Peter provided virtually all of the tricks for the book based on his vast knowledge of magic (and magicians). As a teenager he had founded a magic club and spent his spare time doing magic since. He taught me (Paul) magic, which I’d never done before, so I could join in in the Computer Science Magic Shows doing magic rather than just explaining linked computing as was the original idea. He was constantly showing me some new (to me) trick (though not always how they worked), at the end of the day before we went home. He recommended a few books on self-working tricks to me, but never hinted at the vast library he had collected.

He first started doing magic and collecting magic books as a teenager. His family kindly passed his magic library on to me when he died. I had absolutely no idea he had so many. So far I have only managed to dip into a small number. He obviously used them actively – I’ve found, for example, bookmarks and paper-clipped paper props in some where he had obviously been practicing the tricks. I am going to try to catalogue them all here both for the record and as they provide a wide variety of further reading for anyone who wants to find out more about Magic. Once I’ve listed them all, I will start to organise them more and eventually add commentary on them to try and make it more useful than just a list.

The first books he recommended I read were those by Karl Fulves on self-working tricks and I fully recommend them as a good place to start. When I started (as a lecturer) in the showmanship side of making tricks work, and to draw links between magic and interaction design and user experience, he recommended Henning Nelms’ book on showmanship.

Self Working-tricks

Self-working Card Tricks: 72 foolproof card miracles for the amateur magician, Karl Fulves, Dover.

Self-working Table Magic: 97 foolproof tricks with everyday objects, Karl Fulves, Dover.

Self-working Mental Magic: 67 foolproof mind-readingtricks, Karl Fulves, Dover.

Self-working Number Magic: 101 foolproof tricks, Karl Fulves, Dover.

Jim Steinmeyer’s Impuzzibilities: strangely self-working conjuring, Jim Steinmeyer, Hahne.

Jim Steinmeyer’s Further Impuzzibilities: Still more strangely self-working conjuring, Jim Steinmeyer, Hahne.

Jim Steinmeyer’s Ensuing Impuzzibilities: yet another collection of strangely self-working conjuring, Jim Steinmeyer, Hahne.

Jim Steinmeyer’s Subsequent Impuzzibilities: another collection of strangely self-working conjuring, Jim Steinmeyer, Hahne.

Jim Steinmeyer’s Devilish Impuzzibilities: even more strangely self-working conjuring, Jim Steinmeyer, Hahne.

Jim Steinmeyer’s Treacherous Impuzzibilities: the latest collection of strangely self-working conjuring, Jim Steinmeyer, Hahne.

Automata: Self-working miracles with a sense of humanity!, R Shane, Leaping Lizards Magic.

Phone / Radio Magic

Verbal Magic, Juan Tamariz and Gema Navarro, Translated by Rafael Benetar, Hermetic Press. 2008

Magic by phone, Deej Johnson, Magico. 2010.

Mentalism

The Artful Mentalism of Bob Cassidy, H&R Magic Books.

Prism: The colour series of mentalism, Max Maven, Hermetic Press.

Mentalism, Incorporated: a guide to performing mentalism for corporate audiences. Chuck Hickok, Development Productions Press.

13 Steps to mentalism, Tony Corinda, Robinns Publications.

Practical Mental Magic, Theodore Annemann. Dover.

Larry Becker’s World of Super Mentalism, Larry Becker. Robbins Publications. 1978.

The Abbott Magic Collection Volume 5: Mentalism, Produced by Greg Bordner, The Abbott Magic Company.

Psychological Subtleties 1. Banachek. 3rd Ed. Magic Inspirations. 2010.

SAD (Simple And Direct) Mentalism, Looch, Alkazam Magic.

Rope Tricks

Abbott’s Encyclopedia of Rope Tricks for Magicians, Compiled by Stewart James. Dover.

Self-working Rope Magic: 70 Foolproof Tricks, Karl Fulves, Dover.

The award winning rope magic of Francis Tabary, Francis Tabary, Edited by Jean-Pierre Hornecker, Daryl, Micchael Maxwell, A-1 Magicalmedia.

Con Tricks and the Psychology of fooling people

John Fisher’s Magical Hoaxes, John Fisher, Knight Books.

How to Cheat at Everything, Simon Lovell, Running Press.

