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If we are going to have a review section for books, the classics must be listed !

The Book
Royal Road to Card Magic by Jean Hugard and Frederick Braue

Cost
$9.56 USD from www.penguinmagic.com

Difficulty
(1=easy to do, 2=No sleights, but not so easy, 3=Some sleights used,
4=Advanced sleights used, 5=Suitable for experienced magicians only)
This book teaches material that ranges from 1 to about 3.5

Review
If are starting out in card magic, this is THE book to start with. In my opinion, there is no better scorce for learning the basics at a price like this. A few people say that they prefere Card Collage, but thouse books can clean out your wallet and FAST! The material you will learn in this book will serve you for the rest of your magical life! You will learn flourishes, self working effects, forces, the essentual sleights and much more! Once you buy this book, you are set for months. By the way, don't think you will just learn the basics and throw away the book, I STILL run through the book from time to time and I am sure I do not know everything in that book. Concidering the low price, there may not be a product of better value.

Overall
10/10

This is a real classic. As long as you practice, practice, practice in no time you will be mastering things which will amaze you.
I haven't got the DVD (yet!) and may do so as the book has a severe lack of illustrations, but if you want to entertain with a pack of normal cards, here is where you can learn to do it.
You pick it up very cheaply too.

There is an available DVD for this book? That would be helpful like you said due to the lack of pictures. Where can you get it? Would it be available to me here in Mexico?
Thanks in advance

There are in fact two different DVD-Versions. I would recommend the 5-DVD one by R.P. Wilson, which I think is really rather good. You should be able to get them from most online shops. They've also both been reviewed before here on TM, so if you search for them you shouldn't have much trouble finding them.

There is a magic shop in Mexico city. Just thought I'd mention it to the young man who is now living in Mexico. I can't find the link otherwise I would post it. However seek and ye shall find. It is a fairly big one I believe.

A very very good book and full of brilliant ideas. I often go over this book and am always finding new ideas or ways to rejig so old ideas.

a shop in Mexico city eh? Well that is great and all but mexico city is one of the largest cities in the world. However, like you said, seek and ye shall find. I better go start seeking!

I'm not sure if this is the one Mark Lewis was talking about, but found it after a few searches:

http://www.magochams.com/

Thanks, that helps. I'm gonna see if I can go down to Mexico City some time soon and check out his wares. Thanks for the link

I've been reading the reviews on this book - and there seems to be a lot of references to it all over the site. If I've already worked most of the way through Card College, would this be worth the investment? Or is the material covered in Giobbi's book pretty comprehensive of the info in RRTC?

This book is great!!!

It has to be one of the best books that someone starting out in magic could read. It was recommended to me years ago when I asked for a good book to start with and it's the first book I suggest to poeple when they ask me.

By the time you have read (and practiced) everything in this book you will have an excellent grasp of an amazing collection of card sleights where the possibilities are endless.

After reading this book I also bought "Expert Card Technique" by the same authors and that really took things up to the next level with more complicated sleights, but don't run before you can walk!

Whalemeister wrote:This book is great!!!

I saved up for this book, which was advised to me nearly fifty years ago by a professional magician. I loved it then and I love it now. What's more, I think that the tricks are even better than those in 'Expert Card technique".

If you already have Card College then you should look into getting a copy of Royal Road. There are many good books on card magic, but you won't find a complete card course. The cost of this book is very reasonable and if you are lucky, you might find it in a used book store. I personally like the book very much.
Cheers
Al

It is the book that changed my life. Fully 50% of my card trick repertoire comes from that book. At one time I could do every trick in the book. No more I am afraid.

As for Expert Card Technique I would suggest purchasing it for one reason only. The chapter on presentation in the back of the book is utterly priceless especially the first few pages.

Note especially the bit where it says "It is not the tricks that are so important but the illusion the magician creates about himself" I don't have the book in front of me and I am quoting from memory so I may have the wording wrong. However I am sure I have it almost right.

With the Royal Road and the chapter from Expert Card Technique on presentation that is about all you need. In fact I would be so reckless as to say that with proper study you could become one of the greatest card magicians in the world with that material alone. To laymen anyway. The opinion of other magicians is of no consequence whatever.

In general I think I agree that for practical purposes the tricks in the Royal Road are probably more useful than those in Expert Card Technique but whatever you do don't neglect that chapter on presentation. It is pure gold.

A worrying trend is developing where I am finding myself again, in comlete agreement with Rev Lewis.
Expert Card Technique does have some valuable advice on performance and misdirection which should be required reading for anyone who wants to stand out as a magician and develop their own style. Wise words.

The effects in Royal Road are much better and less convulted than many of those in ECT, though ECT is invaluable for the descriptions of many techniques and sleights and I use this as a reference tool when an effect I wish to learn has a sleight I am unfamiliar with or not totally adept at. There's a lot of good information in there.

Royal Road is the best starting point for any would-be card conjurer and, though is had been said before, it's method of teaching sleights followed by effects that utilise what you have learnt, is a perfect way to learn.
The 'tricks' you learn are not the usual dealing-down beginners stuff, but good, solid, professional effects which really do entertain the layman. There is so much good material in this book that you will still use some of them even when you have elevated your skill level beyond the RRTCM.

These old chesnuts have stood the test of time for a very good reason - they are GREAT effects which have been proven time and time again.