Mark Wilsons Complete Course In Magic

[haroldross]

A recent post reminded me of the magic of Mark Wilson. His magic course book is about 470 pages of great instruction. You can get it on Ebay quite reasonably or you can order it direct from him.
Mark Wilson Magic - Magic Books

There is some interesting information about and Walter Gibson in the Introduction. He covers a lot of the basics in magic. As I was flipping through it I recognized a lot of the effects that Jay Sankey and others have marketed.

If you like to build props for stage magic, there is a chapter at the end showing how to construct a number of these items. If you have seen Penn & Teller recently, the box that is used for Teller's entrance is detailed.

For twenty dollars it is not a bad reference book. For the novice I think it would be invaluable since if covers such a wide range of effects. For the advanced it is a great refresher and there are several nuggets hidden within the pages.

This is not really a review but more of an overview.

I'll try to answer any questions about the book.

The PDF has the Table of Contents

[Misjief]

Harold-

I bought my first copy as an adult at the good will for 4 bucks as I lost my childhood copy way back when!.

Loved it! Unfortunately so did my nephew, so I gave it to him. He got bored with magic and moved on to other things (GASP!) ... but I never got my book back. I recently found yet another copy at the good will for 2 bucks, and I am not letting this copy go.

The books is very comprehensive - as you say it has a little of everything in there. As far as magic books go this is probably one of the best introductions for general magic out there bar none.

His son actually started an online academy of magic.... It looked pretty neat as they took a lot effects from his father's vintage shows and then showed how it was done.

The long and short of it is I second your approval of this fine book... Yes it is simplistic but any book covering the basics should be! It is a classic!


-misj-

http://www.magiciansmagictricks.com/...versity-member

[MofoMojo]

Originally Posted by Misjief

I bought my first copy as an adult at the good will for 4 bucks as I lost my childhood copy way back when! ...

... I recently found yet another copy at the good will for 2 bucks, and I am not letting this copy go.

I need to start shopping at your Good Will center.

@Harold, thanks for the pointer info on Mark Wilson in the other thread. What are your feelings on his book compared to say, John Northern Hilliard's Greater Magic and if you were to get a copy, which one would you choose between the two and why?

-MM

[Scarecrow1]

It's a stellar book. The sponge routine in it is worth it alone. Also, it's great to learn the basic cups and balls. The billiard balls are good too, as it allows you to do sleights with bigger objects, which in turn helps you do sleights and vanishes with random objects.

The cards stuff is obviously not super comprehensive if you want to be a card specialist (especially sleight wise), but it's enough for a total beginner (I've even found some cool stuff in there). Recommended.

I actually got it a few months back at a used book store for ten bucks as a hardback! I was needless to say happy.

[haroldross]

MofoMojo,

You pose a difficult question. I would have both in my library. At the end of my message I have included the Table of Contents for Hilliard's book.

I am partial to Mark Wilson's magic but that is purely a personal preference. Hilliard's book has quite a bit more in it. If I were to rate them on levels of difficuly, Wilson's book would be a beginner's book and Hilliard's book a step or two above that. With either book you would have an invaluable reference book in your library. Both books contain easy and difficult effects. There is something for everyone in each of these books.

If you ask me to choose one or the other, I would have to pass. How do you choose between two gems?

I hope the answer is satisfactory...

Contents:

v Keeping Secrets (Carl W. Jones)
vi Dedication to Angelo Lewis
vii Original Contents
viii New Table of Contents
ix Introduction-Howard Thurston
x Portrait by Carl W. Rawson
xi Tribute to Hilliard-Gelett Burgess
xii In The Beginning
xiii Pageant and Prolegomenon
xxxiv Greater Magic Revisited-H. Adrian Smith
xli Greater Magic Reviewed-John Mulholland
xlii Introduction-Howard Thurston
xliii Hilliard's Portrait-Carl W. Rawson
xliv Tribute to Hilliard-Gelett Burgess
xlv In The Beginning
xlvi Pageant and Prolegomenon

1 I. The Master of the Playing Cards

7 II. Card Fanning and Fan Locations
10 How to Make the (Pressure) Fan
13 The Thumb Fan
13 The Reverse Fan
17 The Giant Fan
17 The Dovetail Shuffle
19 The One-Hand Fan
20 Vanish and Recovery
21 The Fan "Steal" (Jack Lathrop)
24 Dual One-Hand Fans
26 False Shuffle
27 The Fan Location
27 1. By Means of the Regular Fan
28 2. By Means of the Reversed Fan (A Glimpse)
30 3. The Third Fan Location (A Crimp)

31 III. Locations
31 Section I. By Means of Sleight of Hand
31 1. The Pass
31 2. The Side Steal
32 Little Finger Break (Two Handlings)
33 Flesh (Greek) Break
34 3. A "Side-Steal' Location (Paul Le Paul)
34 4. The Pick-Up Location (A Palm-less Transfer)
35 5. The Push Location (Tap Injog)
36 6. The Push-Back Location
36 7. Another Push Location (A Key Glimpse-Tom Sellers)
37 8. The "Slap" Location (A Drop Injog)
38 9. The Shp Location (Insertion of Key or Short in Spread)
40 A Reversed Card Discovery
41 10. The Shuffle Location (Overhand Shuffle Injog)

45 IV. Locations by Marked Cards (1)
45 Section II. The Crimp
46 The Crimp Location
46 First Method (With Both Hands)
47 Yank Hoe Method
49 Second Method (With One Hand)
50 Third Method (With Both Hands)
51 Fourth Method (With Both Hands-Dr. James Elliott)
52 Sid Lorraine Addition
52 Dai Vernon Subtlety
53 Fifth Method (Card Control by Means of the Crimp)
54 Riffle-Shuffle Positioning of Crimped Card
55 Sixth Method (Crimp and Table Spread-Ted Annemann)
57 Jack Merlin Crimp Technique
57 Jack Merlin Wax Technique
57 Seventh Method (The "Snap" Crimp-John Scarne)
59 Scarne Ridge Technique
59 Crimp Trick

