I'm unable to find Pachman's work in algebraic notation. That's quite a shame, because it is outstanding. Players who won't read books with descriptive notation are missing out on a lot of chess knowledge.
By the way, "Complete Chess Strategy" is an abridged version of the three volume "Modern Chess Strategy". The latter is well worth the price.
I agree Mike. It is a great piece of work. Yes, the one volume version you refer to is still in print at a budget price thanks to the good people at Dover, though the titles are in fact the other way round! Got both (my own three volume edition being published by Batsford). I picked up the one volume version fairly recently when I couldn't find my three volume set which was in boxes somewhere or other in the house. Athough I haven't gone through the one volume version properly, the difference as far as I can see seems to be that the one volume edition has less full length games (though it still has quite a lot), many of these being shortened to those parts of abridged games that make Pachman's points. If there is any book in my collection of chess books that I can conclusively say made me a much improved player it is "Complete Chess Strategy". It is, as you rightly say Mike, simply 'outstanding'. Worth learning descriptive just to be able to read this book even if you never look at another book in the old notation again.
Mea culpa on the titles. I need to learn not to rely on my ever more fuzzy memory of things from 40 or more years ago.
I once had a decent chess library, including the three volume Pachman set, but donated most of it when I concluded that I would never go back to playing. I kept three books that were enjoyable just for the games: Fischer's 60 memorable games, Bronstein's book on Zurich 1953, and Tal's book on his first match with Botvinnick.
It sounds like you were away from chess for a long period also, but you were smart enough to box your books.
Does anyone know if Pachman's 'Modern chess strategy' (or 'Complete chess strategy') has ever been published in English in algebraic notation? I have it in descriptive notation and it is not a problem for me but a younger playing friend wants it and is not really familiar with the old style notation.