The most influential magic books of the past 100 years
Dai Vernon, a.k.a. The Professor, was a Canadian magician, and quite possibly one of the most influential magicians of all time. His expert sleight of hand technique and extensive knowledge, particularly with card tricks and close-up magic, garnered him respect among fellow magicians. His influence was considerable in the magic world of the 20th Century, and he was a mentor to numerous famous magicians. He lived out his last years at the Magic Castle, a nightclub in Hollywood, California
This classic 8-volume set from Harlan Tarbell is one of the most respected courses in magic. It features more than 100 detailed lessons across all aspects of magic from close-up magic to stage magic and parlor magic. In fact, nearly all modern magic tricks can trace their roots back to the Tarbell Course in Magic.
Spanning more than 500 pages, this comprehensive guide covers every type of magic trick from card magic to sleight of hand, coin magic, rope magic, spongeball magic, mind reading and even parlor magic and stage magic illusions. Nearly every professional magician has read Mark Wilson’s Complete Course in Magic and many of them even credit it with sparking their passion for magic.
The Magic Way is considered by many to to be one of the greatest magic books ever written and is often cited as recommended reading for any magician. Written by Juan Tamariz, one of the world’s greatest living magicians, this book shares the secrets behind making your magic tricks so amazing and powerful, your audiences will just have to accept you can do the impossible.
One of the most innovative minds in magic, Paul Harris revolutionized close-up magic with his The Art of Astonishment series. This 3-volume set is a tremendous value offering more than 200 classic Paul Harris effects and essays. Countless professional magicians reference this series as inspiration for their most noteworthy magic tricks. You’ll never have more fun or feel more creatively inspired reading a magic book than you will with the The Art of Astonishment books.
In 199 hardbound pages, Showmanship for Magicians takes up the subject of presenting of magic to gain the greatest audience response, including a detailed analysis of spectator appeals and how to incorporate them into the presentation of magic. Step by step, you will learn how to create a favorable reception through choice of material, style of performance, character of work, timing, pointing, pacing, building up to climaxes, emphasis, routining, arrangement of material, and in many other ways. This is the classic tome of stage craft written by a showman ahead of his time.
Ian Keable is a popular British stand-up comedy magician. He has won the British Magical Champion of Comedy and was given a Variety Award for Best Magician. He's also made numerous appearances on television and radio and was the editor of the underground OPUS magic magazine. STAND-UP is a step by step manual on how to combine comedy with magic, from writing original lines through to developing your stage persona to maximizing the benefits of audience participation.
Luke Jermay is one of the leading minds in mentalism. Revered as both a performer and creator, Jermay has changed the way we view mindreading and mentalistm. In this volume, Luke covers the Definition = Creation theory along with other ground breaking techniques. The ideas within are enough to transform and amplify anyone’s performing technique and understanding of the art.
Ramón Riobóo holds a doctorate in deception. He is the 1992 recipient of the Ascanio Award and winner of the 1993 First Prize in Card Magic from the XIX National Magic Congress in Barcelona. He will yank the mental carpet from under you without your seeing him reach for it. It is only as your sense of reality falls away that you begin to understand you have been the target of a cunning structure designed to baffle the most analytical mind.
Considered one of the greatest theatrical pick-pockets of all time, Ricki Dunn explores the highly secretive world of the pick-pocket, while teaching some of his favorite techniques, misdirection and steals. His attention to detail is on display within this volume and each page reveals Ricki's mastery of his subject, his demanding standards, his boundless creativity, and his strong and honest opinions.
If you aren't familiar with Colin Mcleod, you probably haven't seen a mentalist on Television. Colin was a break out competitor in AGT and is a regular favorite of the touring show the Illusionists. Colin's deep thinking and quick wit make this book a delight to read, and any performer will be delighted to learn some of his pet routines.
Larsen was the founder and editor of Genii magazine with his wife Gerrie Larsen. He also created the idea of a "magician's club" which his two sons William Larsen, Jr. and Milt Larsen eventually brought to life as The Magic Castle. Bill and Milt also created the "It's Magic" stage shows. J. Mark Hall and Dale Williams were pseudonyms he used when publishing routines in early years of Genii during the 1930s. Irving Joslyn is also a possible pseudonym. His legend lives on through this great publication.
Ken Weber has done something remarkable: he has written a modern classic. This site is NOT about hyperbole, so you won’t hear us mention this often. Many magic books—good magic books—will have their moment and then fade away. This book is here to stay. It’s an undisputed classic. And a success! It’s one of the top-selling books in our field for five years running!
Carney is widely acknowledged by his peers as one of the finest sleight of hand performers in the world, with awards and accolades worldwide. Hollywood’s Magic Castle has awarded Carney more awards than anyone in their history, as well as the Academy of Magical Arts prestigious Performing Masters Fellowship. His book Careycopia is a master class in sleight of hand with cards, coins, and more.
Phil (also known as Max Maven) has published over 1,000 tricks in the past 45 years. Focus consists of just 60 of those tricks; but these are his favorites and all of them are worth studying. Phil's criteria for selecting these tricks were clarity of plot, entertainment value, and high magical content. There is a reason by Phil Goldstein is considered one of the greatest minds in the industry, and this book is a delightful way to find out why.
Derren Brown is an English mentalist, illusionist, painter, and author. He is widely regarded as the greatest mentalist to ever live. Since his television debut with Derren Brown: Mind Control in 2000, Brown has produced several other shows for the stage and television in both series and specials. His 2006 stage show Something Wicked This Way Comes and his 2012 show Svengali won him two Laurence Olivier Awards for Best Entertainment. He made his Broadway debut with his 2019 stage show Secret.
Steve Spill is an American magician and founder of Magicopolis, a 150-seat theater that opened in 1998 in Santa Monica, California, where Spill performs sleight-of-hand and large-scale illusions. Spill's shows have been praised by critics, theatergoers, feature writers, families, tourists, and magicians. He has performed for a seemingly unending list of celebrities, and his real-world experience is second to none. I lie for Money dives deep into his 40 years of magical experience.
In 1995, two celebrated philosophers of magic, Eugene Burger and Robert E. Neale, wrote a book that examined the psychological, symbolic and spiritual roots of theatrical conjuring. The result was a work brimming with new ideas that set readers' heads spinning and revealed a way of thinking about performing magic that is at the same time ancient and revolutionary.