61 V. Locations by Marked Cards (2)
61 Section III. Various Ruses
61 1. Nicking the Edge of a Card
62 Ben Erens Technique
62 Luis Zingone Technique
63 Henry Gordien Pencil Technique
63 Nail-Pricking the Surface of a Card
64 "It's Up To You
65 2. The Knife-Blade Detection
65 3. The Pencil-Line Detection
66 4. The Daub Location (Lead-Pencil Dust aka Graphite)
67 A Problem in Plumbago (Al Baker)
69 Carbon-Paper Daub
69 Carrying Daub
70 Golden Glow Daub
72 Application of Daub
72 Ace-Cutting (John Scarne)
72 Daub Application with Cardcase (Dai Vernon)
73 Newspaper-Piece Daub
74 A Problem in the Fourth Dimension (Paul Rosini)

77 VI. Locations by Key or Locator Cards
77 Section IV
77 The Warring Principle (Permanent Metal Tab)
78 Removable Metal Clip
78 Crescent Locator Card
78 Double Locator Card
79 Court Locator Card ("Master Card!')
79 Pip Locator Card
79 Silk Locator Card
79 Eclipse Locator Card
80 Celluloid Key Card (Alfred Caroselh)
81 Reversed Key Card (U.F. Grant)
81 Off-Tone Key Card
81 Sun-Marked Key Card
82 Worn-Back Key Card
82 The Inked Card
83 Double-Backed Key Card

85 VII. Locations by Means of Subtleties and Ingenious Arrangements
85 Section V
85 A. The Divided Pack
85 1. The Red and Black Location
88 2. The Odd and Even Location
88 3. The Improved Odd and Even Location (Charles T. Jordan)
88 4. The "Reversible" Location
90 B. The Bottom Card Location
90 Bottom Card
91 Bottom Card of Upper Half
91 Joker Discard to Locate Key
91 Face-Down Ribbon-Spread Key Placement
91 Face-Up Ribbon Spread Key Placement
91 Deal-Down Key Placement
92 The Positional (or Remote) Key Card
92 Cardcase Load of Key Card
92 "Experiment in Mind Reading" (J.N. Hilliard)
93 Jardin Ellis Reducing Mirror (Shiner)
95 C. The Top Card Location
96 D. The Top and Bottom Location (Two Key Cards)
96 a. The Overhand Shuffle
97 b. The Dovetail Shuffle
97 The Master Card Location
99 E. The New Pack Location
100 The Perfect Card Trick
101 Reverse Order Location
102 Under Which King, Bezonian?
103 The Incomprehensible Detection

105 VIII. Locations
105 Section VI. The "Slick Ace" and Some Tricks Therewith
105 The Story of the "Slick Ace
109 "The Master Card
111"Slick Ace" Technique
111 First Method
111 Second Method
112 Third Method (Frank Lane's Favorite)
112 Fourth Method (On the Table)
113 An Alternate Procedure
113 Trick Wherein a Packet's Number of Cards is Divined
113 Trick Wherein a Card is Thrust Beside a Predicted Card
115 Dai Vernon Handling

117 IX. Old Wine in New Bottles
120 Mutus, Nomen, Dectit, Cocis (J.N. Hilliard)
128 The Miracle Divination
129 The Problem of the Three Coins (Mahendra Presentation)
136 The Problem of the Four Aces (S.S.. Blodgett)
139 The Problem of the Three Poker Chips
142 The Twenty-Five Card Trick (S. Leo Horowitz)
145 The Mystery of the Penthouse (S. Leo Horowitz)
150 The Incomprehensible Divination (Al Baker)
153 Another Baker Twist to the Old'Ten-Card Trick
154 Magic Number Revealment (R.W. Hull)
157 A Matter of Debit and Credit

163 X. Shuffle, Force, Cut, and Pass
164 Overhand Shuffle Positioning of Four Cards (Dai Vernon)
164 Cards. The Best Kind to Use
164 False Shuffles
165 I. To Get Control of a Selected Card
165 II. To Keep Certain Cards in View
165 1. The Bottom Card
165 2. The Top Card
165 3a, A Number of Cards (With Two Shuffles)
166 3b. A Number of Cards (With One Shuffle)
167 III. To Retain the Whole Pack in a Certain Order
167 la. By Means of the Overhand Shuffle (G.W. Hunter)
167 lb. By Means of the Overhand Shuffle
169 2a. By Means of the Riffle Shuffle
169 2b. The Inverted V Shuffle
170 Variation
171 3. The Haymow or Charlier False Shuffle
171 4. The Weave or Greek Shuffle
172 5a. The Push Through
173 6b. The Strip Out
174 6. False Riffle Shuffle
174 7. Red and Black Location
175 False Cuts
175 I. False Cuts on the Table
175 a. Three Cuts on the Table
176 b. Three Cuts to the Table
176 c. Multiple Cuts on the Table
176 d. Three Cuts (Arthur Finley)
177 e. Two Cuts to the Table
178 f. Three Cuts on the Table
179 g. Running Cut
180 II. False Cuts with the Pack in Hand
180 a. Three Cuts in the Hand (Riffle-Shuffle Grip)
181 b. Three Cuts in the Hand (Riffle-Shuffle Grip)
181 c. Three Cuts in the Hand (Hindu-Shuffle Grip)
182 The Pass
182 Practicing the Pass
182 Covering the Pass
183 The Delayed Pass (End Crimp Technique)
184 The Herrmann Pass
185 Wandering Jacks Fragment
185 The "Bluff' Pass
186 Substitutes for the Pass
186 Misdirection
187 II. The Hindu Shuffle
187 Genuine Shuffle
188 To Control a Selected Card
188 To Control Several Selected Cards
189 III. The Optical (Overhand) Shuffle
189 IV. The Break and (Overhand) Shuffle
190 V. The Fan
191 S. Leo Horowitz Finesse
191 The Force
192 Advice on the Classic Force
193 Contingency Correction (Stanley Collins)
195 The Handkerchief Force (Jean Hugard)
196 Forcing Cards Behind the Back (John Scarne)
197 A Card Force (Stewart Judah, H. Adrian Smith)
198 A Psychological Force
198 To Force the Number 9
199 For Forcing One of Two Cards or Piles on the Table
199 A Psychological Force
199 Modern Methods of Palming Cards
199 An Imperceptible Method of Palming the Top Card
200 1. The Top Card, One Hand Only (Judson Cole, Jean Hugard)
201 2. The Top Card with Left Hand Only (Prof. Morris Lowe)
202 3. Palming One Card (Tenacity Ishida)
203 4. A Number of Cards (Left Thumb Push-Up)
203 Holding a Break in the Pack
204 1. The Base of the Thumb (Greek) Break
204 2. With the First Joint of the Middle Finger (Flesh Break)
204 One-Hand Pass from Flesh Break on the Deal
205 3. Holding the Break After the Peek (S. Leo Horowitz)
206 Switching the Pack (Capt. J.E. Stone)
206 I. Using a Well in the Table
206 II. Using a Hat and Blindfold
207 III. Using a Handkerchief and Coat Pocket
207 IV. Using a Cardcase and Coat Pocket
207 V. To Exchange Decks During a Trick (Two Methods)
208 VI. Using a Prepared Cardcase
209 Final Observations and Caution
209 Dealing Seconds
209 One Hand
209 a. Dealing Face Upwards
210 b. Dealing Face Downwards
210 By Means of a Faked Card (Dai Vernon)
211 The Bottom Deal
211 With One Hand
211 a. Dealing Face Upwards
212 b. Dealing Face Downwards
212 Chosen Card at any Number
212 Flourishes
212 The Tenkai Color Change (Tenkai Ishida)
213 The Horowitz Color Change (S. Leo Horowitz)
214 The Fan Steal (S. Leo Horowitz)
215 Reversing Whole Pack-First Method
216 Reverse Sleight
216 Second Method
217 A Fan Reverse
218 The Elbow Catch
218 A Card Juggle
219 Passing a Card Through the Crown of a Derby Hat
219 A True Cut with One Hand
220 A Flourish Count (Dai Vernon)

