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Hi all,

So I am wanting to learn more about the actual history of magic... not effects or tricks, just about the people who have helped shape it, defining moments and wondrous tales etc.

Can anyone recommend any good books?

Thanks much!

Check out everything by Jim Steinmeyer.

Thank you - I had a look on Jim's site and the books he has there are just what I am after!

"Hiding the Elephant" is probably the best place to start for an overview. There's an awful lot more to read, Robert-Houdin's memoirs, for one, but that's not a bad place to start.

"Performing Dark Arts" is worth a look, and the Tarbell Course has a very truncated (and westernised) look at magic from prehistory.

Peter Lamont has a couple of decent magic history books - perhaps not as well written as Jim Steinmeyer's, but more academic.

Paul Kieve's "Hocus Pocus" was written for kids but contains a lot of useful info on several of the greats of magic. Also Milbourne Christopher's Illustrated History of Magic will be worth reading.

Previous threads such as http://www.talkmagic.co.uk/ftopic36123.php might help as well.

I emailed Jim as I am interested in buying a number of books he has on his site, but have not had a reply yet.

Does anyone know of a reputable dealer here in the UK that would sell his books?

Thanks (again!)

MagicBill wrote:I emailed Jim as I am interested in buying a number of books he has on his site, but have not had a reply yet.

Does anyone know of a reputable dealer here in the UK that would sell his books?

Thanks (again!)

They're relatively mainstream so Amazon stock most of them (including the non-magic but equally good book about Charles Fort).