talkmagic.co.uk

Hi, the last review didn't really seem to do it justice so let's have another go.

When I started my interest in performing magic not so long ago I went for an internet surf and a name that kept appearing was Erdnase so I followed the trail, (good old Google) and came to a site by The Conjuring Arts Research Centre, selling The Expert at the Card Table by S.W. Erdnase. It now sells for $15 but when I bought it, it was $9.99. That's £5. You mean I can get a classic, highly referenced text, for the price of two nasty coffees at Costa!

I duly filled in my details and less than a week later, included in the price(?) was my book, in the UK, from America.

The Edition itself is tiny, Slightly larger than a pack of bikes but half as thin. It is black and in gold lettering on the front, it says,

The Expert at the Card Table.

Not just an expert, The Expert.

It has the feel of a small bible, from the gold appearance of the pages when the book is closed, to the small but crystal clear text, each paragraph numbered at the side in a delicate line.

Some of us know whats in it. I think it's one of those pieces of work that, if that's where your heart lies, then you know. Even in this small print, the index covers 4 pages, and once you get to those pages, each paragraph is a study in itself.

It comes with me everywhere, on canoeing expeditions, on walks, in the car, and when I show my friends or people who express an interest, they admire the look and feel of the book, and I'm more than happy for them to flick through, because there's so much information in such a small space, it makes no sense to them and they glaze over, so it's all safe.

But the thing that will forever continue to amaze me, is that this was first published in 1902. It showed me that magic is as old as we are and I feel honoured to be a part of that.

It's not for beginners, and the refinements and developments of many of the techniques are now much smoother, much slicker and presented in better ways, but every now and again I like to dip my head into the elegant prose and this edition serves very nicely.

If you don't look at anything else in the book, read the preface. It's worth the £5 on its own.

Thanks

Oh yes, and there's a black ribbon attached so you can mark your page.

DT

Here's the link by the way.