Beginner Book Resources on ALL THINGS

Tower of Lunatic Meat

Elite Member
Sep 27, 2014
2,436
2,030
Texa$, with a dollar sign
Here's the thing: I see a LOT of threads asking about resources on ___(magic subject here)___. IT's a bit exhausting to see when a search or two can get the answers you need. So with that, I want to try and get a stickied post in which anyone can click on it and find the BOOK information they are looking for without having to make post after post after post about 'where can I find books on __X__?'

And here is where I need everyone's help I have three books and have purchased real estate in 'Rookie-Town'. I'm sure you are more well versed than I am in the resource department.

To simplify things, let's just keep it to book/E-book resources YOU would recommend to someone starting off in whatever subject you can think of. Cards, coins, rings, sponge ball, billiard ball, mentalism, etc. Most commonly asked subjects.

The end goal is to compile together the ultimate book resource for beginners of any subject, and then submit it to the mods/staff to make a stickied post. Let's do this.


Here's what I know:

CARDS:
- Royal Road To Card Magic
- Erdnase on Card Tricks

COINS:
Bobo's Modern Coin Magic

MULTIPLE SUBJECTS:
- Mark Wilson's Complete Course in Magic
 

DavidL11229

Elite Member
Jul 25, 2015
589
314
Seattle
How about we start with https://store.theory11.com/products/what-to-read-jason-england and then build from there?

This.

I have made a list of the books he discusses. Please use this list as encouragement to watch the video and listen to his thoughts on these books.

Royal Road to Card Magic
Encyclopedia of Card Tricks
Scarne on Card Tricks
Card Control
Card Magic of Paul LePaul
Close-Up Card Magic
Stars of Magic
Complete Walton
Inner Card Trilogy -Vernon
Revolutionary Card Technique
Expert at the Card Table

I have purposely left a bit off the list, you will have to watch the video!
 

DavidL11229

Elite Member
Jul 25, 2015
589
314
Seattle
This.

I have made a list of the books he discusses. Please use this list as encouragement to watch the video and listen to his thoughts on these books.

Royal Road to Card Magic
Encyclopedia of Card Tricks
Scarne on Card Tricks
Card Control
Card Magic of Paul LePaul
Close-Up Card Magic
Stars of Magic
Complete Walton
Inner Card Trilogy -Vernon
Revolutionary Card Technique
Expert at the Card Table

I have purposely left a bit off the list, you will have to watch the video!

Oops, accidentally left my favorite which he discusses, Expert Card Technique.
 

Tower of Lunatic Meat

Elite Member
Sep 27, 2014
2,436
2,030
Texa$, with a dollar sign
This is going to sound funny. But the Jason England 'what to read' video; I try to tell beginners asking about beginner card resources. And yet I completely forget about it when I made the thread.

Thank you for the reminder! I feel like a doofus.
 

RealityOne

Elite Member
Nov 1, 2009
3,744
4,076
New Jersey
Here is my attempt at a short list based on my library:

The First Books


Mark Wilson's Complete Course in Magic
and/or
Joshua Jay's Complete Course in Magic

Cards - Classic Track
Scarne on Card Tricks - John Scarne
Royal Road to Card Magic - Jean Hugard and Fredrick Braue
Foolproof Card Tricks or Self Working Card Tricks / More Self Working Card Tricks - Karl Fulves
Encyclopedia of Card Tricks - Hugard
The Magic of LePaul - Paul LePaul
Expert Card Technique - Hugard and Braue
Counts, Cuts and Subtleties - Jerry Menzler
Card Control by Arthur Buckley
Expert at the Card Table - S.W. Erdanase

Cards - Modern Track
Card College Light, Lighter and Lightest
Card College Volumes 1 through 5

Cards - Advanced Learning
Annotated Erdnase - Darwin Ortiz
The Paper Engine - Aaron Fisher
The Complete Walton - Roy Walton
Jennings '67 - Larry Jennings
Dai Vernon's Revalations
The Secrets of Brother John Hammon

Specialized Card Magic
Mnenonica (Memorized Deck) - Juan Tamaritz
Hidden in Plain Sight (Marked Deck) - Kirk Charles and Boris Wild
The Art of Switching Decks - Roberto Giobbi
Life, Death and Other Card Tricks (card tricks with meaning) - Robert Neale
Card Magic of Nick Troast (Self Working) - Nick Troast
Destination Zero (Self Working) - John Bannon
Mathamatical Magic - Persi Daconis
Wildcard - Frank Garcia
Impostress Princess - Peter Tappan
Best of All Worlds (variations of the Out of this World plot)

Coins
Modern Coin Magic - J.D. Bobo
Expert Coin Magic - David Roth
Moments and Destroyers - Troy Hooser

Mentalism
Fundamentals - Bob Cassidy
Self Working Mental Magic - Karl Fulves
Practical Mental Magic - Theo Annemann
Prism - Max Maven
13 Steps to Mentalism - Corindina
Psychological Subtleties - Banachek
Paramiracles - Ted Leslie
Mind, Myth and Magick -T.A. Waters

Cards with A Little Bit of Everything Else
Stars of Magic - Vernon, Scarne and lots of others
Art of Astonishment - Paul Harris
Totally Out of Control - Chris Kenner
The Books of Wonder - Tommy Wonder
Vortex and Maelstorm - Tom Stone
Impossibilia, Dear Mr. Fantasy, Smoke & Mirrors and High Caliber - John Bannon
One Degree - John Gustaferro
Best of Slydini and More - Tony Slydini
Random Acts of Magic and More Power to You- David Acer
Carneycopia - Steve Carney
Tangled Web - Eric Mead

Close-Up, Parlor and Stage
Tarbell Course (7 Volume Set) - Harlan Tarbell and others
Greater Magic - John Northern Hilliard
Self Working Rope Magic - Karl Fulves
Award Winning Rope Magic - Francis Taraby
Encyclopedia of Sponge Ball Magic - Frank Garcia
Rice's Encyclopedia of Silk Magic - Harold Rice
Self Working Handkerchief Magic - Karl Fulves
Complete Cups and Balls - Michael Ammar
The Magic of Alan Wakeling - Jim Steinmeyer
Roy Benson by Starlight - Levent and Todd Karr
The Secret Ways of Al Baker - Todd Karr
Conjuring - Jim Steinmeyer
Technique and Understanding - Jim Steinmeyer
WD-40 - Wayne Dobson
DeSouza's Deceptions - Marc DeSouza

Theory and Presentation
Magic and Showmanship - Henning Nelms
Transformations - Larry Haas
Maximum Entertainment - Ken Webber
Strong Magic - Darwin Ortiz
The Fitzke Trilogy - Dariel Fitzke
Magic and Meaning - Eugene Burger and Robert Neale
Magic Mirror - Robert Neale and David Pasrr
Five Points, Magic Way and Sonata - Juan Tamaritz
Experience of Magic, Mastering the Art of Magic, Performance of Close Up Magic - Eugene Burger
The Show Doctor - Jeff McBride
Tales of Enchantment - Walt Anthony

Books of Periodicals
The Jinx - Annemann
Apocalypse - Harry Lorraine
Collected Almanac - Kauffman
Tailsman
Legendary Hirophant

Last but Not Least
Genii Magazine (which includes access to 70 years of its archives)
 
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