Description

Learn Magic is a classic magic book for serious beginners. It teaches 20 lessons and focuses not just on effects, tricks and moves, but also on the ‘how to learn magic’ aspect. Beautifully illustrated by Hans Jelinek.

Henry Hay’s larger magic book for beginners, The Amateur Magician’s Handbook is broader in scope and already assumes some basic knowledge about magic.

1st edition 1947, 2nd edition 1975; 1st digital edition 2013, 210 pages.

Table of Contents

FOREWORDINTRODUCTION

PART 1

CHAPTER 1. HOW TO WATCH A MAGICIAN

The Greatest Magician?The Different Kinds of Magic

CHAPTER 2. HOW TO BE A MAGICIAN

Rehearsal Before PracticeHow to Get ApplauseYour Personality and Your PatterPlanningLearning a TrickEnlarging Your Repertory

BOOK LIST

PART 2

LESSON 1. THE FLYING COIN

LESSON 2. HANDLING A DECK OF CARDS

Dealing PositionThe Overhand ShuffleThe Riffle or Dovetail ShuffleThe “Waterfall” FinishSecond Split for the Dovetail ShuffleFanning the CardsThe Card at the NumberMind Control

LESSON 3. THE LARIAT KING

Inventing MagicThe Lariat KingHow the Trick Is Done

LESSON 4. THE AFGHAN BANDS AND THE CUT TURBAN

How to Make the Afghan BandsHow to Work the Turban Trick

LESSON 5. FINDING A SELECTED CARD, 1: FORCING

Forcing and Forcing DecksThe Svengali PackForcing Sleights: The FanForcing Sleights: The SlipAnother Knife ForceThe Telephone Trick

LESSON 6. FINDING A SELECTED CARD, II: LOCATIONS

False ShufflesThe Tap LocationThe GlimpseThe Spelling MasterThe Stripper DeckThe Long CardThe Double CardThe Short CardThe Pass, or ShiftThe Red and Black Aces

LESSON 7. ESCAPES

The Kellar TieThe Sack EscapeThe Chair Tie

LESSON 8. THE EGG BAG

Palming an EggEgg Production Routine

LESSON 9. MIND READING

The Billet TestThe “All-Alike” GagThe “One-Ahead” GagThe Envelope TestGetting ImpressionsTorn-Billet ReadingStage ClairvoyanceCodesPointer CodesNumber CodesTalking CodesSilent Methods

LESSON 10. REVEALING A SELECTED CARD

The Turned Card; Victim’s ChoiceThe Card Nailed to the CeilingThe Jumping CardsThe Transfixed PackThe Rising Cards (Three Methods)First MethodSecond MethodThird MethodThe Mental-Selection Spelling Master

LESSON 11. THE THUMB TIP

Cigarette VanishThe Torn and Restored Paper RibbonHandkerchief Vanish

LESSON 12. A SILK ROUTINE. PART I

Preparing for the ActHandkerchief Production (Elbow)The Dissolving KnotShaking in a KnotSilk from CandleThe Flying KnotHandkerchief Production (Thread)The Sympathetic Silks

LESSON 13. A SILK ROUTINE. PART II

Preparing for the ActHand Silk-DyeingSilk-Dyeing (Paper Tube)The “Lamp-Chimney” Vanish

LESSON 14. THE MISER’S DREAM

Coins for MagicThe Finger PalmThe Thumb PalmThe Regular PalmThe Edge PalmPalming Several CoinsThe Back PalmThe Miser’s Dream

LESSON 15. CARD PALMING

The Top PalmPalming Several CardsWilliams’ Card in PocketColor ChangesClip Color ChangeErasing the SpotThe Side-Steal Color ChangeReversing the Color ChangeThe Double LiftThe Back PalmFive-Card Vanish and Recovery

LESSON 16. TWO GREAT TRICKS OF CARD PALMING

Leipzig’s Lightning LocationsThe Cards Up the SleeveThe False Count

LESSON 17. THE SPONGE BALLS

The Basic Sponge-Ball MoveThe Routine

LESSON 18. THE MULTIPLYING BILLIARD BALLS

The Conjurer’s ClothesThe Trap PassThe Change-Over PalmThe Multiplying Ball Routine

LESSON 19. THIMBLE MAGIC

Silent and Talking ActsQuieting a Noisy CrowdThe Thimble Thumb PalmDeliberate VanishThimble Routine

LESSON 20. YOUR MAGICAL OUTFIT

The Magician’s TableThe Black Art Table TopServantesThe Bottomless GlassThe Mirror GlassFlying SilkCandy ProductionWandsProgramsStage Management

PART 3

HOW STAGE ILLUSIONS WORK

The Floating LadyThe Vanishing PerformerThe Trunk TrickThe Mirror PrincipleLost in the CrowdBullet-CatchingDe Kolta’s CocoonThe Oyster ShellDe Biere’s Costume TrunkThe Goldfish BowlsThe Rapping HandThe Talking SkullThe Merry WidowThe Spirit CabinetThe Milk Can TrickThe Basket TrickThe Sword CabinetSawing a Woman in Two
word count: 72806 which is equivalent to 291 standard pages of text