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The book

The Royal Touch byCelini

The Cost

£50 this book is extremly rare infact i had 5 street performers 2 of them not even magicians haggling with me over my copy managed to get them up to £500 thats how valuable this book is (i didn't sell it i'd rather have the book than the money)

The review

If you are a Street Performer you will probably have heard of Cellini if you are a magician you probably will have heard of Cellini. the student of Slydini and one of the finest if not THE finest Street performer in the World. This book is without doubt my pride and joy. just looking at it you realise how beautiful and important this book is, it harks back to a bygone age of myth and legend and looks about 100 years old. don't get me wrong if you are not a street entertainer this book won't be that useful for you, if your going out trying to be the next David Blaine this book is not going to interest you much. but if your a street performer in the true sense of the word then you'll love this book. The book is a tresure trove of information from Cellini's adventures on the street to great one liners for any situation. to Cellini's Cups and Balls routine (which i'd choose over Gazzo's any day) not just that but page after page chapter after chapter of fantastic tricks coins, cards, cigarettes, silks even a routine for chinese water bowls. plus an invaluble chapter on the rules of the steet. as Jerry Sadowitz said in his intro to the book Cellini is to Street magic what Roy Walton is to Card magic. what Dai Vernon was to slight of hand. This book is worth it's weight in gold to any Street magician and an excellent resource to everyone else.

Overall

10/10

A classic for those that know that value hidden in it's pages. you won't become the next david blaine but you might become an excellent Street entertainer

Thanks for the review. Sounds an excellent read, cups and balls notwithstanding

Is it terrible of me not to know who Roy Walton is

I can answer this, Roy Walton invented card warp, but its quite an old trick so you may not like it.

he not only invented it but won several high profile awards from the magic circle for it. he also invented transmutation and several other tricks. interesting fact penguin have recently released several *new* tricks which are actually exact copies of roy waltons tricks but with different names. if you want to know about card magic or magic in general you should speak to Roya walton or read his books

Markdini wrote:I can answer this, Roy Walton invented card warp, but its quite an old trick so you may not like it.

What an odd thing to say. What makes an 'old trick' bad?

There has been great misunderstanding of my dislike of sponge balls, cups and balls and silks. I called them "old school", so now people think that I don't like anything old, even though I tried to explain that that's not the case at all.

i understand your point smarvell, however could you not also class Card magic as old school since they have been around for just as long and most of the routines are as old as the hills

Figo wrote:i understand your point smarvell, however could you not also class Card magic as old school since they have been around for just as long and most of the routines are as old as the hills

I use the term "old school" to describe such things as doves, rabbits, sequin suits, pretty silks, sponge balls, etc. It may be the case that some card tricks are old, but that they don't normally appear as "dated". Ambiguous term, I think. My bad.

Marvell the problem with books is you cant see the effect in action. Have you seen a really good sponge ball routine? I use sponges a lot and when you a ball transpo with a spec the reaction is a good one.

And even Blaine dose a sponge routine. Even ellusionist have a sponge routine on I think its the street magic Dvd. Remeber Mark Wilsons et al chapters on sponges arent the be all and end all of sponge magic.

And I have always said this and will continue to say this that a sponge ball can help you learn a lot of coin slights as well. And a sponge is more forgiving then a coin.

Marvell wrote:Thanks for the review. Sounds an excellent read, cups and balls notwithstanding

Is it terrible of me not to know who Roy Walton is

Yes, immeadiately go to Davenports and purchase the Complete Walton 1&2 as part of your punishment. You'll thank me in the long run!

actually if you go into davenports and just ask who roy walton is they will be more than happy to help you since he is married into the davenports