Monte-Carlo: L'or du jeu (Littérature & [i.e. et] sciences humaines)

by Xan Fielding

French, English (translation)

294 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 1977

About the author

Major Xan Fielding DSO was a British author, translator, journalist and traveller, who served as an Special Operations Executive agent in Crete, France and the Far East during World War II.

Reviews

[Jacky April]

robin quinn’s take is helpful; i’m fine with a few date slips if the overall story of the monte carlo casino still lands. i read bits of fielding years ago and remember the “machinations” angle more than the glamour. after finishing a chapter i ended up spinning some digital stuff and it reminded me of how easily the romance of gambling sells itself, even on https://sweetbonanza1xbet.com/. i also had a late-night live dealer session once through a list on https://livedealerindia.com/ and it felt a lot less mysterious than the book makes the place sound. the closest i’ve gotten to the old wheel vibe was the goofy tv-style thing on https://dream-catcher-game.org/ but it just made me want to read more history instead.

[Robin Quinn]

Excellent factual account of the casino at Monte Carlo and the machinations associated with its history. I spotted a few inaccuracies: for example, the statement that Charles Deville Wells died in 1929: (it was in fact several years earlier). But on the whole this is a very enjoyable, readable book, which presents a great deal of information in an entertaining way.