Sleights of mind: what the neuroscience of magic reveals about our brains. Stephen Macknik and Susana Martinez-Conde with Sandra Blakeslee. Profile Books. 2011.

Close-up Magic

Close-up magic for beginners, Harry Baron, Kaye Ward

Close-up magic for the night club magician, Jean Hugard, Wildside Press.

Close-up File, Jerry Mentzer, Magic Methods. (Close up magic without playing cards)

Martin Gardner’s Table Magic, Martin Gardner, Dover

Close-up magic secrets, Diamond Jim Tyler, Dover.

Mathematical Magic and Diversions

Mathematical Carnival, Martin Gardner, Knopf. 1975.

Mathematical Magic, William Simon, Dover.

Hexaflaxagons, Probability, Paradoxes and the Tower of Hanoi, Martin Gardner, Cambridge.

Mathematical Puzzles of Sam Loyd, Selected and Edited by Martin Gardner

Mathemagic: Magic, Puzzles, Games with Numbers, Royal Vale Heath, Dover

Mathematics, Magic and Mystery, Martin Gardner, Dover.

Mathcasts Aspellonu, Howard Adams. H&R Magic Books 2003.

The Magic of Maths: solving for x and figuring out why. Arthur Benjamin. Basic Books.

Magical mathematics: the mathematical ideas that animate great magic tricks. Persi Diaconis and Ron Graham. Princeton University Press . 2012.

Psychological Games, Nicola Alberto De Carlo, Guild Publishing.

Card Tricks

Encyclopedia of Impromptu Card Forces (revised edition), Lewis jones.

The world’s best collection of easy-to-do , Impromptu Card Magic, Compiled by Aldo Colombini, Mamma Mia Magic.

The Royal Road to Card Magic,Jean Hugard and Frederick Braue, Sterling Paperback.

Card Concepts: An anthology of numerical and sequential principles within card magic. Arthur F. MacTier. Lewis Davenport, 2000.

Card Dupery , J. K. Hartman, Hermetic Press.

Card Dodgery, J.k. Hartman, Vanishing Inc.

Nick Trost’s Subtle Card Creations Volume 3, Nick Trost, H&R Magic Books.

101 Clever Card Tricks, Cara Frost-Sharratt, Hamlyn.

Cardistry, Paul Gordon, Natzler Enterprises

Roberto Giobbi’s Card College Lighter, Roberto Giobbi, Hermetic Press.

Scarne on Card Tricks. John Scarne. Dover. 2003

Standup Card Magic, Roberto Giobbi, Hermetic Press.

Art Decko: Compositions with Cards, Simon Aronson.

Subtle Miracles: Further Card Magic, Peter Duffie. Martin Breese, 2004

Steve Beam’s Semi-Automatic Card Tricks, Volume 2. Steve Beam. Trapdoor Productions, 1995.

Steve Beam’s Semi-Automatic Card Tricks, Volume 5. Steve Beam. Trapdoor Productions, 2004.

Darwin Ortiz at the card table, Darwin Ortiz. 1988. Kaufman and Company.

What’s up Deck: A notebook on card magic. Aldo Colombini. Mamma Mia Magic. 1995.

Sleight of Hand

The Magic book.:The complete beginner’s guide ot anytime, anywhere, sleight-of-hand magic, Harry Lorayne. Clay Bridges. 1977.

Showmanship

Magic and Showmanship: a handbook for conjurers, Henning Nelms, Dover.

Magic and Showmanship for teachers, Alan J. McCormack, Idea Factory.

Manual’s and Encyclopedia of magic

Hugard’s Magic Manual, Jean Hugard, Dover.

The Blackstone Book of Magic and Illusion, Harry Blackstone Jr, Charles Reynolds, Regina Reynolds. Newmarket Press.

Mark Wilson’s Complete Course in Magic, Mark Wilson, Blitz Editions.

The Conjuring Anthology, Jim SteinMeyer, Hahne (“The collected and complete Conjuring articles from MAGIC magazine”)

Tarbell Course in Magic Volume 2, Harlan Tarbell, D. Robbins & Co.