223 XI. Impromptu Card Tricks
223 New Finishes for Card Tricks
223 1. Card Dropping (Ted Annemann)
224 2. Adaptation of the "Spring" Flourish
224 Card Under the Napkin (Henry Gordien)
225 A Card Changes in the Spectator's Hand
226 Revealed by Fire
226 The Spectator Does it All
227 A Mental Discovery
227 First Method (by Dealing)
228 Second Method (by Spelling)
229 Third Method-The Lie Detector (W. Fred. Heaman)
230 Card Through a Hat
231 The Flying Card (Nate Leipzig)
231 Card in the Matchbox
232 A Master Card Trick (Max Holden)
234 The Three Pile Trick (C.W. Jones)
237 The Salt Trick
237 A Good Impromptu Trick
237 A Self Working Trick (Wm. H. McCaffrey)
239 A "Think Stop" Trick (J.N. Hilliard)
239 Trick with Two Packs
240 A Joker Trick
241 A Few Words Anent the Joker
241 The Aces and the Criminal
242 Obedient Cards
242 Final Suggestions

243 XII. Sleight of Hand Card Tricks
243 The Fadeaway Cards
246 A Miracle Discovery
248 The New Torn Corner Card (Al Saal)
251 The Stabbed Card. New Version (Capt. J.E. Stone)
253 Card in Pocket. I
256 Card in Pocket. II (Wm. H. McCaffrey)
256 Two Card Location (Paul Rosini)
258 Saliva Sorcery. I (Paul Rosini)
260 Saliva Sorcery. II (Paul Rosini)
261 The Magic Thrust. I
262 The Magic Thrust. II. (Al Baker)
264 The Magic Thrust. III (Ted Annemann)
265 Relativity and Cards (Annemann, Hugard)
267 Two Card Reverse
269 The "Impossible" Location (George Kaplan)
270 "You Do as I Do
271 A. The Sympathetic Cards
272 B. A Second Example with a Prearranged Deck
275 C. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Part I
277 Part II
278 D. Variation Without the Use of a Waxed Card
279 E. Domination of Thought
280 Variation
280 An Effective Follow Up
281 F. The "J.N. Hilliard" Method
281 Do As I Do (Rolland Hamblen)
283 Prearrangement of Packs
283 The Five Card Problem (George Kaplan)
285 A Brain Teaser (George Kaplan)
286 Modern Long Distance Mind Reading (George Kaplan)
287 A Test Discovery (Dr. Buell)
289 The Up-to-Date Prophet
290 "Tearing the Pack" Trick
291 A Spirit Writes (John Mulholland)
292 Tricks with Two Decks; Red and Blue
292 The Migrating Cards (Al Baker)
293 "And the Spectator Blew" (Jean Hugard)
295 Color Changing Backs (Wm. H. McCaffrey)
297 Poker Tricks Section
297 A Poker Deal (Frank Lane)
298 Unique Bridge and Poker Deal (Wm. H. McCaffrey)
303 The Perfect Poker Trick
305 The Four Ace Deal (Wm. W. Larsen)
306 A Maneuver for Stud Poker (Glimpse)
307 A Si Stebbins System Wrinkle
307 Two Card Monte with the Torn Corner Added
308 Card Mouthful (John Scarne)

309 XIII. The Spelling Bee
309 I. Impromptu Method with Ordinary Cards (Lawrence Gray)
311 II. Prearranged Cards
311 1. "The T. Nelson Downs Speller
313 2. Spell It Yourself (Ted Annemann)
315 III. Spelling a Card Merely Thought Of
315 1. Commander Slayton's Method
317 2. J. N. Hilliard's Method
318 IV. Spelling a Number of Cards After a Genuine Shuffle
319 1. Charles T. Jordan's Method
320 2. A Card Fairy Tale and Automatic Spelling (Jean Hugard)
322 V. Special Pack
322 The "Perfect" Spelling Trick
323 A Suggested Routine of Spelling Tricks

