talkmagic.co.uk

Here's an article on which are some of the best books for beginners and a tip on the best site to find books on the Internet.

http://magicgizmo.com/home/articles/133 ... books.html

Thanks for the suggestion - maybe we should add it to this post?

From M.Ruetz comes a link to an excellent list of Magic Books For Beginners.
Personally I would take out Magic & Showmanship by Henning Nelms as a number of suggestions he makes, especially the 'Victor Sylvester Ballroom Dance diagrams' for movement often puzzles experienced magicians.

I would replace it with Maximum Entertainment by Ken Weber ; a book which ALL magicians can learn from.
Plus, after a little experience, 'Find The Stuff That's You' by Chris Carey.

Allen Tipton

I like your idea of adding Maximum Entertainment. I still think that Magic & Showmanship is a good book for beginners even if parts of it aren't for everyone.

I'm in the middle of reading Magic & Showmanship at the moment but can't really work out if I like it or not. Some of the ideas seem to really make sense but then when you start to think about it, they seem to be quite impractical.

The book seems to be thinking in the right direction but I wouldn't take what it says at face value.

YOU will always find something in a book that you can use. A beginner might well find much of what Nelms writes--off putting.
I think he over verbalises, over emphasises quite a lot & a beginner, & possibly even some experienced magicians would find the amount of study confusing.
Although I do like some of the tricks & routines but I am not a beginner.
I have owned 4 copies of the book; 3 of them being passed on to experienced students.

We have to remember Davey that Henning Nelms was an amateur magician who became a lawyer to a theatre director, then he 'took up', writing. Amongst his first efforts were, under the pen name, Hake Talbot, 2 mystery novels: The Hangman's Handyman(1942) & Rim Of The Pit(1944)

M & Sh was published in 1969 and was tranlated into French & Spanish.
He died in 1986 at the age of 85

Allen Tipton