Booth, John: Extending Magic Beyond Credibility
Introduction by Silvan of Rome; Design & Composition by Andrew J. Pinard
©2001 by L & L Publishing
Hardcover, 272 Pages
Autographed by Andrew J. Pinard (Who did the Design & Composition)
Contents
xi Foreword by Silvan of Rome
xiii Preface
5 Wake-up Magic!
5 Magic that Jolts Audiences: Richiardi, Jr.
13 Kevin James: Master of Shock Magic
21 Todd Robbins: The Sideshow World
29 Sylvester the Jester: The Self-Mayhem Principle
39 Harry Houdini and Max Malini
39 Revelations About “Houdini’s Hollywood Estate”
47 Malini and His Violin
61 Four Brief Pieces to Ponder or Enjoy
61 Aloha: Final Tribute to Dai Vernon
65 Do Morality or Ideology Affect Art in Magic?
69 That FATAL Signet Ring: A Short, Short Story
73 Book Reviews: The Achilles Heel of Magazines
79 Reflection 1: Desiderata
80 Reflection 2
83 Brilliant Magic with Beautiful Birds
83 Centuries of Development Unfolded
103 A Star Among Stars
103 Thurston: A Truly Great Magician
113 Magic’s Most Famous Waltz: The Zenda
121 Memorable Music for Master Magicians
129 Averting Catastrophe: Magic and Politics
129 The Legendary Robert-Houdin Light and Heavy Chest Examined
149 Fascinating Opportunities in Ventriloquism
149 Ventriloquial Stunts: From Pactolus to Today
159 The Illusion of Voice Throwing
165 Dolls that Smoke: Bodiless Heads that Talk
171 New Era Ventriloquism: The Hamills
181 The Puppetry Branch of Wizardry
181 Puppetry Across the Spectrum
187 The Duck that Made John Salisse Famous
191 His Left Hand is His Fortune
201 Automata
201 Machines that “Think” and Perform Like Humans and Birds
211 The Great Indian Rope Trick
211 Where, When and How the Reports Began
219 My Experiences in India and Tibet Searching for A Rope Miracle
233 Illusionists Who Have Attempted to do it
241 The Last Word: Myth or Reality?
249 Bibliography and Recommended Reading
251 About The Author
His thirteenth (and possibly best) book on magic, looks back on his more than 70 years of experience with the conjuring arts and considers some of its most enduring mysteries, intriguing questions and fascinating personalities.
From legendary effects such as Robert-Houdins Light & Heavy Chest and the Indian Rope Trick to the origins of dove magic, ventriloquism and automata, Extending Magic Beyond Credibility has the famous Booth blend of secrets, biography, philosophy and romantic history.
Whether youre a student of magic history or simply one fascinated with the art and its many facets, youll find Extending Magic Beyond Credibility is more than just a book of magic history. Its a captivating read youll find difficult to put down, written by a man who not only knows his subject...but who lived it as well.
| Edition |
Fourth Printing |
| Extras |
Autographed |
| No. of Pages |
257 |
|
| Read It |
Yes |
| Location |
Magic Library (Home) Shelf C |
| Condition |
Mint |
| Owner |
Bryan-Keith Taylor |
|
|
John Booth
Born John Nicholls Booth
August 7, 1912
Meadville, Pennsylvania
Died November 11, 2009
John Booth (1912 - 2009) was born John Nicholls Booth and became a successful nightclub magician before leaving magic in 1940 to pursue a career as a Unitarian minister.
A prolific author, he penned hundreds of articles on magic for Linking Ring, Sphinx, Genii and Magicol, as well as publishing Canada's magic magazine, Canadian Magician's Digest in 1929. In 1931, he organized Canada's first magic convention. In 1938 he also worked as "Jancini".
Booth eventually incorporated magic into his lectures and conducted the funeral service for Eugene Laurant. He was a world traveler and had climbed the Himalayas.
Booth was the author of the longest running column in Linking Ring Magazine of magic history called "Memoirs of a Magician's Ghost" which started in May 1963 and didn't conclude until January 2000 (435 monthly installments). The first 25 years of these writings were indexed by Ben Robinson and Amy Janiello and published as a book under the same title "Memoirs of a Magician's Ghost" (1988)
Awards
•1937 Sphinx Award
•1977 Academy of Magical Arts Literary Fellowship.
•1983 SAM Hall of Fame.
•1985 and 1988 H. Adrian Smith Literary Award
•1987 Magic Circle "John Nevil Maskelyne Prize".
•2000 Honorary Life Membership to the IBM
Books
•Super Magical Miracles (1930)
•Forging Ahead in Magic (1939)
•Marvels of Mystery (1941)
•The John Booth Classics (1975) a reprint of the two previous books plus "A Conjurer's Reminiscences"
•Psychic Paradoxes (1984)
•Wonders of Magic (1986)
•Dramatic Magic (1988)
•Creative World of Conjuring (1990)
•Conjurian's Discoveries (1992)
•The Fine Art of Hocus Pocus (1996)
•Keys To Magic's Inner World (1999)
•Extending Magic Beyond Credibility (2001)
