From: atkinson <at> VAXROM <dot> CERN <dot> CH
Date: 29 apr 1991
Subject: Argh - "Games Ancient and Oriental"

I found a copy of this truly remarkable book in the Dover Press edition
two days ago. (You know - the pages are sewn in signatures, the pages
have minimal 'show-through', this is a permanent book, all that nonsense)
 
ANYWAY. The book talks about various games, but is NOT worth buying at all.
The author (Falkener, I think) claims that recognising Shogi pieces is
hard, even for Japanese people, and he says that Japanese people play
the game slowly because of the difficulty involved in working out
which piece is which (especially the upside-down ones). I am amazed.
Does this man really believe this? I spend most of my working hours
reading English upside-down, and sometimes Italian as well. I should
imagine Falkener could read English upside-down too.
 
Adam Atkinson
Rome