325 XIV. Clairvoyance with Cards
325 IA. With Unprepared Cards, Without Forcing (Robert-Houdin)
326 Prof. Hoffmann Variation
326 Another Method
327 IB. The Three of Clubs
327 The Mexican Turn-over
329 II. Forcing the Mental Selection of a Card and Tricks Therewith
329 By Spreading the Cards
330 By Ruffling the Cards
330 a. With Two Spectators (Robert-Houdin)
331 b. With Two Spectators
333 Forcing the Mental Selection by Prearrangement. a
333 Forcing the Mental Selection by Prearrangement, b
333 Forcing a Corner-Shorted Court Card
334 Passing the Cards Before a Spectator
334 c. With Two Spectators
335 Variation
335 Forcing a Card by Springing the Cards
336 Locating a Card After the Spectator's Cut
336 III. By Means of the Fan Spread
336 a. Raising a Neat Fan
337 b. Raising a Ragged Fan
338 c. Spreading on the Table
339 d. Displaying a Reverse Fan
339 IV. With Prearranged Pack
339 a. With the Nikola System
340 b. With Two Packs
340 V. Psychological Forces
341 Red or Black
341 The Seventh Position
341 The Second Card
342 The Second and Third Cards
342 Memorizing Five Cards
342 The Third Card
343 Dai Vernon's Psychological Force
343 VI. With Prepared Cards
343 Al Baker's Force
344 VII. By Elimination
344 Ralph Hull's Trick
346 VIII. Special Deck
346 The Magician's Dream, with Prepared Cards (Audley Walsh)
347 With Unprepared Cards (Dai Vernon)

349 XV. The Four Aces
349 I. U-Do-It Ace Trick (U.F. Grant)
351 II. The Four Aces (S. Leo Horowitz)
355 III. The Four Aces (Stewart James)
357 IV. The Four Aces (Wm. H. McCaffrey)
361 V. The Four Aces (Jess Kelly)
363 VI. Aces for Experts (Dai Vernon)
365 VII. Annemann's Aces (Ted Annemann)

369 XVI. The Rising Cards
370 I. Cards Freely Chosen. No Assistant
370 Method No. 1
374 Method No.2 (M. Laissus)
375 Method No. 3
376 Method No.4. The Book Houlette
377 II. Duplicates of Forced Cards Rise. No Assistant
377 Method No. 1. Duplicate Cards Concealed on Table
378 With an Assistant
378 Without an Assistant
378 By Fanning the Deck
379 Pip Change
379 Addressing the Queen
379 Card Rises Reversed then Turns Around
379 The Blank Card Gag
380 The Broomstick Rise (Robert Heller)
380 With a Silk in the Glass
380 Method No.2. Threaded Packet From Vest Pocket
381 Method No.3. With a Borrowed Pack
382 Method No.4. Cards Rise Spontaneously from Vest Pocket
382 Method No.5. Card Rises from Pack Held in the Hand
383 Method No.6. The All Rising Cards
385 Method No.7. The Swinging Rising Cards
386 Method No.8. The Joker Rising Card Trick
386 Method No.9. The Celebrity Rising Card Trick
387 III. The Hair and Wax Pellet
387 Method No. 1. The "Albertf' Method
388 Method No.2. Adrian Plate's Method
389 Method No.3. Card Rising from Hand to Hand
390 Method No.4. From a Glass
391 Method No.5. Tube and Thread
391 Method No.6. The Wand and Rising Card
392 IV. Impromptu Methods
392 Method No. 1. Cards Rise from the Pack Held in Left Hand
393 Method No.2. The Little Finger Rise
394 Method No.3. The Thumb Rise (S. Leo Horowitz)
395 Method No.4. A Comedy Rising Card
396 Method No.5. The Fluted Glass
396 Method No.6. The Window Pack
396 Method No.7. Wand and Houlette (Ottokar Fischer)
397 Method No.8. The Cardini Rise
397 Method No.9. Card Rising Through Handkerchief (Brush)
398 Method No. 10. Card Rises From Cardcase Tied to Hand
400 Method No. 1 1. The "Plunger' Rising Cards (Jack McMillen)
402 Variation without Sleight of Hand, Using Wax
402 V. Prepared Cards
402 Special Cards
403 With a Svengali Deck
403 VI. Mechanical Rising Cards
403 A. The Mechanical Pack (Hartz)
404 B. The Holmes Spindle (Donald Holmes)
405 C. The Card Case and Finger Tip
405 D. The Wand and Glass Houlette
405 E. The "Lyre" Rising Cards
406 F. The Walking-Stick Rising Cards
407 The "Sandu" Rising Cards (Harlan Tarbell)
407 G. The Tray and Houlette
408 H. The Gordien Rising Cards (Henry Gordien)
410 I. The Hand Houlette
412 VII. The Aerial Cards
412 1. The "Thurston" Rising Cards
413 2. A Method for the Parlor
413 3. A Second Method
414 4. The Queen of the Air
414 VIII. Any Card Called For Rises
414 1. M. Guimard's Method
415 2. M. Ceilher's Method
416 3. The "Neyhart" Houlette
423 4, The Stull Rising Card Trick
424 Dr. Hooker's Impossibilities
426 The Card Windlass or Reel
427 Dr. Jacob Daley's Routine

