A NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW EDITORS' CHOICE Cowboys Full traces the story of poker from its roots in China, the Middle East, and Europe, through the back rooms of saloons and the parlors of U.S. presidents to its evolution as a global phenomenon. It describes how early Americans took a French parlor game and turned it into a national craze by the time of the Civil War. It explains how poker, once dominated by cardsharps, is now the most popular card game in Europe, East Asia, Australia, South America, and cyberspace, as well as on television. Along the way, James McManus examines the game's remarkable hold on American culture, seen in everything from Frederic Remington's paintings to countless poker novels, movies, and plays. Cowboys Full is raucous and fascinating, a lively, definitive history of the game that, more than any other, explains who we are and how we operate. “The story of poker is that of risk-loving America and, recently, the rest of the world. Here is that crazy ride in unparalleled detail, driven by wit, wisdom, true love, and sizzling style. As analyst, historian, devotee, and no mean player, James McManus is poker's most eloquent advocate.” ― Anthony Holden, author of Big Deal, Bigger Deal and Holden on Hold'em “Mr. McManus writes about our American love of poker like James A. Michener describing the Plains Indians' discovery of the buffalo: ‘ Wait a second . . . I can eat it, wear it, make it into a drum . . . There's nothing I can't do with this sonofabitch.' I would throw in ‘A joy for poker players and non-players alike,' but, of the second group, who cares what they read -- and I don't think there are enough of them to affect Mr. McManus's royalties.” ― David Mamet “Poker now has what must surely be its definitive history in this excellent, comprehensive account of the game from the author of the widely hailed poker memoir Positively Fifth Street . In tracing the game from its early 19th-century roots in New Orleans to today's global phenomenon, McManus does more than present a history of poker: ‘My goal is to show how the story of poker helps to explain who we are.' The ‘national card game,' he asserts, embodies essential American qualities. It's an ambitious objective, but the book achieves it by connecting the game to American culture. Poker, it turns out, is inextricably linked with history, from the Civil War to the cold war, and with politics . . . The book also outlines the re-emergence of poker in recent years as a pastime for many millions and, for a select few, a reasonably legitimate profession.” ― Publishers Weekly (starred review) “Before the burst of a million online geniuses, James McManus was already writing the best material on poker, and Cowboys Full proves that nothing's changed. A must-read!” ― Antonio Esfandiari, professional poker player “McManus writes with verve and knowledge. . . . Entertaining, informative and genial . . . a copious, lively account of poker's past and present.” ― Robert Pinsky, The New York Times Book Review “A captivating history of [poker] from a writer who happens to be one of its best players.” ― John McMurtrie, San Francisco Chronicle “If there were a World Series of Poker Writing, then James McManus just won the main event. It's not only that McManus delivers the definitive history of the game with Cowboys Full: The Story of Poker , it's that he's so entertaining doing it that even non-pokeristas will get swept along for the ride.” ― Rathe Miller, Philadelphia Inquirer “In his colossal new history of the game, ‘Cowboys Full,' journalist James McManus casts the old-fashioned game in a whole new light with insightful, mesmerizing tales about its origins, the bizarre cast of historical figures, underworld creatures and celebrity players who have played it, and its lasting influence on politics, warfare and other national spectacles.” ― Clayton Moore, Denver Post “Go all-in on this one. . . Cowboys Full is loaded with colorful stories and even more colorful characters, not all of whom played by the rules.” ― Paste “McManus has a writer's eye for anecdotes and details that bring the material to life. The book covers a lot of ground, but thanks to McManus' particular blend of skills, it does so with insight, clarity and credibility.” ― Jack Broom, Seattle Times “The book is sensational. McManus is a writer of immense talent, deft with language and with an ear that seems to catch all the right conversations. And he has a cast of characters that would be the envy of the most imaginative novelist.” ― Rick Kogan, Chicago Tribune “ Cowboys Full is a deal-me-in delight. Starting with a sweeping survey of the history of the game and its role in American culture, McManus ends with a smart, insiders' analysis of how poker has been--and should be--played . . . Stuffed with anecdotes. . . . Beyond its importance as a model and metaphor for American culture, society, and politics, Cowboys Full demonstrates, po