Written with Peter Lamont
This 2018 book, published by Tarcher Perigee, provides a comprehensive and fascinating history of magic, by looking at how magicians did it, why magicians did it, and how magic has survived through the centuries. In the process, a number of the popular myths about magicians are analyzed and re-evaluated, including the ties to witchcraft and Robert-Houdin’s innovative performance in Algeria. According to John McLaughlin, former Acting Director of the CIA, “This magnificent history of magic goes beyond all others in marrying the evolution of that ancient art to the evolution of science, technology, philosophy and myth. It shows how magic has mirrored all of these, yet stayed a step ahead in its capacity to inspire wonder.” The Washington Post wrote, “Showbusiness wizardry from the Renaissance to the 20th century … this fine book is as much a philosophical apologia as it is a history.” 350 pages, hardbound.
