The Magical Life of Long Tack Sam: An Illustrated Memoir [Paperback]

Ann Marie Fleming (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 4, 2007

A full-color graphic memoir inspired by the award-winning documentary-and the life and mystery of China's greatest magician.

Who was Long Tack Sam?

He was born in 1885. He ran away from Shangdung Province to join the circus. He was an acrobat. A magician. A comic. An impresario. A restaurateur. A theater owner. A world traveler. An East-West ambassador. A mentor to Orson Welles. He was considered the greatest act in the history of vaudeville.

In this gorgeous graphic memoir, his great-granddaughter, the artist and filmmaker Ann Marie Fleming, resurrects his fascinating life for the rest of the world. It's an exhilarating testament to a forgotten man. And every picture is true.

Watch a QuickTime trailer for this book.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

*Starred Review* Fleming's great-grandfather, Long Tack Sam, began life in a nineteenth-century Chinese village and died more than 70 years later in Austria. In between, he performed as a world-class magician and lived for significant portions of time on every continent except Africa and Antarctica. Fleming herself, born a year after his death, invested time, money, and travel in exploring her great-grandfather's story or, more accurately, the versions of his biography provided by far-flung relatives, fellow magicians, and former neighbors. Presenting both her search and what she found in a pastiche of succinctly written narrative (lots of it), cartoon drawings, old handbills, clippings, and photos, Fleming successfully shows how dramatic the role of international politics in a particular person's life can be. In the case of Long Tack Sam, both world wars, U.S. and Canadian laws written to bar Chinese immigrants, and the rise and fall of vaudeville as popular entertainment shaped, shifted, colored, and textured daily existence. Fleming makes that kaleidoscope of influences accessible and virtually tangible, not only as they formed Long Tack Sam but also on her own essence. Very appealing for biography readers, twentieth-century world-history buffs, and comics enthusiasts alike. Goldsmith, Francisca

About the Author

Ann Marie Fleming is an award-winning independent filmmaker, writer and artist born in Okinawa, of Chinese and Australian parentage. Her films include the shorts Blue Skies and Room 712, and the features, The French Guy and The Magical Life of Long Tack Sam.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Paperback: 170 pages
• Publisher: Riverhead Trade; First Edition edition (September 4, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1594482640
• ISBN-13: 978-1594482649
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #299,251 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #78 in Books > Humor & Entertainment > Puzzles & Games > Magic

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars beautiful and fascinating, September 6, 2007

By 

Jennifer Levy (New York, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Magical Life of Long Tack Sam: An Illustrated Memoir (Paperback)

I had seen Ann Marie Fleming's documentary film about her great-grandfather, Long Tack Sam, and was thrilled to see that she had also written a book about him. I was expecting the usual sort of biography, text with a couple of photo inserts. Instead, the book is a mix of text, cartoons, and photos, much in the same style as the movie. It's absolutely beautiful, and the period images (ads and posters, photos, etc) convey the style and feel of the vaudeville era which was Sam's heyday. I love to read about vaudeville but it's the images that bring those times to life for me, and this book does it wonderfully.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Magic in itself, January 7, 2008

By 

Jacob C. Anderson - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Magical Life of Long Tack Sam: An Illustrated Memoir (Paperback)

I read this in one sitting! This was done in a journal/comic book format that was informative, fun, and made me feel that when I ended the book, I left with something special. Sam was a pioneer, and all the amazing people he met and worked with (Orson Wells, Laurel and Hardy to name a few), it's like the back of the book said, how come no one knows who this famous man is? His rufasal to compromise to the Chinese steriotype in order to enter Hollywood, and that his daughters were considered too pretty to be filmed as Asians for any Hollywood pictures , really reminds you that the 20th century really changed our views of the world and culture. This man went all over the world, married an Austrian lady, and go figure, had competition from white magicians dressing in Asian motifs and taking similar names to him! I can go on ad infinitium about how great this was, and how I came upon this by accident. I strongly recommend this book to not only magicians, but also to anyone looking for a fun and entertaining read.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book., June 25, 2011

By 

Redhead18 - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Magical Life of Long Tack Sam: An Illustrated Memoir (Paperback)

An insightful, delightful book. A very personal story that is bigger than it first appears and reminds us all we have stories
worth researching and remembering. The confusing, conflicting details of family memories are presented in a creative way
and the multiple perspectives are woven together with history, bystanders, Fleming and family in a compelling and funny presentation that wins you over only a few pages in.