Every generation a magician comes along, whose intention is to record magic in an encyclopedic fashion. Professor Hoffmann was the first in recorded history to attempt such a feat with his trilogy Modern Magic, More Magic, and Later Magic. Certainly many magic books have been published before him, mostly copying from each other. But none reaches the depth and breadth of Prof. Hoffmann's work. The material in these three books records the state of the art of magic in the late 19th century. Today we know more tricks and we have also refined our techniques and methods. But it is astounding how much was already known at that time. Reading carefully you will discover several clever methods which have been forgotten or have fallen out of fashion with todays popular magicians. If you really want to fool your magic friends the next time, read this book and perform one of its many not so well known secrets. This book was rated one of the ten basic books for a working library of conjuring by H. Adrian Smith, historian, collector and owner of the largest private magic library in his time. Other books in this top 10 list are
Magicians' Tricks by Henry Hatton and Adrian Plate The Expert at the Card Table by S.W. Erdnase The Art of Magic by T. Nelson Downs More Magic by Prof. Hoffmann Later Magic by Prof. Hoffmann The Modern Conjurer by C. Lang Neil Our Magic by Maskelyne and Devant Tarbell Course by Harlan Tarbell Greater Magic by John Northern Hilliard
The Psychology of Magic
Psychokinetic Deceptions
Mahatma
Pithy Patter
Three Card Monte as Entertainment Teach-In
The Art of Chapeaugraphy