Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #36134 in Books
• Published on: 2003-04-28
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 512 pages

About the Author
Mark Wilson is first and foremost a famous magician but is also the hugely successful author of numerous kits and books devoted to instructing younger readers sin the magical arts. The New York Times has recognised Wilson in print as "probably the nation's leading authority on magic". He is equally well-known in the UK.

Customer Reviews

Ideal for beginers, lacks creativity for regualars
The book itself is very useful as core book on the basics of magic. It starts off with many well known essentials in magic such as the art of forcing and plaming. But as it tries to offer variations of the same trick it seems to become repititive and lacking of true imagination. However the basics are extreamly well illusrated and supurbly simplified in language- very easy to understand. The book then takes you through many topics, each well done in quanity. But the book becomes too similar and only the presentation changes, which is good for beginers learning to form a unique style of magic, but far too cliched for regular magicians looking for something new in self-tutor books or bibles. On a personal note, the back of the book deals with stage magic and magic tricks involving complicated and unusual items like balls of wool. However these tricks will make you look like a poor Haven seaside entertainer and focus too much attention on the tricks being obvioudly gimmicked. For someone looking for a book involving instuctions mainly on levels of skill and manipulation, then it is too simple but for someone who likes the unusual gimmicked tricks then its perfect. Wilson delivers an assultment of a large varity. This book is perfect for children and people just looking for a playful hobbie but people who are slightly more serious begginers, who want to seriouly show off would be better off getting "An Idiots guide to magic". None the less its implications are good and is never a complete waste of money, there is always something to interest.

Not as great as other reviews will have you believe
hmmm, having read the amazing reviews for this book and as a beginner** in the world of magic i thought this would be perfect for me. In content, you cant fault it - by that i mean the postman must've had a sore shoulder after deliveing this baby! visually it's great and all tricks are accompanied by clear diagrams which do help...however, its main flaw is 'the tricks arn't that good'!!!! i found myself getting bored reading it and it reminded me of my paul daniels days! the book is split mainly into two sections; the first is card magic, the second is everything else (ie coins, impromtu tricks, stage magic, rope magic, etc)...the whole first section is quite easily surpassed by 'the royal road to card magic' and the second half is a bolstered version of 'magic for kids'...as a total beginner to the world of magic this book would be great as an overview of all the basic concepts however i considered myself a beginner until i read this!? take from that what you will

**when i say beginner i mean i've been dabbling all my life (with paul daniels kits, etc...) but only began to take it seriously in the past year and am still building up my collection

The best introductory book for the budding magician.
Mark Wilson has done a great service for the magic community. This book is a must have for the young magician wanting to get started on his road to fun and msytery. This book covers cards, coins, sponge balls and all the way up to large stage illusions. This book belongs on every magicians shelf.