Reviews
"An intricate braiding of bridge and family history, tournament derring-do, rigorous intellect and searing emotion, all rendered in humorous, lapidary prose. What a book."--James McManus, author of "Positively ""Fifth Street"" " "Instructive, entertaining (very) and at times quite poignant." --Antonia Fraser, "The Times" "A fresh, engrossing memoir and a compelling advertisement for the game." --Alexander Waugh, "The Daily Telegraph" "" "This is a rich book. It includes, as little more than noises off, the seismic changes in South African society outside the windows of the Balfour home in Durban. Yet it is never in danger of seeming disorderly. There is art in the organization, and all the more for being concealed." --Ronald Segal, "The Spectator" "Balfour skillfully interweaves different aspects of bridge with his narrative of family history...An engaging, informative book." --John Clay, "Literary Review" "" "Sandy Balfour's marvelous first book, "Pretty Girl in Crimson Rose ("8), described how he left South Africa and reinvented himself as British, using his passion for crosswords as a metaphor for a certain kind of Englishness. Here bridge provides some equally resonant metaphors."--Matthew J Reisz, "The Independent", " An intricate braiding of bridge and family history, tournament derring-do, rigorous intellect and searing emotion, all rendered in humorous, lapidary prose. What a book." -- James McManus, author of "Positively ""Fifth Street"" " " Instructive, entertaining (very) and at times quite poignant." -- Antonia Fraser, "The Times" " A fresh, engrossing memoir and a compelling advertisement for the game." -- Alexander Waugh, "The Daily Telegraph" "" " This is a rich book. It includes, as little more than noises off, the seismic changes in South African society outside the windows of the Balfour home in Durban. Yet it is never in danger of seeming disorderly. There is art in the organization, and all the more for being concealed." -- Ronald Segal, "The Spectator" " Balfour skillfully interweaves different aspects of bridge with his narrative of family history...An engaging, informative book." -- John Clay, "Literary Review" "" "Sandy Balfour's marvelous first book, "Pretty Girl in Crimson Rose ("8), described how he left South Africa and reinvented himself as British, using his passion for crosswords as a metaphor for a certain kind of Englishness. Here bridge provides some equally resonant metaphors."-- Matthew J Reisz, "The Independent", "An intricate braiding of bridge and family history, tournament derring-do, rigorous intellect and searing emotion, all rendered in humorous, lapidary prose. What a book."-James McManus, author of Positively Fifth Street "Instructive, entertaining (very) and at times quite poignant." -Antonia Fraser, The Times "A fresh, engrossing memoir and a compelling advertisement for the game." -Alexander Waugh, The Daily Telegraph "This is a rich book. It includes, as little more than noises off, the seismic changes in South African society outside the windows of the Balfour home in Durban. Yet it is never in danger of seeming disorderly. There is art in the organization, and all the more for being concealed." -Ronald Segal, The Spectator "Balfour skillfully interweaves different aspects of bridge with his narrative of family history...An engaging, informative book." -John Clay, Literary Review "Sandy Balfour's marvelous first book, Pretty Girl in Crimson Rose (8), described how he left South Africa and reinvented himself as British, using his passion for crosswords as a metaphor for a certain kind of Englishness. Here bridge provides some equally resonant metaphors."-Matthew J Reisz, The Independent, "Instructive, entertaining (very) and at times quite poignant." -Antonia Fraser, The Times "A fresh, engrossing memoir and a compelling advertisement for the game." -Alexander Waugh, The Daily Telegraph "This is a rich book. It includes, as little more than noises off, the seismic changes in South African society outside the windows of the Balfour home in Durban. Yet it is never in danger of seeming disorderly. There is art in the organization, and all the more for being concealed." -Ronald Segal, The Spectator "Balfour skillfully interweaves different aspects of bridge with his narrative of family history...An engaging, informative book." -John Clay, Literary Review "Sandy Balfour's marvelous first book, Pretty Girl in Crimson Rose (8), described how he left South Africa and reinvented himself as British, using his passion for crosswords as a metaphor for a certain kind of Englishness. Here bridge provides some equally resonant metaphors."-Matthew J Reisz, The Independent