The Illustrated History of Magic [Paperback]

Milbourne Christopher (Author), Maurine Christopher (Author), David Copperfield (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 28, 2005

Set off on a magical history tour with Milbourne Christopher's classic Illustrated History of Magic. Follow the fascinating stories of the world's greatest conjurers, from sorcerer-priests in ancient Egypt, The Great Herrmann, Harry Kellar, Chung Ling Soo, Houdini, to modern miracle workers like David Copperfield, Siegfreid and Roy, and David Blaine. Filled with fantastic illustrations—poster art, photographs, illusion diagrams—this book is a feast for anyone interested in the conjuring arts.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Feared as the devil's handiwork in medieval Europe, officially outlawed in the British colonies of North America, magic performances nevertheless attracted steadily widening audiences who marveled at the sleight of hand or sought proof of the existence of supernatural forces. First published in 1973 and long out of print, this mesmerizing, intelligent history sweeps from the earliest known image of a conjuring feat?an Egyptian wall painting made around 2500 B.C.?to the feats of that renowned escapologist Harry Houdini. In between, the authors introduce us to Muslim traveler Ibn Batuta's 1355 eyewitness account of an Indian rope trick in a Chinese royal court and to the exploits of trailblazers like French virtuoso Jean Eugene Robert-Houdin, British showman Signor Antonio Blitz and Victorian entertainment producer John Nevil Maskelyne. This updated edition also covers contemporaries such as Doug Henning, Siegfried & Roy, David Copperfield and Las Vegas star Melinda Saxe. Among the 300 illustrations (plus eight pages in color) are posters, ads, photos, engravings, cartoons and playbills. Milbourne Christopher, who died in 1984, was a professional magician, lecturer and historian. Maurine Christopher is his widow.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Presenting prodigious feats of prestidigitation and their practitioners, this book, first published in 1973, recounts the stories of notable necromancers from Professor Pinetti and Signor Blitz to Houdini and Blackstone. Period posters and publicity photos punctuate the narrative. Milbourne Christopher, according to David Copperfield's introduction, was a major influence in bringing magic to prime time network television. He died in 1984, and his widow Maurine Christopher has updated his work, adding sections on contemporary leaders of legerdemain, including Copperfield, Ricky Jay, Melinda, and Siegfried and Roy. A bibliography rich in primary sources enhances the production and enables it to live up to Copperfield's recommendation as "the best source on the topic." Suitable for general as well as performing arts collections.?Carolyn M. Mulac, Chicago P.L.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 484 pages
• Publisher: Running Press (December 28, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786716886
• ISBN-13: 978-0786716883
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 7.5 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #726,208 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent History of Stage Magic, August 10, 2008

By 

Magickal Merlin "Wizard" (Death Valley-SoCal) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Illustrated History of Magic (Paperback)

When i first started reading this interesting magic book,i thought it would be about the magic tricks performed .It's really a biographical book about the magicians,whose magicial craftsmanship made them world famous.The book is packed with magicial history.The halls and theatres where they were staged,for the captivated and spellbound audiences.Seventeen chapters for the famous conjurers of yesterday and today.Five chapters for the development of our modern magic, based on the art from the ancient sorcerer-priests.There are many pages dedicated to diagrams,colorful artwork,photos,and illustrations.The book was written by the late magician Milbourne Christopher and collaborated upon by his wife ,Maurine Christopher.If you are enthralled by the feats,of the famous magicians of today and those from yesteryear,this book elucidates the lives of these fascinating mystifiers.Awesome book on stage magic history.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Magic reference, January 16, 2007

By 

Breeze (Arl.Hts., Illinois) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Illustrated History of Magic (Paperback)

This book is full of all kinds of magical history and theory. Whether you are a practicing magician, a magic hobbiest or just enjoy reading an interesting historical story... this book is a "Must Read".

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Book for Magician Historians, April 24, 2007

By 

Carlos Del Campo "Magician Rasputin" (Miami, Florida) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Illustrated History of Magic (Paperback)

This is not a book on "How to do Magic" but on the History of Magic and the expert conjurers and Illusionist of all times. It's extremely well written with detail accounts of parlor and stage magic stories. If you are a serious Magician, this is a most for your private collection. As a close-up Magician, I have learned many strateties, and this Book served me and inspired me to continue with my craft.
By, Rasputin