Traces the history of magic shows, offers profiles of top magicians, and looks at the career of British magician, Paul Daniels

PAUL DANIELS 1938â€"2016 In his day, Paul Daniels was the most famous magician in the world. His feats of illusion earned him the highest honours the magic world could award, and his astonishing talent earned him a worldwide recognition and admiration that will long outlive him. Behind the guise of the master magician, the consummate showman, lay a man of great intellect, wit and humour. But his dazzling career sometimes belied a private life that had more than its share of ups and downs â€" from his grim experiences in the army through to the pain and heartbreak of a broken marriage. In this, his only autobiography, he spoke for the first time about his incredible life and career. Although he was a master illusionist, there are no illusions here among the revelations of the happiness and sadness that filled his life. Among much else, the book speaks honestly about his relationship with his oldest son, and of the new life Paul made with Debbie McGee, his glamorous on-stage assistant. And then, of course, there was the magic. Whether he was making elephants disappear or performing card tricks with timeless professionalism, his repertoire was extraordinary. Perhaps surprisingly, his book reveals the secrets behind some of his most famous and entertaining performances â€" although he kept plenty up his sleeve, secrets that we shall now perhaps never know. Paul Daniels: My Magic Life, is a book to entertain readers, certainly. More than that, however, it will both move and intrigue them as it reveals the secret life of a much loved entertainer who was, in every sense, a magician to the end.

For decades, magician Paul Daniels has captured the imagination of audiences throughout the world. Now, at last, his secrets are unmasked as the magician speaks frankly in his autobiography.

When Mandy's friend Amy hurts her ankle, she is taken out of the school play. But Mandy and James devise a clever plan to raise their friend's spirits--by making Amy's pet mouse a star!

You don’t need a white tiger, expensive props, or hours of preparation to do magic. With a little practice, some clever misdirection (which lays at the heart of all magic tricks), and showmanship, you can surprise family, friends, and coworkers using a few everyday items! If you’re looking to saw a beautiful women in half or make buildings disappear, we’re sorry, but this book isn’t you. But if you want to act out little miracles that you can perform on the spur of the moment with items that are usually within reach, then Magic For Dummies can show you how. Magic For Dummies features more than 90 easy-to-perform deceptions, illusions, and sleights of hand for any event or occasion. You’ll discover how to perform entertaining card tricks, coin tricks, disappearing acts, as well as the always-popular mind reading trick. You’ll even see how easy it is to make money disappear as well as melt a saltshaker! Chock-full of show-stopping tricks, Magic For Dummies will: Get you started with easy-to-learn magic tricks Let you turn a restaurant into a your stage with tricks that include utensils, mugs, and even food Show you how to use a deck of cards to perform endless magic tricks Make you the life of the party with tricks such as “Call This Number,” “The Strength Test,” and “The Phantom Photo” Get you out of tough situations by giving you ten things to say when things go wrong Filled with photos, patter, and presentation tips for every trick in the book, Magic For Dummies offers a great opportunity to become familiar with some of the coolest magic tricks ever performed. With the help of author David Pogue and the stunning tricks contributed by thirty-five of America’s top professional magicians, you’ll be leaving your friends, family, and coworkers spellbound at your mastery of the mystical arts.

My wife is a magician, yesterday she turned our car into a tree. A big white horse walks into a pub. The barman says, 'we have a drink named after you.' The horse says, 'what? Eric?' I said, 'waiter, what's that in my soup?' he said, 'I'd better call the boss, I can't tell one insect from another.' I'm reading a book called 'Sex Before 20'. Personally I don't like audiences. I said, 'it's serious, doctor, I've broken my arm in 20 places'. He said, 'well stop going to those places.' I call my car flattery. It gets me nowhere.