When I heard that the new edition of Ximenes on the Art of the Crossword by D S Macnutt was available I was so excited that I had to tell everyone. I now have the book and I am even more enthusiastic.
Swallowtail Books have done a magnificent job in reproducing the book in an authentic font and with the original diagrams. The foreword by Colin Dexter echoes many of my own feelings. When I was a student in the late sixties I was very proud of my solving abilities and could usually finish the Guardian puzzle during the tube journey from Kentish Town to Warren Street. When I came across the puzzles of Ximenes it was as if I had entered a different universe. For weeks I attempted the puzzles… Read more
This book is aimed at solvers who wish to master the tricks of the cryptic clue and is an excellent tutor. After a brief introduction to the types of cryptic clue there is some practical advice on how to solve them. Then there are the first ten crosswords. These are very easy, with some answers already entered, definitions in bold type and clues with references to the type of device employed. The next ten puzzles also have an indication of the clue-type and are of the standard that you might find in The Daily Telegraph. In the last set of ten puzzles the solver is on his own but has the help of a Two-way Crossword Glossary. This is a very useful lexicon of definitions and vocabulary used as… Read more
Of all the crossword aids available, Anne Bradford's comes out top because it has been edited by a true crossword enthusiast. It contains those obscure words that are so hard to find and makes solving a far easier task.