429 XVII. Prepared Cards
429 SECTION I
429 The Cards Alone Prepared
430 I. The Svengali Deck (Burling Hull)
431 1. A Subtle Detection
432 2. The Lady's Ring
432 3. The Spectator Makes a Prediction
433 4. A Prediction (Al Baker)
435 5. The Perfect Stop Trick (Al Saal)
436 6. Another "Stop' Trick
437 7. A Blindfold Detection
438 II. The Mene Tekel Deck (Burling Hull)
439 1. Chosen Card Passed into Vest Pocket
439 Three Chosen Cards Discovered From Pack in a Hat
440 2. A Curious Coincidence (Glenn G. Gravatt)
441 III, Double Faced Cards
441 1. The Triangle (David Devant)
442 2. Infallible Prediction (Paul Curry)
444 3. A Pocket Change (U.F. Grant)
445 4. The Princess Trick (S. Leo Horowitz)
448 IV. Ivory and Air Cushion Finish
449 Blindfold Multiple Detection (Wm. H. McCaffrey)
450 V. Forcing Packs
450 Three-Way Forcing Deck and Switch
450 Three-Way Svengali Forcing Deck
451 Rogers' Ever Ready Forcing Pack (Dr. Ford Rogers)
452 Cards Plus Jugglery (Charles A. Leedy)
453 VI. Strippers
454 1. To Surreptitiously Reverse a Stripper Deck
455 Half and Half Subtlety
455 2. Bringing the Reversed Card to the Top
456 Tricks with a Stripper Deck
456 1. A Novel X-Ray Trick
457 2. Another Method
457 3. A Triple Discovery (Prof Hoffmann)
459 Two Good Wrinkles
459 1. Reversing the Deck
459 2. Not Reversing the Deck
460 VII. End Strippers
461 VIII. Bevelled Cards
461 Poker Demonstration
461 Card and Number (Harry Blackstone)
463 IX. The Short Card
464 I. The Ure of Cards Marked in Advance
463 Types of Short Cards
464 Cutting a Short Card
464 Impromptu Short Card
464 1. It's in the Bag (H. Adrian Smith)
464 Effect No. 1
465 Effect No. 2
466 Effect No. 3
466 Effect No.4
467 Effect No.5
468 2. A Bewildering Change (Cardini)
469 3. Two Card Discovery (Billy O'Connor)
471 4. The Torn Deck Discovery
471 5. Ne Plus Ultra, New Version
473 6. Mr. Snyder Makes a Prediction (John Snyder)
475 7. The Double Lift with a Short Card
475 Ambitious Card Routine
475 Open One-Hand Top Change
476 8. The Four Aces (Mickey McDougall)
477 9. The Long Card (Paper Clip)
478 10. Two New Locator Cards
478 1. Coin Impression (Will De Sieve)
479 2. Another 'Ridge" Preparation (Jontay)
479 II. Impromptu Marking of Cards (Punching or Pegging)
479 1. The Tooth Pick Method
479 2. Thumb Tack Marker
480 X. Double Backed Cards (J.N. Hofzinser)
481 1. The Self Reversing Cards
481 2. The Ambitious Card (Vernon, Finley, Horowitz)
484 3. The Power of the Will
485 4. The Five Cards Do As I Do-You Can't
486 5. Cagliostro's Card, A Prediction (George Kaplan)
489 XI. Divided Cards
489 The Four Sevens and the Four Deuces
490 The Protean Pack of Cards (Robert-Houdin)
491 XII. Sundry Prepared Cards
491 1. A Visible Transformation (W. Fred Heaman)
492 2. Prepared Carbon Card. (James Maxwell)
493 A Mindreading Trick
494 Annemann's Method with Prepared Cardcase
495 3. The Daub. A Miracle -Location (Paul Rosini)
496 4. One Way Cards. "Think Stop" a. (Wm. H. McCaffrey)
497 One Way Cards. b. Spectator Reverses Cards Himself
497 5. Diachylon Thought Control
499 SECTION II
499 Card Tricks with Apparatus and in Combination with Other Objects
500 Spirit Cartography (Harry Blackstone)
500 The Cross-Cut Force
501 The Card in the Frame
503 The Knowing Dart
504 Stand for the Vanish and Recovery of Four Cards
505 The Card and Ribbon Trick (J,J. Kolar)
508 The Card and Stamp Mystery (Harlan Tarbell)
510 The Enchanted Card Slide (Nishan Andounian and Joe Berg)
512 "Cherchez La Femme" (Al Baker)
513 The Balloon and Card

517 XVIII. The Tuned Deck (Ralph W. Hull)
530 The Rough and Smooth Principle
531 The Pop-Eyed Eye-Popper (R. W. Hull)
531 1. The Force
532 2. The Pop-Eyed Eye-Popper Trick
532 3. "Knock'em Off with a Stick
533 4. Skilled? Second Dealing
533 The Magnetic Mental Control (R.W. Hull)

537 XIX. Card Stars of the USA
537 I. Theodore Annemann
538 1. The Princess Trick
539 2. The Five Card Stabbing Mystery
542 II. Al Baker
542 1. Red-Black Detection
544 2. Mysterious Divination
545 III. Cardini
545 1. The Cardini Ace Trick
546 Cardini's Multiple Shift (Overhand Shuffle Style)
548 2. Cardini Method of Backhand Production of Cards
548 IV. S. Leo Horowitz
549 1. A Psychological Discovery
552 2. The Magic Tunnel
555 V. Stewart Judah
555 The Three Heap
557 2. The Guessing Game
559 VI. Nate Leipzig
560 1. Five Hands
561 Poker-Hand Switch
562 2. The Sympathetic Clubs
563 VII. William H. McCaffrey
564 1. The Prize Winner
566 2. The Telephone Trick
567 VIII. Paul Rosini
567 1. Everywhere and Nowhere
570 2. A Great Location Trick
572 IX. John Scarne
572 1. The Card in the Wallet
575 2. The Transposed Cards
575 X. Dai Vernon
576 1. Do As I Do
578 2. Follow the Leader

581 XX The Magic of Silk
581 Methods of Producing a Silk with Bare Hands
581 1. No Gimmick
583 2. Metal Box Gimmick
583 3. With a Thread (Eric F. Impey)
585 The Best Handkerchief Gimmick (S. Leo Horowitz)
585 1. The Coin and Handkerchief
588 2. The Silk Production
590 3. The Burning Table Cloth or Napkin
591 4. Color Changing a Silk
592 Tricks with Silk
592 A Study in Red and Green.,
595 A Novel Production of Silks (With Stilwell Hank Ball)
596 Silks and Matches (Al Saal)
597 "Clean-Cue' Color Changing Silk (Harlan Tarbell)
600 A Visible Penetration (Charles Waller)
603 "Flash" Production of Silks
604 The Silk Wonder Box (Davenport)
606 The Penetrating Silk (Nelson G. Hahne)
608 Another Silk Penetration (C.L. Jacobsen)
608 Dyeing the Silks (David Devant)
609 Al Baker's Dyeing Silks
611 The Dancing Lady
612 The Self Tying Knot (With Thread)
613 The Tenkai Knots (Tenkai Ishida)
613 Vanishing Knots (Upsetting the Knot)
614 Tarbell Color Changing Handkerchief (Harlan Tarbell)
616 Used with Frank Ducrot's 20th Century Silks
617 Duval's Dyeing Handkerchiefs (Ade Duval)

