32 of 34 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
"Rich Books for Poor Times"--Taschen's Current Motto, November 7, 2009
This review is from: Magic 1400s-1950s (Hardcover)
I've said it before, I say it again now: These Taschen XL titles are unprecedented bargains for any lover of books or art. These are astounding publications: huge, vast in scope, ultra-high quality. I've collected books for 25 years, and I can tell you that in a few years you will only be able to find these in antiquarian bookstores which will want to charge you several times the bargain rate that Amazon is currently asking for the current in-print titles. Those booksellers will have all these titles locked up in glass cases, and once he grudgingly pulls it out for you, and you see the huge sum being requested, you will look back on the day that you saw it listed on Amazon for a fraction of the price, and you will sorely regret that you did not promptly buy it with a purposeful one-click. I have bought all the dozen-or-so titles (except for "Tom of Finland"--I'm still working up the courage on that one ;), and I cherish each one. These are heirloom books here, folks. Your kids will be fighting over these before your body is cold.
As with all the other titles this "Magic" book will forever set the standard on the subject. Obviously if you or a family member or a friend has ever dabbled in magic, then it is a foregone conclusion that you have to get this. I've personally never been that enthralled with magic shows (having not really seen that many that I can recall), but I do love anything supernatural, and in particular, horror movies and horror books. The overlap is considerable, and flipping through the pages of this book gave me the shivers more than once. There is every sort of bizarre photograph here depicting séances, exotic ceremonies, magic performances, and many other potentially ill-advised ventures into the mystic unknown. The poster art--there are hundreds--is incredible and they display a world at once richer and yet more innocent and open minded. The color reproduction is astonishing. And may you be punished severely by the "other side" if any one of you mutilates one of these books to clip out a poster!! These books are historical artifacts and should not be messed with.
The only down side is that these books are big enough that you may have a hard time finding a place to put it. I have stored about eight of mine--still in the handy boxes which they come in, and which I highly recommend you keep--in a closet. But I enjoy knowing that the wonderful imagery is right at hand for me to peruse at my leisure, and I will make sure that my next house has bigger bookshelves so I can again have these proudly on display.
PS: Here are some of the other XL titles which I can recall off the top of my head: "Cabinet of Natural Curiosities" (perhaps my favorite title of all); "Leonardo da Vinci"; "Michelangelo"; "Atlas Major"; "The Complete Costume History"; "The Atlas of Human Anatomy and Surgery"; "The World of Ornament"; "The Stanley Kubrick Archives," et al.
(Finally, for anyone interested in magic or other "doors of perception", there is another recent and important publication which may be of interest: Carl Jung's "Red Book" (his diaries from his period of near insanity). It is a huge book almost on the scale of a Taschen XL, with Jung's own fabulous and colorful illustrations. First editions of this publication are destined for astonishing future values, not that you would ever sell it or any of these Taschen XLs.)
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9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Heavy on History, November 2, 2009
This review is from: Magic 1400s-1950s (Hardcover)
I am a magician who revels in the history of my craft. I love reading any and every book that recreates the fun and mysterious events of the past. Magic surely has a lot to offer. This volume will take some time to read and digest but the time will be well spent. The chapters are well defined and the reproduction of posters, plates and lithographs are exquisit. The authors of this volume are well known in carrying out extensive reasearch before writing a book and I am sure this will be the highlight of their lifetime. We done Mike, Ricky and Jim. Physically this book is HUGE! To say it is a coffee table book is not to do it justice. Did I say this book is HUGE? The book weighs in at seventeen pounds. This is a book you must read sitting at a table, not in bed or in your favorite chair. Oh, did I say this book is HUGE... well it is. And it is a great source on the history of magic. Highly recommended.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Massive complete book on Magic in 3 languages too., January 25, 2010
This review is from: Magic 1400s-1950s (Hardcover)
This is a huge book in scope and weight. It covers so much history of magic to keep all who are interested in the subject busy for a long time. Most have already covered the content of the book. But only 1 has covered that it is in 3 languages. This is one reason why it is so big. So unless you read the 3 languages of this book, you may only be reading the English part or the languages that you can read. Seems like a filler to me. But there are more pictures too.
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