Mulholland, John: Mulholland's Book of Magic
©1963 Charles Scribner's Sons;
Paper, Perfect-bound, 329 pages
©1963 Charles Scribner's Sons;
Hardcover, 329 pages
©2001 republished Dover Publications
Paper, Perfect-bound, 344 pages
ISBN: 0486417727

Comments (Dover Publications): Mulholland provides illustrated instructions for mastering scores of magical feats: card tricks relying on an easy memory device, extemporaneous tricks such as making a coin vanish and then reappear in a bread roll, tricks for entertaining youngsters, magical thought transference, and other exploits of mystifying wizardry.

This Dover edition, first published in 2001, is an unabridged, unaltered republication of the work originally published in 1963 by Charles Scribner's Sons, New York.

Contents: (descriptions from the book's original table of contents)

1 Chapter 1 Magic And The Magician: What Magic Is, Why It Works, And The General Principles A Magician Has To Follow

10 Chapter 2 Sundry Mysteries: extemporaneous magic with borrowed objects
10 The Freely Selected Card: two methods of finding, and four ways of disclosing, the chosen card
17 Rings And Strings: instantaneous release of several finger rings tied with cords
21 Magic Spelling: three ways of showing that playing card can spell
24 Card Automation: knowing which card was chosen, while seemingly doing nothing
29 Coins, Paper Napkins, And Olives: Coins disappear, torn paper napkins become whole, and olives change to lumps of sugar - all by the means of this single, simple trick

37 Chapter 3 Tricky Tricks: Impromptu feats which stress laughs and surprise rather than mystery, many presented as challenges
37 Camel And The Needle's Eyes: Ways to prove holes in paper are larger than they appear
41 41¢ And A Bottle: The magician alone can remove the paper from under the stack of coins
42 Falling Down: Making a piece of paper fall at the same speed as a coin
43 The Submarine Coin: Only the magician fails to get wet
44 The Friendly Cards: A card trick in which the spectator does everything
45 Speed Contest: Under the rules, only a magician can tear paper into thirds
46 Liquid Smoke: Changing the quality of smoke
48 The Jumping Arrows: Lines drawn on a card annoyingly move around
51 The Little Indian: A handkerchief is sculpted into an Indian head
54 On The Mark: The magician's aim is more accurate at dropping cards
56 Perfume - Odor: Prophecy by the sense of smell

58 Chapter 4 Seemingly Extemporaneous Magic: The spectators never know, but these effects require some prior preparation
58 The Bread Winner: A coin vanishes and reappears inside a roll
60 Money No Object: A dollar bill causes a quarter to make an invisible trip
62 Hot Money: Fire causes a coin to pierce a plate
66 Some Snap: A rubber band shows life as well as elasticity
69 Kikeri, Kikeri, Ki: A sex detector
71 Arches, Loops And Whorls: Invisible fingerprints identify the owner's business card
74 Wood Or Metal?: It is wood through metal, or metal through wood?
76 The Spooky Key: A key turns of its own volition
77 The Pirate And The Strongbox: The spectators always choose the wrong keys

80 Chapter 5 The Hungry Jackass: A method, depending on an easy memory device, by which the magician can perform a wide variety of amazing feats with playing cards
82 To Know Which Card Has Been Selected
83 To Know By Sound Which Card Is Missing From The Deck
83 To Know How Many Cards Are Taken From The Deck
84 The Fortune Telling Card: The deck discloses the selected cards
85 A Correct Prophecy: The magician writes the name of the card to be chosen
87 Dealing The Winning Hand: In either Bridge Or Poker, the magician holds the best cards
88 By Number: How to know the numerical location, in the deck, of any card
89 Shuffling The deck and a trick in connection therewith: the trick which makes the others seem impossible

