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Difference between revisions of "Lorraine's list of best books"

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'''[[Sid Lorraine]]'s list of best books''' was published in his column "Sid Lorraine's Chatter" in [[Tops]] for June 1939 in response to a question posed to him in a letter.
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'''[[Sid Lorraine]]'s list of best books''' was published in his column "Sid Lorraine's Chatter" in [[Tops]] for June 1939 in response to a question posed to him in a letter. Lorraine was asked "for a list of what I consider the best twenty books published prior to 1920, and a list of twenty such books published since that date. The works to cover magic generally as to history, manipulation, etc."
  
Books published prior to 1920 (not including magazines):
+
==Books published prior to 1920==
* [[The Old and the New Magic]] - [[Henry R. Evans]]
+
# ''[[The Old and the New Magic]]'' - [[Henry R. Evans]] (1906)
* [[Our Magic]] - [[Jasper Maskelyne]] and [[David Devant]]
+
# ''[[Our Magic]]'' - [[Jasper Maskelyne]] and [[David Devant]] (1911)
* [[Art of Magic]] - [[T. Nelson Downs]] & [[Hilliard]]
+
# ''[[Art of Magic]]'' - [[T. Nelson Downs]] & [[Hilliard]] (1909)
* [[The Expert at the Card Table]] - [[Erdnase]]
+
# ''[[The Expert at the Card Table]]'' - [[Erdnase]] (1902)
* [[Modern Magic]] - [[Professor Hoffmann]]
+
# ''[[Modern Magic]]'' - [[Professor Hoffmann]] (1876)
* [[Sleight of Hand]] - [[Edwin Sachs]]
+
# ''[[Sleight of Hand]]'' - [[Edwin Sachs]] (1877)
* [[Magicians' Tricks, How They Are Done]] - [[Henry Hatton]] & [[Adrian Plate]]
+
# ''[[Magicians' Tricks, How They Are Done]]'' - [[Henry Hatton]] & [[Adrian Plate]] (1910)
* [[Expert Billiard Ball Manipulation, Part 1 & 2]] - [[Burling Hull]]
+
# ''[[Expert Billiard Ball Manipulation, Part 1 & 2]]'' - [[Burling Hull]] (1910)
* [[The Modern Conjurer]] - [[C. Lang Neil]]
+
# ''[[The Modern Conjurer]]'' - [[C. Lang Neil]] (1902)
* [[Original Magical Creations]] - [[Stanley Collins]]
+
# ''[[Original Magical Creations]]'' - [[Stanley Collins]] (1915)
* [[Original Mysteries for Magicians]] - [[Brunel White]]
+
# ''[[Original Mysteries for Magicians]]'' - [[Brunel White]] (1918)
* [[The Magical Entertainer]] - [[P. T. Selbit]]
+
# ''[[The Magical Entertainer]]'' - [[P. T. Selbit]] (1906)
* [[Problems in Mystery]] - [[Max Sterling]]
+
# ''[[Problems in Mystery]]'' - [[Max Sterling]] (1909)
* [[Magical Originalities]] - [[Ernest E. Noakes]]
+
# ''[[Magical Originalities]]'' - [[Ernest E. Noakes]] (1914)
* [[Modern Coin Manipulation]] - [[T. Nelson Downs]]
+
# ''[[Modern Coin Manipulation]]'' - [[T. Nelson Downs]] (1900)
* [[Secrets of Conjuring and Magic]] - [[Jean Eugène Robert-Houdin]]
+
# ''[[Secrets of Conjuring and Magic]]'' - [[Jean Eugène Robert-Houdin]] (1878)
  
 +
Lorraine added, "Not quite twenty but that's all I can think of. There are such books as [[David Abbott|Abbott]]'s ''[[Behind the Scenes With the Mediums]]'' and the complete file of ''[[Stanyon's Magic]]'' but I am listing strictly magical works and not including magazines."
  
Books published after 1920:
+
==Books published after 1920==
* [[Quicker than the Eye]] - John Mulholland
+
Lorraine started, "No magazines; mental, spiritualistic or ventirloquial books included ... not because I don't value these, but you asked for strictly magical books ... For that reason, I won't include the ''[[Annals of Conjuring]]'' which appeared in the ''[[Magic Wand Quarterly]]'' and should be in book form."
* [[The Story of Magic]] - John Mulholland
+
# ''[[Quicker than the Eye]]'' - [[John Mulholland]] (1932)
* [[Magical Masterpieces]] - Louis Nikola
+
# ''[[The Story of Magic]]'' - John Mulholland (1935)
* [[The Nikola Card System]] - Louis Nikola
+
# ''[[Magical Masterpieces]]'' - [[Louis Nikola]] (1934)
* [[Encyclopedia of Cigarette Tricks]] - Keith Clark
+
# ''[[The Nikola Card System]]'' - Louis Nikola (1927)
* [[Greater Magic]] - John Northern Hilliard
+
# ''[[Encyclopedia of Cigarette Tricks]]'' - [[Keith Clark]] (1937)
* [[The World's Cut and Restored Rope Tricks]] - Burling Hull
+
# ''[[Greater Magic]]'' - [[John Northern Hilliard]] (1938)
* [[Manipulative Series]] - Laurie Ireland
+
# ''[[The World's Cut and Restored Rope Tricks]]'' - [[Burling Hull]] (1927)
* [[Card Manipulations No. 1]] - [[Card Manipulations No. 5]] - Jean Hugard
+
# ''[[Manipulative Series]]'' - [[Laurie Ireland]] (1937)
* [[The Three Shell Game]] - Tom Osborne
+
# ''[[Card Manipulations No. 1]]'' - ''[[Card Manipulations No. 5]]'' - [[Jean Hugard]] (1933-36)
* [[Al Baker's Book]] - Al Baker
+
# ''[[The Three Shell Game]]'' - [[Tom Osborne]] (1938)
* [[Magic and Stagecraft]] - Guy Jarrett
+
# ''[[Al Baker's Book]]'' - [[Al Baker]] (1933)
* [[And a Pack of Cards]] - Jack Merlin
+
# ''[[Magic and Stagecraft]]'' - [[Guy Jarrett]] (1936)
* [[Popular Card Tricks]] - Walter Gibson
+
# ''[[And a Pack of Cards]]'' - [[Jack Merlin]] (1927)
* [[Advanced Lessons in Cups and Balls]] - Eddie Joseph
+
# ''[[Popular Card Tricks]]'' - [[Walter Gibson]] (1928)
* [[Mathemagic]] - Royal Heath
+
# ''[[Advanced Lessons in Cups and Balls]]'' - [[Eddie Joseph]] (1938)
* [[Thimble Magic]] - Jean Hugard
+
# ''[[Mathemagic]]'' - [[Royal Heath]] (1933)
* [[202 Methods of Forcing]] - Ted Annemann
+
# ''[[Thimble Magic]]'' - [[Jean Hugard]] (1936)
* [[Magic of the Hands]] - Edward Victor
+
# ''[[202 Methods of Forcing]]'' - [[Ted Annemann]] (1932)
 +
# ''[[Magic of the Hands]]'' - [[Edward Victor]] (1937)
  