621 XXI. Magic With Balls
621 Billiard Balls
622 I. Billiard Ball Sleights
622 1. Palming
623 2a. Palming a Ball, Apparently Taking it in the Other Hand
624 2b. Palming a Ball, Apparently Placing it in the Other Hand
625 3. The Change Over Palm
626 I. Billiard Ball Gimmicks
626 a. The Shell
626 b. Ball Holders
626 1. Individual Holders
627 2. Holders for Several Balls
628 III. Pockets
628 IV. Pulls
629 V. The Cuff Servante
630 VI. Table Wells and Servantes
630 VII. Special Balls
630 Pin Ball (Peterson)
631 Thimble Ball
631 Ball with Hole
631 Needle and Cork Ball
631 VIII. Billiard Ball Stands
632 The Conradi Siand (To Vanish and Produce Balls)
632 Wooden Stand (To Hold and Produce Balls)
633 IX. The Lozenge
633 Billiard Ball Tricks
634 1. The One to Four Multiplication (With Shell)
636 2. Filtration Through a Handkerchief
637 A Billiard Ball Phantasy (1 to 4 with Solid Balls)
640 Impromptu Moves with Billiard Balls
640 1. Playing Card Changed to a Billiard Ball
641 2. Production of a Billiard Ball from a Playing Card
642 3. A Subtle Vanish
642 The Best Diminishing Billiard Ball Trick
644 Golf Balls
644 The New Multiplying Golf Balls (L.L. Ireland)
644 1. Multiplication to Four Solid Balls
646 2. Simultaneous Production of Four Balls in Each Hand
647 3. Knee Penetration (Henry Gordien)
649 The Diminishing Golf Ball (L.L. Ireland)
651 Sponge Balls (Al Cohen)
652 1. The Fist Vanish
653 2. To Palm a Sponge Ball
654 A Sponge Ball Routine
656 Another Sponge Ball Routine (Henry Gordien)
657 Gimmicks for Sponge Balls
659 The Cups and Balls
658 The Wand
659 The Balls
659 The Cups
659 Sleights
659 The Vanish
660 Loading a Cup
660 Removing a Ball Secretly from Under a Cup
661 Routine
661 Routine No. I
663 No-Sleight Sponge Ball Method (L.L. Ireland)

665 XXII. Coin Magic
666 1. A Coin Vanish (Retention of Vision) (Dai Vernon)
667 2. The Chapender Vanish (Martin Chapender)
669 3. A Hilliard Vanish (Pivot)
669 4. Another Hilliard Vanish (Back Palm)
670 5. A Complete Vanish (Coat Pocket Drop)
671 6. A Vanish with a Pencil (With Pencil Clip)
671 7. A Jardine Ellis Vanish (Fingertip Slide)
672 A Novel and Easy Coin Change (With Playing Card)
673 A Change for a Small Coin (Sleeving)
673 A Coin Multiplication (Max Mahni)
673 Coin Gimmicks and Various Artifices
673 Coin Holders
673 1. The Kellar Holder
674 2. The New Coin Holder (Al Meiner)
674 New Coin Dropper
674 Paper Clip Holder
675 Fountain Pen
675 Folded Newspaper as a Tray (to Secretly Add Coins)
675 The Wand (A Vanish with Wax)
676 Coin on Thread (A Vanish)
676 Folding Coins
676 To Make One Coin and a Folded Coin Appear as Three Coins
677 Formula for Silver Cement to Fill the Gap
677 The Half Dollar and Ginger Ale Bottle (Harry Blackstone)
678 Impromptu Tricks
678 The Penny and the Dime (Wm. H. McCafErey, S.B. Blodgett)
680 Sleeving Move
680 A Coin Vanish from Between Two Glasses
681 Coin to Pocket (Charles A. Leedy)
681 Dime Under One of Three Cards (Al Baker)
682 The Coin in the Handkerchief
683 The Vanishing Dime
684 Another Vanishing Dime
685 A Trick at the Counter
685 Two Cards and a Coin
685 Tricks With Coins
685 The Dime and the Penny
686 A Date Divination (J.N. Hilliard)
687 Coin Changed to an Alarm Clock
688 A Coin Penetration (Using a Wire Ring)
689 The Sympathetic Coins (with Shell) (Yank Hoe)
690 Coin Through a Handkerchief
690 Invisible Flight of Six Coins
692 Gold and Silver (Expansion of Texture)
693 The Rising Coin (with Thread)
694 The "Perfect' Coins Through Table Trick
697 The Coin and the Chocolate Box (Arthur Sherwood)
699 A Coin Producing Fan
700 The Coin Easel
701 The Miser's Dreain
701 1. Coins from the Shoe
702 2. The Hooked Coin
702 3. A Very Good Method of Holding a Load of Coins is This
703 Three of My Favorite Coin Tricks (T. Nelson Downs)
703 1. Mysterious Date Changing
703 2. Reading the Dates of Coins with the Finger Tips
704 3. A Neat Coin Fold
705 Mr. T.J. Crawford's Section
705 Migratory Coins
708 The Okito Coin Box
710 The Brema Coin Box
712 Using the Sleeves
713 Curious Coins
716 An old One Revisited
717 The Illusive Coin Pass
719 The Downs Coin Star

