Double Down: Reflections on Gambling and Loss

Double Down is a true story, a terrifying roller-coaster ride deep into the heart of two men, and into the world of floating Gulf Coast casinos. When both of their parents died within a short time of each other, the writers Frederick and Steven Barthelme, both professors of English in Mississippi, inherited a goodly sum of money. What followed was a binge during which they gambled away their entire fortune-and more. And then, in a cruel twist of fate, they were charged with cheating at the tables.

Told with a mixture of sadness and wry humor, and with a compelling look at the physical aura of gambling-the feel of the cards, the smell of the crowd, the sounds of the tables-Double Down is a reflection on the lure of challenging the odds, the attraction of stepping into the void. A cautionary tale (the brothers were eventually exonerated), it is a book that, once read, will never be forgotten.

Author: Frederick Barthelme, Steven Barthelme
Publisher: Mariner Books
Published: 05/21/2001
Pages: 208
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.60lbs
Size: 8.51h x 5.50w x 0.51d
ISBN: 9780156010702

Review Citation(s):
BookPage 05/01/2001 pg. 23
Entertainment Weekly 05/18/2001 pg. 73
New York Times 05/27/2001 pg. 20

About the Author
Barthelme, Frederick: - Frederick Barthelme is the author of eleven books, including BOB THE GAMBLER and THE PAINTED DESERT. He directs the writing program at the University of Southern Mississippi and edits the literary journal Mississippi Review. Mr. Barthelme lives in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.Barthelme, Steven: - Steven Barthelme teaches at the University of Southern Mississippi. He is the author of a story collection, AND HE TELLS THE LITTLE HORSE THE WHOLE STORY, and of award-winning essays.