 +
Lorraine added, "For the twentieth book, I would pick any [[Charles Waller|Waller]] publication or any one of the excellent [[Percy Naldrett|Naldrett]] series. The ''[[Tarbell Course]]'' should be included in your collection, but I don't consider this a book ... it is practically a library in itself. There are, I'll admit, many excellent books left out of this list, but as you've limited me to twenty, my own peculiar magical taste is thus represented."
  
 
[[Category:Classic Books]]
 
[[Category:Classic Books]]

Latest revision as of 13:10, 4 June 2016

Sid Lorraine's list of best books was published in his column "Sid Lorraine's Chatter" in Tops for June 1939 in response to a question posed to him in a letter. Lorraine was asked "for a list of what I consider the best twenty books published prior to 1920, and a list of twenty such books published since that date. The works to cover magic generally as to history, manipulation, etc."

Books published prior to 1920

  1. The Old and the New Magic - Henry R. Evans (1906)
  2. Our Magic - Jasper Maskelyne and David Devant (1911)
  3. Art of Magic - T. Nelson Downs & Hilliard (1909)
  4. The Expert at the Card Table - Erdnase (1902)
  5. Modern Magic - Professor Hoffmann (1876)
  6. Sleight of Hand - Edwin Sachs (1877)
  7. Magicians' Tricks, How They Are Done - Henry Hatton & Adrian Plate (1910)
  8. Expert Billiard Ball Manipulation, Part 1 & 2 - Burling Hull (1910)
  9. The Modern Conjurer - C. Lang Neil (1902)
  10. Original Magical Creations - Stanley Collins (1915)
  11. Original Mysteries for Magicians - Brunel White (1918)
  12. The Magical Entertainer - P. T. Selbit (1906)
  13. Problems in Mystery - Max Sterling (1909)
  14. Magical Originalities - Ernest E. Noakes (1914)
  15. Modern Coin Manipulation - T. Nelson Downs (1900)
  16. Secrets of Conjuring and Magic - Jean Eugène Robert-Houdin (1878)

Lorraine added, "Not quite twenty but that's all I can think of. There are such books as Abbott's Behind the Scenes With the Mediums and the complete file of Stanyon's Magic but I am listing strictly magical works and not including magazines."

Books published after 1920

Lorraine started, "No magazines; mental, spiritualistic or ventirloquial books included ... not because I don't value these, but you asked for strictly magical books ... For that reason, I won't include the Annals of Conjuring which appeared in the Magic Wand Quarterly and should be in book form."

  1. Quicker than the Eye - John Mulholland (1932)
  2. The Story of Magic - John Mulholland (1935)
  3. Magical Masterpieces - Louis Nikola (1934)
  4. The Nikola Card System - Louis Nikola (1927)
  5. Encyclopedia of Cigarette Tricks - Keith Clark (1937)
  6. Greater Magic - John Northern Hilliard (1938)
  7. The World's Cut and Restored Rope Tricks - Burling Hull (1927)
  8. Manipulative Series - Laurie Ireland (1937)
  9. Card Manipulations No. 1 - Card Manipulations No. 5 - Jean Hugard (1933-36)
  10. The Three Shell Game - Tom Osborne (1938)
  11. Al Baker's Book - Al Baker (1933)
  12. Magic and Stagecraft - Guy Jarrett (1936)
  13. And a Pack of Cards - Jack Merlin (1927)
  14. Popular Card Tricks - Walter Gibson (1928)
  15. Advanced Lessons in Cups and Balls - Eddie Joseph (1938)
  16. Mathemagic - Royal Heath (1933)
  17. Thimble Magic - Jean Hugard (1936)
  18. 202 Methods of Forcing - Ted Annemann (1932)
  19. Magic of the Hands - Edward Victor (1937)

Lorraine added, "For the twentieth book, I would pick any Waller publication or any one of the excellent Naldrett series. The Tarbell Course should be included in your collection, but I don't consider this a book ... it is practically a library in itself. There are, I'll admit, many excellent books left out of this list, but as you've limited me to twenty, my own peculiar magical taste is thus represented."