712 XXIII Cigarettes and Cigars
722 I. Unlighted Cigarettes
722 The Basic Sleights
722 1. The Thumb Grip
724 a. The Passage of a Cigarette Through the Knees
724 b. Showing the Hands Empty with the Thumb Grip
725 c. Production of Cigarettes from the Thumb Grip
726 2. The Pinches
726 First and Second Fingers, Inside Hand
726 First and Second Fingers, Behind Hand
726 First and Third Fingers, Inside Hand
726 First and Third Fingers, Behind Hand
727 3. The Finger Hold
727 4. The Finger Palm
727 A Vanish
728 5. The Tiptilt
728 6. The Vanish, Real and Apparent
729 7. The Push Vanish and Recovery
730 II. Lighted Cigarettes
730 1. "Tongue"-ing a Cigarette
732 2. Switching a Lighted Cigarette for a Dummy
733 3. Production of Five Lighted Cigarettes, Full Size
734 4. Production of a Lighted Cigarette from the Air
735 5. Producing Sparks
735 6. A Routine Using Lighted Cigarettes and Dummies
736 7. A Finale. Production of a Pipe
737 III. Various Gimmicks
737 1. The Dropper
737 2. Tanks for Lighted Cigarettes
738 3. Vest Holder
738 4. The Finger Clip
739 5. Preparation of Load for Production of Several Cigarettes
741 Cigarette Switch (Two Methods)
741 Vanishing a Cigarette with a Pull. Correct Method
742 Another Vanish of a Lighted Cigarette (Using a Thumbtip)
743 Continuous Impromptu Production of Cigarettes (G.W. Hunter)
745 The Growing, Glowing Cigarette
745 The Cigarette Rising from a Package (Glenn Gravatt)
747 Another Method (Impromptu)
747 A Cigarette Rising from a Bottle
748 The Reborn Cigarette (Al Baker)
750 Lighted Cigarette Passed Through Handkerchief
751 The Phantom Cigarette
753 Half a Cigarette
753 Some Impromptu Tricks
753 1. A Cigarette Interlude
754 2. Bending a Cigarette Double
754 3. The Knotted Cigarette
755 The Pantomime Cigarette
756 Cigarettes and Hats (Henry Gordien)
758 The Immortal Cigarette (Sam Berland)
759 Cigarettes Through a Handkerchief (Sam Berland)
760 The L.W. Card in Cigarette (T, Page Wright and Wm. Larsen)
762 Cigars
762 The Levitation of a Cigar
763 Another Levitation
764 With Three Borrowed Cigars
764 The Travelling Cigar Ash]

767 XXIV. Magic of Bills
767 The Torn Bill
768 Switching a Bill I
769 Switching a Bill II
770 Cut and Restored Bill (Wm. H, McCaffrey)
771 The Climbing Bill (Dave Roberts)
771 'The Perfect" Lemon and Bill Trick
774 A Good Wrinkle for Rolling Bills
774 The Bill in the Envelope (Bluey-Bluey)
777 The Five Dollar Bill Trick (Wm. H. McCaffrey)
779 The Short Change with the Long Green (Dai Vernon)
780 Dollar Bill And Tube Trick (Carl Brema)

783 XXV. Magic With Ropes
785 Karl Germaine's Cut and Restored String
786 Tarbell's Cut and Restored Rope with Snap Fasteners
786 Tarbell's Caesar Gimmick
787 The Tarbell Hindu Rope Mystery. Loop Method. Simplified
790 Impromptu Method (U.F. Grant)
792 Mehlon Clayton's Method I II]
793 Henry Gorclien's Method I
794 Stretching a Rope (Melbourne Christopher)
796 Second Method
797 The Slow Motion Restoration (Harry C. Bjorklund)
799 The Climax Rope Trick (Herman Hanson)

803 XXVI. The Chinese Rings
804 A. For Parlor or Club Presentation (Jean Hugard)
810 B. Stage Presentation (Jean Hugard)
814 C. Various Artifices of Modern Invention
814 1. The Large Ring
817 2. The Odin Count
818 3. Mr. Farelli's Variation Using Two Large Rings
820 4. The Small Ring
821 D. Methods of Obtaining the Key Ring Secretly
821 With a Silk
821 With a Japanese Basket
821 On the Back of a Chair
821 J. N. Hilliard's Method
822 Eugene Laurant's Method
822 Charles Waller's Method
822 With a Vest
822 Chung Ling Soo's Method
823 E, The Opening in the Key Ring
823 Bibliography

825 XXVII. Selected Tricks
825 I. Impromptu Tricks
825 The Four Sugar Cubes
825 Tricks with Matches
825 The Travelling Matches
826 A Pretty Match Flourish
827 Divination with Matches
827 The Linking Matches (Two Methods)
828 Striking a Match in the Air
829 The Flying Matches
830 The Jumping Match or Toothpick (Wm. H. McCaffrey)
830 Vanishing Matches
830 The Floating Match
831 The Pencil Fountain (David E. Swift)
832 The Three Cigarette Papers
832 The Butterfly on the Shoe (Yettmah)
832 The Tricky Thimble
833 A Novel Thimble Vanish
834 Three Useful Wrinkles
834 1. With a Matchbox
834 2. To Tear Cellophane
834 3. New Prepared Envelope
835 Tricks with Slates
835 1. To Number the Sides and Have a Message Appear
836 2. The Empty Frame Idea
836 3. Slate Writing Without a Flap (Stewart Judah)
837 The Rolling Golf Ball
838 The Rising and Falling Tube. A Genuine Hindu Trick
839 The New Rice Bowls (Improved by Al Baker)
841 The Original Frank Ducrot Method
842 Chung Ling Soo's Addition
842 The New Die and Hat Trick (Petrie, Lewis)
843 Glass Through Glass (Edward Massey)
845 The Penetrable Glass (Penetration Frame) (Ludwig Krug)
846 The Hindu Thread Trick
847 The Chinese Prayer Vase (Routine by Don White)
850 The Porous Broomstick
851 The Flying Ring I
853 The Flying Ring II
854 The New Vanishing Glass ("Squash") (Percy Abbott)
856 The Wooden Block Divination Trick
856 The Divination Candles
857 A Compact Divination Trick (Henry Gordien)
858 The Salt Trick (Henry Gordien)
860 The Afghan Bands (James Wobensmith)
861 Evolution of the Afghan Bands (Ellis Stanyon)
863 The Miracle Torn and Restored Paper (Ellis Stanyon)
865 The Sands of the Desert
866 Eugene Laurant's Method of Preparation
867 Charles Bertram's Method
868 Wax Paper Method
868 Veterinary Capsule Method
869 Fu Manchu's Presentation
869 Harlan Tarbell's Presentation
871 Piff, Paff, Pouf.! The Magic Safety Pins (Don White)
873 Tricks of the Trade
873 Magician's Wax
873 Elastic
873 Flesh Color Paint
873 A Novel Pull
873 A Useful Pull
873 Hand Levitation
874 Flash Paper
874 Thread or Line
874 Bent Tube for Thread
874 Beer
874 Ropes
874 Egg Stains
874 Grease Spots
875 Silk Stains
875 Pulls
875 Candle Shells
875 Velvet
875 Colored Fluids
875 Gold Paint
875 Plush Goods
875 Feather Flowers
875 A Practical Flashpot (Roy Chapman)
876 Inflating Balloons for Production (Caryl S. Fleming)
877 The Spirit Grip (Eugene Bernstein)

