Think pétanque is just for grandpas in the park? Think again.

From flaming boules to underwater tournaments, robot players, and a dog who accidentally won a regional final — this book smashes every pétanque cliché you've ever heard.

Inside, you'll find 77 wild, true stories from around the world:
➤ A pétanque match on a cruise ship
➤ An escape room full of fake moustaches
➤ Rooftop courts in Tokyo lit like jazz bars
➤ Even a game in the Paris catacombs
➤ A wedding held on a pétanque terrain — vows, boules, and a Carreau kiss
➤ The 'Fanny' tradition — lose badly, kiss a bum
➤ Hidden weights & espionage — the sport's most notorious cheating scandal
➤ Boules launched to the edge of space
➤ Netflix nearly greenlit a pétanque reality show
➤ Pétanque is now taught at universities (yes, really)

You'll meet unforgettable characters:
➤ A man with the rulebook tattooed on his back
➤ A monkey trained to fetch boules
➤ A child prodigy who went viral at 11
➤ And yes — even the Pope, gifted a set of boules

This isn’t a rulebook. It’s a celebration.
Fast, fun, and full of surprises — Pétanque Like You’ll Never See It Coming is for players, dreamers, and anyone who loves a good story.

Grab a pastis. The jack is thrown. Let’s play.