in “The Guinness Book of Records” and by the BBC itself. I paid my £20.00 to read about snooker, not that old guff. Kyren Wilson - the 2024 World Champion - is mentioned once, in passing. Cliff Wilson - a brilliant player and extraordinary character - not at all.
A number of potential factual inaccuracies are in evidence:
“…physically assaulting Ganley by biting him on the lip… he was fined £30,000…” (p. 230.)
According to “The Independent” (30/04/1996): “…he received a two-year ban, which is suspended for two years, and a 20,000 pounds fine. An additional 10,000 pounds will be donated to charity.”
“He was subsequently banned for six tournaments.” (p. 67.)
According to “The Belfast Telegraph” (17/10/2000): “He was subsequently fined £200 for assault by Preston magistrates and £50 for criminal damage to the door… Four months later a WPBSA disciplinary tribunal fined him £12,000 and banned him from five specific tournaments for the Preston incidents and various others.”
“…1987… the game is prominent on all four television channels…” (p. 1.)
As far as C4 goes, ‘scarcely in evidence’ is closer to the mark.
“…a few minutes after midnight…” (p. 5.)
00:23 hardly qualifies.
That all said, for snooker fans (such as myself), this is an entertaining read.
The image painted of the sport, in its formative years, is quite dismal. Something of a ‘closed shop’, dominated by Joe/Fred Davis and John Pulman from 1927 to 1968. It echoed of dressage - a persistent but utterly ludicrous Olympic ‘discipline’ - undertaken by a microscopic few.
Billiards, in the early days, sounds stultifyingly boring, described thus (with a trailing statement of the obvious):
“…Tom Reece making a break of 499,135 over the course of three weeks in 1907 against Joe Chapman, who did not have a single shot throughout the entire time.” (p. 7.)
The text is bloated with reams of extraneous padding, pointlessly establishing the wider historical context. It’s tedious in the extreme. Why, in God’s name, would Hendon see fit to share viewing figures for the 1977 Morecambe and Wise Christmas Show? (p. 38.) The tally given, incidentally, is different to that quoted in “The Guinness Book of Records” and by the BBC itself. I paid my £20.00 to read about snooker, not that old guff. Kyren Wilson - the 2024 World Champion - is mentioned once, in passing. Cliff Wilson - a brilliant player and extraordinary character - not at all.
A number of potential factual inaccuracies are in evidence:
“…physically assaulting Ganley by biting him on the lip… he was fined £30,000…” (p. 230.)
According to “The Independent” (30/04/1996): “…he received a two-year ban, which is suspended for two years, and a 20,000 pounds fine. An additional 10,000 pounds will be donated to charity.”
“He was subsequently banned for six tournaments.” (p. 67.)
According to “The Belfast Telegraph” (17/10/2000): “He was subsequently fined £200 for assault by Preston magistrates and £50 for criminal damage to the door… Four months later a WPBSA disciplinary tribunal fined him £12,000 and banned him from five specific tournaments for the Preston incidents and various others.”
“…1987… the game is prominent on all four television channels…” (p. 1.)
As far as C4 goes, ‘scarcely in evidence’ is closer to the mark.
“…a few minutes after midnight…” (p. 5.)
00:23 hardly qualifies.
That all said, for snooker fans (such as myself), this is an entertaining read.
January 2, 2026
An excellent read tracing the history of snooker and adding interesting details to my memories of a sport ,it’s players and characters I have followed for over 50 years whilst also referencing key events from Britain as snooker developed through my lifetime. Highly recommended.
March 19, 2026
A fantastic book covering snookers early years at the end of the 19th century through to the modern day. Full of interesting stories about its development from current and past players as well as journalists and officials, I enjoyed it all and David Hendon's love for the sport comes through on every page. I've enjoyed his podcast for many years and look forward to more books, on any subject from him.
January 27, 2026
4.5 stars
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews