The Glorious Deception

Jim’s 2005 book is a full biography of the remarkable American performer, William Robinson, who became famous by creating the illusion that he was a Chinese magician, Chung Ling Soo. The biography is a fascinating backstage view of magic: the personalities, intrigues, illusions and daring challenges that brought magic to the public in the early years of the Twentieth Century. The story ends with an explosive climax, with Chung Ling Soo’s dramatic death onstage, during his performance of the Bullet Catching Trick. The hardcover edition is now almost impossible to find, but we have some available. 430 pages.