The Book of Magic
by Archie Frederick Collins

Being a simple description of some good tricks and how to do them, with patter.

This ebook is very thorough and teaches routines from a full cross-section of conjuring including routines with and without apparatus, with and without skill, mentalism, big stage illusions, a good amount of performing advice, and other tips and resources necessary for the magician. It even provides a glossary in the back to define special words and phrases. It shows that Mr. Collins is an experienced author of textbooks.

• A WORD TO YOU
• CHAPTER I MAGIC WITHOUT APPARATUS AND WITHOUT SKILL
  • The Enchanted Cones
  • Smoking from the Air
  • The Pitcher of Omar
  • Lightning Crayon Sketches
• CHAPTER II MAGIC WITH APPARATUS AND WITHOUT SKILL
  • The Multiplying Wand
  • The Electric Pack of Cards
  • Sharp Shooting Extraordinary
  • Wireless Eggs
  • Ariel's Flying Cage
• CHAPTER III MAGIC WITH APPARATUS AND WITH SKILL
  • The Magnetic Wand
  • Moheni's Flying Handkerchiefs
  • Mysterious Flag and Candle
  • The Fairy Flowers
• CHAPTER IV MAGIC WITH SKILL ONLY
  • Sleights with Coins
  • Card Manipulation
  • Handkerchief Sleights
  • The Flag and Candle Trick
  • Old Glory - The Red, White and Blue
• CHAPTER V HOW TO DO MAGIC
  • What to Wear
  • The Personal Equation
  • The Mode of Working
  • Patter
  • Tables
  • Assistants
  • Programs
• CHAPTER VI SECOND SIGHT EXPERIMENTS
  • Heller's Second Sight
  • Heller's Silent Second Sight
  • Kellar's Silent Second Sight
• CHAPTER VII FEATS OF MIND READING
  • How the Tests Are Done
• CHAPTER VIII SPIRITUALISTIC TRICKS
  • Slate Writing à la Slade
  • Table and Bowl Lifting
  • Table Rapping Extraordinary
  • Cabinet Manifestations
  • Physical Tests
  • Action Without Physical Contact
  • A Fourth Dimensional Test
  • Materializations
  • Patter for Cabinet Manifestations and Materializations
• CHAPER IX THE ART OF BLACK ART
  • The Magician Who Came Out of the East
  • The Precipitated Wand and Tables
  • The Mystery of the Mango Tree
  • The Waters of the Ganges
  • The Glad Skeleton
  • The Magician Who Came Out of the East
  • The Precipitated Wand and Tables
  • The Mystery of the Mango Tree
  • The Waters of the Ganges
  • The Glad Skeleton
• CHAPTER X SHADOWGRAPHS AND SILHOUETTES
  • Hand Shadowgraphs
  • The Black Swan
  • Gamboge, the Cat
  • Pat and His Pipe of Peace
  • At the Races
  • Lovers' Lane
• CHAPTER XI SOME GOOD STAGE ILLUSIONS
  • Ya-ko-yo
  • Out of Sight
  • Walking Through a Brick Wall
  • The Great Milk Can Escape
• CHAPTER XII HELPFUL INFORMATION
  • The Society of American Magicians
• APPENDICES
  • Useful Articles for the Magician
  • Eggs
  • Dummy Jewelry
  • Other Dummies
  • Paper Goods
  • Chemicals
  • Paint
  • Silk Thread and Other Things
  • The Pantograph
• DEFINITIONS OF SOME WORDS AND TERMS USED IN THIS BOOK

1st edition 1915, 177 pages; PDF 127 pages.
word count: 39440 which is equivalent to 157 standard pages of text