Looking for an old book

[Gurdur]

I'm looking for a book, a kind of encyclopedia on conjuring and so on, that was an extremely good book, first published around 3 decades ago, published by some press/imprint whose name began with "P", maybe Paladin.

Sorry to be so vague, that's all I can remember, but I would love to know the name of the book and author.

Failing that, can someone point me to what they consider to be the best all-round encyclopedia for conjuring, yes, with explanations? Many thanks in advance.

[littlehulkster]

Mark Willson's Complete Course on Magic is a pretty good book that covers everything. It even goes into stage illusions.

[Gurdur]

Many thanks, although stage illusions are a bit overly ambitious for me.

[Bob Klase]

Originally Posted by Gurdur

Many thanks, although stage illusions are a bit overly ambitious for me.

You ask for the "best all-round encyclopedia for conjuring... with explanations", then completely blow off a suggestion because it includes some stage illusions?

Before I waste time trying to recommend anything, perhaps you could specific exactly what you do and don't want in this all-round encyclopedia. Close up? Coins? Cards? Mentalism? Impromptu? Sleight of hand? Gimmicks? Street magic? Parlor magic? Comedy magic? etc, etc.

Please make the list comprehensive. I'd hate to recommend one of the best magic books ever published just to have you ignore it because it included a card trick or something that you might not like.

[Gurdur]

Originally Posted by Bob Klase

... then completely blow off a suggestion because it includes some stage illusions?

Um??????? Who the hell says I blew it off? Since I said thanks, and I noted the book (and I looked it up on Amazon and bookmarked it up), maybe you want to re-arrange your perception?

Quote:

Before I waste time ... I'd hate .....

Possibly I needn't waste any more of your time, Bob Klase? Hopefully others may be of help?

[NoZed Avenger]

Originally Posted by littlehulkster

Mark Willson's Complete Course on Magic is a pretty good book that covers everything. It even goes into stage illusions.

If I had to pick only one book, this would be the one.

If a set of books counts, the old Tarbell's is good. But I'd still pick up Wilson's first.

[Gurdur]

Thanks, NoZed Avenger! All recommendations are good, and I might recognise the book I mean from the recommendations too. In any case, I need a good encyclopedia on it all, so I need all recommendations.

[littlehulkster]

Originally Posted by NoZed Avenger

If I had to pick only one book, this would be the one.

If a set of books counts, the old Tarbell's is good. But I'd still pick up Wilson's first.

The best part about Wilson's is how clear and well-illustrated it is. So many of the old books suffered from rather vague directions and infrequent, bad illustrations.

Wilson's, on the other hand, is incredibly clear and direct in it's instructions and very well illustrated. It shows you exactly what to do and then defines exactly how to do it.

Magic for Dummies is pretty good, too, but it's no where the encyclopedic status of Wilson's.

[Bob Klase]

Originally Posted by Gurdur

Um??????? Who the hell says I blew it off? Since I said thanks, and I noted the book (and I looked it up on Amazon and bookmarked it up), maybe you want to re-arrange your perception?

Sorry- my mistake. I don't know how I missed the fact that you noted the book, looked it up and bookmarked it. That all should have been clear to me from your post.

[Gurdur]

Originally Posted by Bob Klase

Sorry- my mistake. I don't know how I missed the fact that you noted the book, looked it up and bookmarked it. That all should have been clear to me from your post.

Oh Bob, Bob, enough, enough already. If you don't want to be helpful, fine. But no need for the venom.

[Gurdur]

Originally Posted by littlehulkster

The best part about Wilson's is how clear and well-illustrated it is. So many of the old books suffered from rather vague directions and infrequent, bad illustrations.

Wilson's, on the other hand, is incredibly clear and direct in it's instructions and very well illustrated. It shows you exactly what to do and then defines exactly how to do it.

Magic for Dummies is pretty good, too, but it's no where the encyclopedic status of Wilson's.

Thanks, littlehulkster, for the further clarification and description. It all helps; I can't afford to buy a whole library on the subject, and I have to restrain myself to the best ones.

[Stir]

Originally Posted by Gurdur

I'm looking for a book, a kind of encyclopedia on conjuring and so on, that was an extremely good book, first published around 3 decades ago, published by some press/imprint whose name began with "P", maybe Paladin.

Sorry to be so vague, that's all I can remember, but I would love to know the name of the book and author.

Gurdur: I have a fairly large magic library and probably will be able to identify the book you remember if you could provide some more detail: what is it you liked about the book? what kind of magic do you remember it including? any memory of its size or color? anything at all you remember [if you remember nothing, how will you know if you find it?]

[Gurdur]

Originally Posted by Stir

Gurdur: I have a fairly large magic library and probably will be able to identify the book you remember if you could provide some more detail: what is it you liked about the book? what kind of magic do you remember it including? any memory of its size or color? anything at all you remember [if you remember nothing, how will you know if you find it?]

Righteo, many thanks. My apologies in advance for my terrible memory.

The book was hardcover with dustjacket, at that time there was no paperback version. Main colour of dustjacket = black.

It was large size format, i.e. around quarto size or so.

Probably around 300 to 400 pages.

The press or imprint that published it had a name beginning with "P"; Paladin perhaps? The press / imprint was not a small small press. I believe it was published both in Britain and in the USA.

When it came out (round about between 32 and 35 years ago, so you see why my memory is not good) it was heralded as a good all-round encyclopedia of magic tricks, illusion and conjuring, and contained a good many illustrations, including many old illustrations reprinted from very old magazines / newspapers (for example in dealing with the Indian Rope trick). It contained a huge many explanations of tricks.

