BYRNE, Robert

BYRNE, Robert. (Dubuque, IA, May 22, 1930- ). Author. After graduating with a civil engineering degree from the University of Colorado in 1954, Byrne edited a trade journal in the heavy construction industry. He spent forty years in the San Francisco Bay Area and became a full-time writer in 1977. Byrne returned to Dubuque in 1996 and lives with his wife Cindy, a painter and graphic artist.

Byrne has written or compiled 23 books, including seven novels, two of which were set in Dubuque: Memories of a Non-Jewish Childhood (1970), titled Once a Catholic in paperback, and Always a Catholic (1981). The former was made into a musical by David RESNICK in 2005 and staged by the GRAND OPERA HOUSE. One of his novels, Thrill, was made into NBC’s Monday Night Movie, which aired for the first time on May 20, 1996. Four of his novels were selections of Reader’s Digest Condensed Books and published in many languages.

Byrne has also written widely in the field of BILLIARDS and pool. These books include Byrne's Complete Book of Pool Shots: 350 Moves Every Player Should Know, Byrne's New Standard Book of Pool and Billiards, Byrne's Treasury of Trick Shots in Pool and Billiards, Byrne's Advanced Technique in Pool and Billiards, and Byrne's Wonderful World of Pool and Billiards. Byrne’s Standard Book of Pool and Billiards, published in 1978 and expanded in 1998, has sold over 400,000 copies.

As a player, Byrne has won tournaments in almost every form of the game. In 1977 he finished third in the National Professional Three-Cushion Championship held in North Hollywood. In 1999, he won both the National Amateur and the National Senior billiard tournaments.

Byrne's contributions to billiards and pool have been widely recognized. In 1994 he received the Industry Service Award from the Billiard and Bowling Institute of America, an honor previously bestowed on Willie Mosconi, Paul Newman, and Jackie Gleason. He received the greatest honor in the sport, induction for Meritorious Service into the Billiard Congress of America’s Hall of Fame, on July 21, 2001, at the Las Vegas Hilton at a banquet closing the annual world billiard trade show. He was inducted with many-times world billiard champion Raymond Ceulemans of Belgium.

He has written a monthly column for the TELEGRAPH HERALD since 2000.

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Robert Byrne. YouTube user:SZYrVGVnjog

Robert Byrne. YouTube user:6Cqt7XTEePQ