Subject: Parlor Magic
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Magic of Michael Ammar, The
SYNOPSIS: The Magic of Michael Ammar is a broad collection of Michael Ammar’s professional close-up and stand-up material from the 1980s, bringing together routines, techniques, essays, and practical advice that had previously appeared in sources such as the Command Performance series, Encore I, Encore II, and The Manual of Magic Psychology. Ammar’s goal is not simply to teach tricks, but to…
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Scarne’s Magic Tricks
SYNOPSIS: Scarne’s Magic Tricks is John Scarne’s large collection of 201 practical magic tricks designed to be performed without advanced sleight of hand or expensive professional equipment. The routines use familiar, easily obtained objects and are intended for informal gatherings, close-up performance, parlor shows, and occasional platform or stage presentation. Scarne streamlined many traditional methods so that beginners…
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Rune’s World
SYNOPSIS: Rune’s World: The Magic of Rune Klan is Joshua Jay’s presentation of the close-up and comedy magic of Danish performer Rune Klan. The book is intentionally unconventional: part instructional manual, part examination of Rune’s creative philosophy, and part graphic novel. Its unifying idea is that Rune develops each routine around the desired audience experience, allowing…
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Phoenix Series
SYNOPSIS: The Phoenix: Issues 1–300 is the complete run of the influential biweekly magic periodical published from January 1942 through February 1954. Walter B. Gibson helped establish and initially edit the magazine with Bruce Elliott, who became its principal editor during the run. Conceived as a successor in spirit to Theodore Annemann’s The Jinx, each compact four-page…
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Pet Secrets
SYNOPSIS: Al Baker’s Pet Secrets collects a wide-ranging selection of Al Baker’s professional routines, utility techniques, and practical methods for close-up, parlor, and platform magic. The book is organized by branches of magic rather than as a progressive beginner’s course, beginning with Baker’s influential work using hair and thread for secret animation, levitation, rising-card effects, and…
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Paramiracles
SYNOPSIS: Paramiracles presents the professional mentalism of Ted Lesley, organized and written with Stephen Minch. The book contains more than three dozen routines, techniques, utility devices, and performance essays developed from Lesley’s working repertoire. Its material ranges from intimate billet and business-card demonstrations to predictions, psychometry, book tests, card divinations, metal bending, newspaper effects, and larger…
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Offbeat
SYNOPSIS: Offbeat is a collection of sixteen audience-tested routines and nine essays drawn from Nick Diffatte’s working repertoire as a professional comedy magician. Rather than presenting a large assortment of undeveloped ideas, the book focuses on practical pieces that Diffatte has refined through repeated performances for real audiences. Each routine includes the necessary handling, preparation, scripting,…
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My Best
SYNOPSIS: My Best: The Best Tricks from the Best Brains in Magic is a large anthology edited by J. G. Thompson Jr., bringing together 193 tricks and routines contributed by 115 professional and amateur magicians. Contributors include Theodore Annemann, J. B. Bobo, John Booth, Paul Curry, Dariel Fitzkee, Martin Gardner, Walter Gibson, Jean Hugard, George Kaplan,…
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More Magic
SYNOPSIS: More Magic is Professor Hoffmann’s sequel to Modern Magic, expanding his course in Victorian conjuring with newer sleights, methods, apparatus, and complete routines. The book begins with additional advice on the magician’s wand, table, costume, servantes, and mechanical accessories before moving into a particularly extensive study of card magic. Its card chapters cover improved passes, forces,…
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Modern Magic
SYNOPSIS: Modern Magic: A Practical Treatise on the Art of Conjuring is Professor Hoffmann’s foundational instructional work on nineteenth-century magic. Designed as a progressive course, it begins with the magician’s wand, table, costume, secret pockets, and basic principles of deception before teaching sleight of hand and complete routines with cards, coins, watches, rings, handkerchiefs, dice, cups…
