This 1877 translation of Robert-Houdin's 1868 conjuring manual reveals the techniques used in popular stage performances during the Victorian period.

"The Secrets of Stage Conjuring" is one of the rarest of Robert-Houdin's books on magic. It is the sequel to "Secrets of Conjuring and Magic" (1868).

The promise of magic has always commanded the human imagination, but the story of industrial modernity is usually seen as a process of disenchantment. Drawing on the writings and performances of the so-called 'Golden Age Magicians' from the turn of the twentieth century, Chris Goto-Jones unveils the ways in which European and North American encounters with (and representations of) Asia - the fabled Mystic East - worked to re-enchant experiences of the modern world. Beginning with a reconceptualization of the meaning of 'modern magic' itself - moving beyond conventional categories of 'real' and 'fake' magic - Goto-Jones' acclaimed book guides us on a magical mystery tour around India, China, and Japan, showing us levitations and decapitations, magic duels and bullet catches, goldfish bowls and paper butterflies. In the end, this mesmerizing book reveals Orientalism as a kind of magic in itself, casting a spell over Western culture that leaves it transformed, even today.

Modern Magic by Professor Hoffmann was one of the first books published in English on the art of conjuring during the Victorian era. Hoffmann was considered to be one of the greatest authorities on the theory and practice of magic at that time. This hardcover edition is a facsimile of the 1876 edition and whist some parts of the text are faded, it perfectly readable and makes a beautiful addition to any magician or historian's library.