881 XXVIII. Mind Reading
881 Diabolo Pellet Reading (Ted Annemann)
883 The One Ahead System
884 Modern Mind Reading (Wm. Hewitt)
885 The Telephone Book Test (John Mulholland)
887 The Dictionary Trick (J.N. Hilliard)
889 The Sealed Message (Sid Lorraine)
890 The Magic Blotter (Sid Lorraine)
891 Geomancy (Wm. H. McCaffrey)
893 Divination with Marbles (C.W. Jones)
895 The Three Pellet Trick (Ted Annemann)
896 Magic Addition (Wm. H. McCaffrey)
897 Mind Reading at a Distance (Frank Lane)
898 The Best Impromptu Mind Reading Trick
900 Mind Reading w@th the Finger Tips (Bert Allerton)
902 Mnemonics with Cards (H. Adrian Smith)
903 An Outline of the System
903 The Table of Fixed Ideas (Letters)
904 The Table of Fixed Ideas (Words)
904 The Card List
905 Association of Ideas
906 Memorizing a Shuffled Pack
906 A Unique Mental Problem (H. Adrian Smith)
907 Memorizing a List of Objects
908 A Method for a Set-Up Deck

911 XXIX. Magic Squares (Royal V. Heath)
911 The Basics of Magic Squares
911 The Three Square
912 The Five Square
912 Odd and Even Cell Squares
914 The Eight Square
914 The Six Square
915 Fun With Magic Squares
916 Transposing Magic Squares
920 The Birthday Magic Square Trick
921 An Historical Magic Square
922 Segregation of the Odd and Even Numbers Routine
923 A Mathematical Magic Square
924 An Interesting Curiosity

927 XXX Old and New Apparatus
927 The Charles H. Larson Collection
927 The Vanishing Cannon Ball
928 A Magic Periscope
928 The Magic Kettle
929 The Silks Stand
929 The Mysterious Disc
930 The Mysterious Case I
930 The Inexhaustible Barrel
930 Cord and Books
931 The Ivory Card Blocks
931 The Hut of Madagascar
831 The Umbrella Table
931 Pack of Cards Changed to Silk
932 The Latest Block and Cord
932 Silk Production Balls
932 Silk Production
933 The Card Table
933 Latest Mirror Glass
934 The Cigarette Candle
934 The Penetration of Matter
934 Other Collections

935 XXXI. Stage Presentation
936 Stage Presentation (Fu Manchu)
936 Stage Entrance
937 Settings
937 The Opening Illusion
938 The Follow On
939 Patter
940 Balance
944 Assistants
944 Audience Work
945 Routining
946 Apparatus
946 Working to Magicians
947 The Climax
948 Resume

949 XXXII. Stage Tricks and Illusions
949 The Tum-Over Box (Jack Gwynne)
950 The Floating Ball (Okito, W.J. Nixon)
953 The Vanishing Cane (Russ Walsh)
954 The Vanishing Lamp (Silent Mora)
955 The Sword Box
956 The New Sword Cabinet
957 The Head Pincushion (U.F. Grant)
958 The Doll's House (Frederick Culpitt)
960 Where Do the Ducks Go? (W.J. Nixon)
961 Burning a Woman Alive (Cremation)
963 Find the Lady (Amac)
966 The Chinese Chopper (Lester Lake, Percy Abbott)
968 Shooting an Arrow and Rope Through a Woman (C.L. Soo)
971 Walking Through a Ribbon
973 Creo (Herr Boelke)
975 The Ghost (David Devant)
976 Transmogrification (Charles Waller)
978 A Feat of Strength
978 Sawing a Woman in Half (Torrini)
980 A. P.T. Selbit's Version
982 B. Horace Goldin's Version
986 C. Method Using One Girl
988 D. A Living Miracle (The Circular Saw Method)
988 Fu Manchu's Pendulum
989 The Headless Woman
991 And At The End
993 Index
1005 Finis

[Web Gehring]

thats crazy long..........

[MofoMojo]

Harold,

Excellent answer and that makes complete sense. I don't even think Greater Magic is easily found now, although a 1994 print was made. I'm in a small bid to get a 1945 copy of the book right now. Thanks so much for your answer.

-MM

[Misjief]

Mofo-

I am not sure why but I seem to be in a great area for thrifts stores -
I have about 8 in my area - although 2 are not really worth a damn - the others do alright by me!

***

John Northern Hilliard's Greater Magic? Never heard of it but after what Harold has to say I really really want it. Doubt I will ever see it at the thrift store. LOL

***

Holy Cow! Even the newer edition is a collectible! They want over a $100 bucks for it! Yipe. Looks like a great read though!

-misj-

[MofoMojo]

Yes, at over 1000 pages it's got a laundry list of effects and nearly half the book is on card magic which is my primary interest... that and it caters to my obsessive need to have classics.

We'll see whether I got sniped for the '45 edition or not. I should have put a watch on it and tried to snap it up toward the end of the auction rather than stupidly bidding on it 2 days before it was up.

-MM

[Jesse_Owen]

GREATER MAGIC BY JOHN NORTHERN HILLIARD 1945 - eBay (item 250643433591 end time Jun-08-10 1835 PDT)

Someone buy this now!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[haroldross]

I wonder what the final bidding will be on the book? They are not easy to come by in any condition. If the seller only knew what a treasure he had...

[MofoMojo]

Yeah, I WAS the last bidder. I shoulda kept my mouth shut. aaargh....

[Misjief]

I'm broke! I hope you get it!

-misj-

[MofoMojo]

Hey Misj,

Bringing up an old subject, but nabbed a 1938 copy recently. Not in the best of condition, but the pages should be in tact (hopefully). Decent price too. Expect to have it in my hands in a week or so.

-MM

[haroldross]

My copy is the seventh edition copyright 1938, 1942, and 1945. That would make it printed in 1945. If the copyright is 1938, it could be a first edition. A treasure indeed.

A great book.