$7(11 customer ratings) ★★★★★

This book has an excellent illusion section, a decent chapter about escape artistry and also a fairly large trick section with all kinds of routines with cards, silks, ... The really good part are the illusions. You will find several clever ideas. Will Goldston was himself a craftsman and illusion builder. He can therefore write with authority.
1st edition, 1908?, George Routledge & Sons, London; 259 pages.
- Introduction
PART I - TRICKS
- New Card Catching on Plate
- The Floating Disc Mystery
- The Devo Torn Card
- The Hildyard Target and Cage Illusion
- The Handkerchief and Sword
- A Dancing Doll
- Two Good Bird Cages
- The Devo Card Trick
- The Burnt Handkerchief Restored
- The Candle and Handkerchief Illusion
- The Chameleon Handkerchiefs
- The Mahatma Card Divination Illusion
- The Wedding Ring Passed Through a Handkerchief
- The Magic Cone
- The Pistol to Vanish Cards
- The "Sybil" Bird Cage Illusion
- The Mahatma Paper and Cigar Trick
- The Vanishing Bird Cage
- Novel Flag and Candle Illusion
- Crystal Box and Handkerchiefs
- The Vanishing Canaries and Cage Trick
- Another Canary Cage
- A Good Coin Illusion
- Novel Flag or Handkerchief Trick
- The Chinese Egg Bag Trick
- Card and Bouquet Illusion
- The Mystic Travelling Ring
- An Improved Organ Pipe Production
- Canary Bird Trick
- New Multiplying and Disappearing Coins
- The Nelson Downs Coin and Scale Effect
- The Lee Bullet Illusion
- Cards, Coins, and Glass Illusion
- The Sybil Key Mystery
- An Improved Torn Card Trick
- A New Coin Frame
- A Sensational Card Trick
- The Adrian Plate Changing Billiard Ball and Handkerchief
- The Robertson-Keene Novel Cabinet
- The Duplex Flower Pot Illusion
- The Tricolour Flower Basket
- Effective Coin Vanish
- Indian Jugglery
- Coloured Sands of Enchantment
- New Programme, Ring, and Envelopes Trick
- Spirit Writing
- The Mystic Celery Glass
- A Novel Trick
- The Wine Bottle and Card Trick
- A Novel Slate Trick
- A Neat Handkerchief Trick
- The Egg, Card, and Wand Balance
- The Table Lifting
- A Good Slate Trick
- Slate Writing
- The Novel Jug and Tub
- Wonderful Walking Egg
- Twenty-Five Balloons Produced from Hat
- Mystic Canister and Birdcage
- Handkerchiefs Produced from Glass
- The Egg and Straw Balance
- Handkerchief Spinning Trick
- The Candle and Mystic Bouquet
- A Good Glass Bowl Trick
- Billiard Balls and Cue
- Tao-Li-Tao
- The Marvellous Clock Dial
- The Duck Cylinder
- The Secret of Paper Tearing Trick
- The Vest Servante
- Lifting a Bowl of Water
- The Vanishing Halfpence
- The Flying Coin
- The Penny Through the Hat
- The Coin in the Bottle
- The Improved Servante Tray
- Improved Vanishing Glass Tumbler
- Vanishing Handkerchief Produced Dry from a Glass of Wine
- The Hypnotized Wand
- The Four Sympathetic Lady Friends
- The Card and Cigarette Trick
- The Milk, Wine, and Flag Mystery
- The Three Wonderful Cards
- The New Card Trick
- Dr. Elliot's Method of Dealing Seconds
- A Novel Flower Fêke
PART II - HANDCUFF, BOX AND SACK TRICKS
- Sack Trick
- The Mokana Shoe
- A Manacle Mystery
- The Bean Handcuff Trick
- The Figure 8 Handcuff Trick
- A Handcuff Trick for Test Work
- The "Bean Giant" Cuff
- Latest and Best Fêkes to Open Regulation Handcuffs and Leg-Irons
- How to Fêke Ordinary Handcuffs
- The Celebrated Trick Collar and Bolt
- A New Regulation Police Cuff
- Escape from Zinc Lined Barrel
- The Handy Pocket Fêke for Regulation Irons
- New and Improved Fêke
- Original Packing Case Mystery
- Escape from Packing-Case made by Local Carpenter
- How to Open Handcuff Without a Key
- The Rope Trick
- The Goldston Packing-Case
- The Barrel Illusion
- The Escape from the Iron Trunk
- Escape from Milk Can Securely Padlocked, Containing Three Parts Water
- Improved Iron Cage
- The Improved Packing Case Mystery
PART III - STAGE ILLUSIONS
- The Mysterious Cross
- The Vanishing Performer Trick
- Queen of Knives
- The Bodiless Lady Illusion
- The Ball and Plank Mystery
- The Pillory Illusion
- Silent Second-Sight Act
- The Astounding Cremation Illusion
- The Escape from "Sing-Sing"
- The Stroubeika Illusion
- The Talking Skull
- The Morrit Cage Illusion
- The "Goldston Aga" Illusion
- The Laurie Cabinet Illusion
- Famous Ducks and Tub Illusion
- An Instantaneous Exchange
- The Lady and Scale Illusion
- A Good Cage Illusion
- Improved Vanishing Lady and Cage Illusion
- The Hewes Levitation
- A Novel Box Trick
- The Mysterious Head Illusion
- A Great Levitation
- The New Tub and Paper Bag Illusion
- The Artist's Dream
- The "Bungalow" Illusion
- The Sudden Appearance of a Lady in an Empty Box
- The Mystery of L'Hassa
- The Flower Maiden Illusion
- The Latest Plant Growing Mystery
- The Magic Kettle to Hold Liquor
- The Real "Aga" Illusion
- Where, Oh! Where Have They Gone?
- The Vase of Ink and Gold Fish Illusion
- The Birth of Flora
- Dematerialization
- A Variation
- Conradi's Mysterium
- A New Card Stunt
- A New Knotted Handkerchief
- The Problem of a Glass of Water
- The Flying Handkerchief
- The New Cut and Restored Ribbon
- The Best Method for Loading a Tambourine
- Quantities of Coins produced by the Handful from Two Hats
word count: 48915 which is equivalent to 195 standard pages of text
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