One review at the time heralded the book as the first good all-round and comprehensive encyclopedia with explanations of magic tricks.

That's all I can remember, sorry.

[Garrette]

Abracadabra by Prometheus books fits your description very well except for the publishing date which was not nearly so long ago as you remember.

And, Gurdur, while I like you, I have to admit that I had a reaction similar to Bob Klase's. Not identical, but similar. I saw your response as polite (with the "thank you") but unduly dismissive and indicative that you likely haven't read the book. The Mark Wilson book is the one that, if you poll ten thousand magicians, will be recommended nine thousand nine hundred times, stage illusions are not its focus.

[Gurdur]

Originally Posted by Garrette

.... I saw your response as polite (with the "thank you") but unduly dismissive and indicative that you likely haven't read the book. .....

Cultural gap, perhaps. It certainly wasn't meant to be dismissive or to indicate lack of interest, as said already. Many thanks for the other recommendation and the tip.

[Gurdur]

Originally Posted by Garrette

Abracadabra by Prometheus books fits your description very well except for the publishing date which was not nearly so long ago as you remember. ...

The other having been addressed, now, my big apologies to be so difficult, but that book, first published in 1997, can't be the one I'm thinking of, for several reasons; but it looks like a good book for its own sake. I might well get it too, and I will make certain to get the Mark Wilson book.

[Gurdur]

After a friend looked around, I guess I could easily be meaning The Encyclopedia of Magic and Conjuring, by Walter Gibson, published in 1976.

But looking at that, yes, the Mark Wilson book is far better, and recreating one's boyhood can only go so far, so I guess I will simply get the Mark Wilson book. A great many thanks for all the help, sorry my memory is so defunct.

[Senex]

Originally Posted by Gurdur

After a friend looked around, I guess I could easily be meaning The Encyclopedia of Magic and Conjuring, by Walter Gibson, published in 1976.

But looking at that, yes, the Mark Wilson book is far better, and recreating one's boyhood can only go so far, so I guess I will simply get the Mark Wilson book. A great many thanks for all the help, sorry my memory is so defunct.

Wait, the book you want is Dunninger's Encyclopedia of Magic. Great book but my copy isn't for sale, sorry (it has lots and lots of stage illusions with diagrams no one will ever use again, but that doesn't mean my imagination wasn't enlarged when my dad gave it to me when I was eleven. It is dated as hell and shouldn't be purchased as a present day resourse. However having said that it is full of mentalist and close up work that still fools people. I doubt any book will ever compress so many effects in one book again. I have old Wilson and Gibson books and they can't touch this one.

[Gurdur]

Originally Posted by Senex

Wait, the book you want is Dunninger's Encyclopedia of Magic.

Ah ya. I'm going to be bankrupt. But I will look for a 2nd-hand copy of this as well.

Quote:

but my copy isn't for sale

Taunt me, tantalise me, taunt me, eh?

Again, many thanks to all those who have helped here. My apologies to anyone who has been offended by my normal brusque telegraphese in communication.

[Bob Klase]

$15.00 - http://www.amazon.com/Dunningers-Com.../dp/0818400293

[mhaze]

http://www.lybrary.com/index.php?man...f35228f9ca1967

more Dunninger

[Senex]

I clicked on the link Bob Klase provided and a couple of the Amazon reviews reminded me of how I felt when given that book at a young age. It was magic pornography. The secrets in that book were for adults only -- and only for open minded adults at that. Every effect was brilliantly hand drawn illustrated and as thick and oversized as the book is the text and illustrations are compressed in order to fit the sheer enormous number into one text.

Giving that book to an eleven year old today wouldn't have the same impact. The internet makes every secret only seconds away from someone who knows how to use a search engine. In 1973 I found that book spiritual.

I didn't actually use the book very often for my own particular performances (but that was because I was lazy and like store bought effects) but the book gave me an understanding of how magic worked and what entertained people and why having a broad overview of magic was important to decide what appealed to you personally and why. I can't emphasize how much clear and concise information this book had for an audience of its time. It's a book that explains magic entertainment by offering particular details you may never use but makes you aware of how someone else used them.

This book explains magic bottom up instead of top down.

[Stir]

I find three candidates to meet Gurdur's search, but none of them fit exactly: Dunninger, Gibson, & Waters, each with a title that starts "Encyclopedia of Magic ... ". All are readily available at reasonable prices at abebooks.com

[Gurdur]

Many thanks again for all the extra tips, everyone. Will be checking everything out.

[opie]

I agree with Bob regarding the value of Wilson's Complete Course in Magic. It is THE best intro/intermediate magic book on the market. It has everything a newby might need to get started and to progress to semi- and professional levels. About 60 percent of most magic done today is touched upon in that book....Get it.

And, while you are at it, IF YOU ARE SERIOUS ABOUT BECOMING A SKILLED MAGICIAN, pick up a copy of Hugard and Braue's Royal Road to Card Magic and Bobo's Modern Coin Magic.

Check your local big book stores; they will have them..........

PS: I have found that most books which have a title with "Encyclopedia" in it are NOT encyclopedic............opie

[JPK]

Good morning Gurdur.
Here are some that I find very helpfull. The Secret Ways of Al Baker. It's a collection of all of his writings. While you will need to update the presentations,( and shouldn't we be making the presentations fit ourselves to begin with? ) the effects are wonderfull. It's a bit pricey but worth every penny. Another one of my favorites is Paul Harris Art of Astonishment. It's a three book set that covers allot. Once again a little expensive but it's extremley entertaining to read. To me the, Paul's essay on astonishment alone was worth the cost of the set.
JPK

[The Professor]

Is this what you seek?
http://www.lybrary.com/tarbell-course-p-34.html