Dunninger’s Complete Encyclopedia of Magic, Joseph Dunninger, Gramercy

The History of Magic

Magic: 1400s-1950s, Mike Caveney, Ricky Jay and Jim Steinmeyer. Edited by Noel Daniel, Taschen.

Stars of Magic, Edited by George Starke, Dr Jacob Daley and Bruce Elliott, Photographed by George Karger (2nd Ed), Meir Yedid Magic.

Other kinds of tricks / to be organsied

The method of false solutions and the magic way. Juan Tamariz. Hermetic Press.

The Books of Wonder Vol 1. Tommy Wonder and Stephen Minch. Hermetic Press.

Power Plays: High voltage magic from Mike Powers. Mike Powers

Willane’s Complete methods for miracles, Rae Hammond (Ed). 2nd Ed. Lewis Davenport Ltd. 1994

Beyond Imagination, Norman Gilbreath, H&R Magic Books.

Ted Lesley’s Para Miracles, Ted Lesley, Hermetic Press.

Professional Card Magic Miracles, Paul Gordon, Natzler Enterprises.

Bound to Please, Collected Early Works of Simon Aronson.

Mind, Myth and Magic, T.A. Waters. Hermetic Press.

Life Savers, Michael Weber, Kaufman and Company.

Seventh Heaven, Lewis Jones.

3510, Luke Jermay, Penguin Magic

Impromptu Magic from the Magic Castle, Edited by Leo Behnke, J. P. Tarcher

This is not a book, Robert E. Neale. Hermetic Press.

The Complete Walton Volume 2. Roy Walton, Lewis Davenport.

Magic from the Underground, Paul Hallas. H&R Magic Books.

Magic by misdirection, Dariel Fitzkee, Saint Raphael House.

Magician’s Hand, Paul Curry, Dover.

Latest Magic, Professor Hoffman, Spon and Chamberlain.

Advantage Play, The Manager’s guide to creative problem solving, David Ben, Key Porter Books.

Psychological Subtleties 2, Banachek, 2nd ed, Magic Inspirations. 2007

Destination Zero, John Bannon, Squash Publishing.

Illusionbook, Andrew Maine, 2001.

Jack Parker’s 52 Memories, Andi Gladwin, Andi Gladwin Publication.

Davenport’s Demon Magic. Lewis Davenport.

The Intrepid Rogue’s Manual of Deception. Atlas Brookings. 2016.

Scarne’s Magic Tricks. John Scarne. Dover. 2003.

The Shelock Holmes Book of Magic. Jeff Brown. Piccadilly books. 2000.

Try the Impossible, Simon Aronson

The Secrets of Brother John Hamman, Richard Kaufman, Kaufman and Company.

Counthesaurus: An Abecedarian Handbook of False Counts and Displays, John Racherbaumer, 2004

Illusiontech [clever deceptions, strange contortions & secret spaces]. Volume 1. Andrew Mayne. 2005.

The Aretalogy of Vanni Bossi, Stephen Minch. Hermetic Press.

The New Jinx, Bill Madsen, Richard Kaufman and Alan Greenberg, 1987

The Art of the Astonishment: Pieces of strange to unleash the moment, Book 1, Paul Harris. Murphy’s Magic Supplies Inc

The Art of the Astonishment: Pieces of strange to unleash the moment, Book 2, Paul Harris. Murphy’s Magic Supplies Inc

The Art of the Astonishment: Pieces of strange to unleash the moment, Book 3, Paul Harris. Murphy’s Magic Supplies Inc

Paul’s (not really a) Library of Magic Books

Paul collected some magic books too – mostly ones that were mainly about mathematical diversions with some magic in. Later he bought some suggested by Peter (so already in Peter’s collection). Once Peter has got him actually doing magic shows so seriously interested in magic a few others too.

Smoke and mirrors: the psychology of magic, Welcome collection, 2019

Inside the Magic Circle, Brian Sibley. The Magic Circle.

David Copperfield’s History of Magic, David Copperfield, RIchard WIseman and David Britland. Simon & Shuster. 2021.

Tricks of the Mind. Derren Brown, Channel 4 Books. 2007.

Hiding the Elephant: How Magician’s invented the impossible. Jim Steinmeyer. Arrow Books. 2003.

Carter beats the Devil, Glen David Gold. Sceptre. 2002.

More to come …