The Master Magicians - Walter Gibson - Brother Shadow Estate

If you have ever wondered how to vanish an elephant, how to conjure a rose bush from an empty pot, how to escape from a sealed coffin, or how to levitate a lady, then you will find The Master Magicians fascinating reading.

Here is a history of modern wizardry told through the improbable lives of the world's greatest magicians - from Robert Houdin, who freed magic from the trappings of the charlatan, to Houdini, perhaps the most skillful escape artist ever. Here, too, are clear and detailed explanations of how these men performed tricks that baffled hundreds of thousands of observers - the sleights-of-hand that were faster than the eye, the subtle feats of misdirection, and such spectacular effects as the "Bullet Catching" illusion, which ended the career of more than one conjurer.

What makes magic compelling to so many is the air of mystery the best performers are able to evoke. Walter Gibson, a master of magic and its history in his own right, reveals much of what creates this mystery without ever breaking the spell.

Illustrated with 48 pages of photographs, period drawings, posters, showbills, and other memorabilia.