Bill Severn’s Big Book of Magic by Bill Severn

Details: This IS a big book. . .238 pages. It wears an attractive jacket designed by Wendell Minor. The inside illustrations are by Katherine Wood. Bill Severn has a flair for taking known principles and tricks, embellishing them with plots and new materials. The result is always delightfully simple, yet puzzling, magic. It is just as appealing to working wizards as it must be to the young folk for whom he writes. This book is no exception. Whether it be magic with cards, rope, money, handkerchiefs or close-up wizardry, it has an original Severn twist. There are effects for the stage and novelties like paper tearing and chapeaugraphy. While learning the tricks, the reader will also learn quite a bit about magical history.

If you know a youngster eager to become a magician, this book will delight him and he’ll learn a lot of good magic. Of course, if you read it first, you’ll probably put it on your bookshelf and add several new items to your program. So, maybe, you’d better buy two copies. Highly recommended!

Contents (from book ToC, may be missing past page 206):

1 Chapter 1 A World of Magic

11 Chapter 2 Magic With Cards
16 Some Tricks With Cards
16 Like a Brain Wave
18 Under the Paper
20 In the Dark
22 Hands Down
24 The King Was Too Fat
28 Comedy Card Force

31 Chapter 3 Rope Magic
37 Some Tricks With Rope and Sting
37 Thread to Rope
40 Quick and Easy Cut Rope
44 The Magic Baseball Game
48 Keller Rope Tie Routine
51 Fish Story
54 Matchbox and String
60 String and Tag

63 Chapter 4 Money Magic
69 Some Tricks With Coins and Paper Money
69 Heads Up
72 The Penetrating and Flying Coins
76 Eyes in the Back of Your Head
78 Coins and Kids
81 The Miser’s Cup
84 The Miser’s Bucket
92 Penned
96 Cup and Bill

103 Chapter 5 Magic With Handkerchiefs
109 Some Tricks With Handkerchiefs
109 The Hypnotized Audience
113 The What-Knot
118 Another Century
122 It’s a Corker
128 Vitamins, Anyone?

133 Chapter 6 Close-Up Magic
139 Some Close-up Tricks:
139 Sweet and Quick
142 The Magic Milkman
145 The Floating Pencil
147 The Sound of Money
150 Clickety Clips
153 Prize Winner
154 Plain Joe and Robber Red
158 The Bewildering Bandage
161 Into the Candy Jar

165 Chapter 7 Stage Magic
173 Some Stage Magic Tricks:
173 Black Bag and White Ball
178 See Saw
182 Cans Full of Nothing
185 Stiff Milk Shake
187 Lollipop Laughter
191 No Soap
195 The Magicians Mistake

199 Chapter 8 Things That Go With Magic
201 Row Designs
204 Circular Designs
206 Roll Effects

• Publisher: David McKay
• Pages: 238
• Location: New York, USA
• Dimensions: 6
• Date: 1973
• Binding: hardbound

(Sid Lorraine – New Tops, November, 1973)
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