Item #55318 [GAMBLING – FEAR AND LOATHING IN MONTE-CARLO] Kak ia spassia ot viernogo razorieniia v igornom vertepe v Monte-Karlo: nieskol'ko vazhnykh i pravdivykh razoblachenii prodielok krup'e i shpionov v kazino v Monte-Karlo [How I saved myself from certain ruin in the gambling den of Monte-Carlo: some important and truthful revelations of the tricks of croupiers and spies in Monte-Carlo's casinos]. Aleksandr Astrom.
[GAMBLING – FEAR AND LOATHING IN MONTE-CARLO] Kak ia spassia ot viernogo razorieniia v igornom vertepe v Monte-Karlo: nieskol'ko vazhnykh i pravdivykh razoblachenii prodielok krup'e i shpionov v kazino v Monte-Karlo [How I saved myself from certain ruin in the gambling den of Monte-Carlo: some important and truthful revelations of the tricks of croupiers and spies in Monte-Carlo's casinos].
[GAMBLING – FEAR AND LOATHING IN MONTE-CARLO] Kak ia spassia ot viernogo razorieniia v igornom vertepe v Monte-Karlo: nieskol'ko vazhnykh i pravdivykh razoblachenii prodielok krup'e i shpionov v kazino v Monte-Karlo [How I saved myself from certain ruin in the gambling den of Monte-Carlo: some important and truthful revelations of the tricks of croupiers and spies in Monte-Carlo's casinos].
[GAMBLING – FEAR AND LOATHING IN MONTE-CARLO] Kak ia spassia ot viernogo razorieniia v igornom vertepe v Monte-Karlo: nieskol'ko vazhnykh i pravdivykh razoblachenii prodielok krup'e i shpionov v kazino v Monte-Karlo [How I saved myself from certain ruin in the gambling den of Monte-Carlo: some important and truthful revelations of the tricks of croupiers and spies in Monte-Carlo's casinos].

[GAMBLING – FEAR AND LOATHING IN MONTE-CARLO] Kak ia spassia ot viernogo razorieniia v igornom vertepe v Monte-Karlo: nieskol'ko vazhnykh i pravdivykh razoblachenii prodielok krup'e i shpionov v kazino v Monte-Karlo [How I saved myself from certain ruin in the gambling den of Monte-Carlo: some important and truthful revelations of the tricks of croupiers and spies in Monte-Carlo's casinos].

Vilnius: self-published (but printed in St. Petersburg by Akts. Obshch. Tipogr. Diela), [1906 or 1907?]. Octavo (20.5 × 13 cm). Staple-stitched illustrated wrappers; [4], 5-23, [1] pp. With six leaves of plates, one illustration in the text, and one centerfold. Printed on fine paper stock. Trace of wear and light sunning to edges; illegible private ownership stamp and number to front wrapper. Item #55318

Subtitled “Some important and truthful revelations about the tricks of croupiers and spies in the casino of Monte Carlo,” this rare booklet describes a large-scale conspiracy to cheat mostly foreign visitors of the establishment. Based on personal experience and other sources, Astrom (likely a pseudonym) describes in detail the setting and etiquette of the casino, as well as its hidden dangers. He exposes various strategies for systematically deceiving innocent players (which include cheating and putting clients under surveillance), as well as other means of morally corrupting its guests. The stunning centerfold shows the casino's own “spies” at work, each marked with a small white “x.” “The spies in Monte Carlo,” Astrom asserts, “outdo even the Japanese spies of the Russo-Japanese War.” Printed on expensive coated paper and provided with numerous illustrations, the book is a surprisingly lavish production. Are these the paranoid ramblings of an obscure former gambler or clever propaganda by Russian government authorities to prevent Russians from gambling in Monaco?

As of September 2025, KVK and OCLC note a copy at the Staatsbibliothek Berlin, marked a war loss, and a single copy of a ca. 1906 German translation (OCLC 250075208), which differs slightly from the Russian text.

Price: €950.00

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