Backgammon by Magriel

Since its first publish in 1976, "Backgammon" by Magriel was considered as the bible of backgammon, which must be read by backgammon beginners. Co-authored by the backgammon expert Paul Magriel aka X-22 and his former wife Renee Magriel, "Backgammon" is an intensive, easy to understand introduction to the various aspects of the game. 

Magriel's "Backgammon" begins with an introduction to the basics of the game including backgammon most common strategies. The 400 pages book features a comprehensive glossary and hundreds of diagrams. However, its greatest asset is its broad review of checkers play. The Magriel couple dedicates 4 chapters to the topic and brings into the mind of the backgammon newbie issues such as action game, the differences between safe and bold play, occupying the opponent's 5-point, etc. Magriel's book's downside is the relatively brief glance into the doubling cube and the doubling theories. 

Magriel's "Backgammon" book was republished in 2004. The second edition of the book includes an interesting foreword by Renee Magriel, who shares her memories from the authoring process of the original book and talks about her former husband and co-author of "Backgammon", the legendary backgammon player Paul X-22 Magriel himself.