92 Chapter 6 Further Mysteries: Astounding tricks needing some preparation and several also requiring simple pieces of equipment
92 Matches On Parade: Paper matches are made to march
94 Return Fire: Burnt matches after disappearing and reappearing can again be lighted
98 Scientist's Dollar Dinner: A food tablet and a dollar bill mysteriously change places
103 String For A Parcel: Making two pieces of string into one long piece
107 By The Sense Of Touch: Without looking, the magician finds in the deck the three selected cards
110 Beelzebub's Letter: A letter mailed yesterday contains a coin borrowed today
115 The Flight Of A Coin: A quarter disappears in flame and reappears inside an hermetically sealed package

121 Chapter 7 Exceptional Magic: Tricks of striking effects depending upon equipment easy to make
121 Boy And Box Of Candy: The magical peregrinations of a box of candy make a delightful mystery
131 Magic Dye: The magician colors silk handkerchiefs for a skeptic audience
137 Another Century: A silk handkerchief disappears and ties itself between two other silks
145 Obedient Colors: Painted wooden blocks mysteriously rearrange themselves in a pattern chosen by a spectator
156 Bottomless Boxes: Where nothing is, nor could be, the magician discovers gifts for the audience

162 Chapter 8 Especially For Children: Magic conforming to the more exacting requirements of the reasoning of childhood
162 Ball, Paper And Nothing: Obeying helpful signs, these objects change places
171 Traveling On A Wish: A small image makes a magical journey to enact a tale of ancient India
178 Coin And Cord: A Coin, After disappearing, penetrates a bag, a ball of cord and a box
183 Flying Silk: A handkerchief travels invisibly
185 Strawberry Milk: Plain milk changes by plucking the fruit off printed cloth
188 The Elusive Block: A solid block of wood first escapes from restraint, then disappears and reappears

200 Chapter 9 More Exceptional Magic: Truly miraculous effects based on the use of ingenious equipment, which can be made in a home workshop
200 Ho Chang: A brass idol incredibly disappears from the hands of the magician and reappears inside a box which had proven to be empty
214 The Astronaut Cards: Selected cards mysteriously rise from a shuffled deck
221 The Sheikh's Ring: A finger ring escapes from knots in a string, travels invisibly and reties itself to a fishline
227 Flowers - With Thanks: A borrowed ring becomes lost, only to be found again in a gift box containing a corsage
237 A Card and Cigarettes: A selected card mysteriously finds its way into a closed cigarette case, held by a spectator

242 Chapter 10 Beyond the Five Senses: Demonstrations which apparently are the result of super mental powers
242 The Clever Poltergeist: A mischievous ghost rattles a spoon to answer questions correctly
252 Chromatic Vibrations: Sensitivity to color and thought transference are combined to reveal the name of one country of the world
257 10,000 to 1: Numbers selected by one person are identical with those another finds by chance in a telephone directory
266 ESP: Magic takes the uncertainty out of extra sensory perception
272 Sight Unseen: Sorting ESP cards while blindfolded

274 Chapter 11 Magical Thought Transference: A system whereby the magician can communicate secretly to his assistant descriptions of playing cards, money, jewelry, and those miscellaneous articles a man has in his pockets and a woman carries in her handbag
274 Mind Signals

287 Chapter 12 Tricks Unlimited: A variety of completely different magic, some of which depends upon combinations or changes of tricks described in previous pages and other entirely new
287 Platform Versions of Two Small Tricks
288 Two Variations for the Jumping Arrows
289 An Addition To Kikeri Kikeri Ki
289 Three Tricks With Cigars
290 ESP Easel Used For A Trick For Men
291 ESP Easel Used For A Trick For Children
292 The Cigarette Case Used With A Prediction
293 Two Additional Tricks With The Case
294 A Trick With Cards And Pennies
297 A Trick With Dollar Bills
301 A Trick With Words
305 A Card Trick Depending Only On Sight
306 A Trick With A Business Card
308 Three Tricks Based On Science

312 Chapter 13 Concluding Secrets: Useful information for a magician; such as how to practice; what magic to show when, where and for whom; how to avoid errors and control stage fright; and further notes on properties, patter and people




The Definitive Manual By The World-Famouse Authority On Modern Magic