Clarke, Harry: The Boy's Book of Magic ©1949 Clerke & Cockeran Pub, Ltd, London Hardcover, w/dj, 5.5x8.5", 192 pages Also ©1949 Burke Publishing, London Recent Reprints: ©2008 Stewart Press ©2008 Hesperides Press ISBN 978-1-40972-634-0 ISBN 978-1-44373-682-4

Image courtesy eBay seller DonBursell

Comments: This is a great beginner's book. Provides thorough explanations and tips for presentation as was much more common in these older books. Although no author information appears in this edition, a later book, Burke's Pastime Series for Boys - Magic states it is based on the 1949 Boy's Book of Magic, even though based on comparing the table of contents of each, they appear to be totally different books. Note: This book is not to be confused with Hereward Carrington's Boy's Book of Magic, which contains chapters such as "Hindu magic" and "handcuff tricks".

Contents:

5 Becoming a Master Magician: advice

8 The First Programme
8 The Magic Wand: making one
8 A Painless Operation: wand penetrates the spectator without harm
11 A Magical Mixup: two handkerchiefs and two bracelets break free from a rope
14 The Acrobatic Card: two selections turn face up in a face down pack
17 The Torn Cigarette Paper: torn and restored
18 Pardon My Mistake!: a sucker version of the above
20 An Egg From Nowhere: paper is fanned to produce an egg
23 Caught!: a sucker trick with Jumbo cards
28 Penny Through the Hat: Six pennies are dropped in a hat and one passes through into a glass
31 A Bewildering Balance: balancing a penny on the back of the hand
32 The Fireproof Handkerchief: burnt and restored
35 Red, White and Blue: colored papers are burned over a newspaper, and a flag is pulled out of the paper

38 Make the Most of Your Show
38 Showmanship: essay on actually presenting magic rather than just doing tricks
41 A Lightning Strike: producing a lighted match from your pocket; a lesson in creativity
43 A Big Blow: match is blown out by blowing up the opposite sleeve
45 The Magnetic Wand: the wand clings to your palm

48 Magic At Your Fingertips
48 The Pencil-Breaker: breaking a pencil with a piece of paper
50 The Educated Cards: All the cards are spelled
51 A Quick Card-Trick: Two cards shown and placed in the deck appear instantly at the top
52 A Magical Release: from a wrist tie
54 A Drastic Diet: eating a plate stunt
55 A Wizard With a Waistcoat: turning the waistcoat inside out even though the spectator's hands are clasped behind his back
57 Magic Mending: cut and restored string

61 Wrinkles for Wizards: hints and tips

63 Masters of Magic
63 The Handcuff King: Houdini
67 Chung Ling Soo
70 The Whirlwind Wizard: Horace Goldin

74 The Second Programme
74 A Quick Change: two handkerchiefs in a paper cone travel to another cone that previously held a candle, the candle is reproduced elsewhere
78 The Obstinate Colours: handkerchiefs tranpose to the envelopes bearing their color
80 The Rising Wand: in the hand
82 The Rubber Wand: optical illusion
83 Hoop-In!: a simple finger ring on wand
86 The Magical Lamp-Glass: ropes penetrate through a glass chimney
90 A Quick Discovery: Four card selections are found behind the back
92 The Wandering Pencil: pencil transfers from one envelope to another
94 The Obliging Card: Audience selects card prediction through magician's choice
97 Do As I Do!: Mobius Strips
99 A Tricky Tear-Up: torn and restored paper strip
101 The Surprising Slate: magician predicts card chosen at random (gimmicked bag and slate)

105 A Magical Medley
105 Where Did That One Go?: comedy vanish simplified version of Slydini's Paper Balls Over the Head
107 The Bashful Card: Card selection ends up in magician's pocket
110 The Rising Ring: finger ring rises on a wand
111 A Quick Balance: glass balances on a playing card edge
112 Ping!: small wand apparently passes right through the metal of a pin
114 Playing with Paper: producing a paper tree and ladder
116 The Bewildering Beads: a string of beads is cut and the beads fall loose. The string of beads is then magically restored.
118 The Elusive Card: discard on the table turns into the spectator's card selection

123 More Masters of Magic
123 John Nevil Maskelyne
126 David Devant
129 Robert Houdin

133 Inventing Your Own Ticks: the selections in this chapter are designed to get you to think about HOW to get your magic to work, inventing new approaches to effects
134 The Long Card: and its uses
139 The Audience Perform: three card selections made by the audience are instantly found (Long Card)
144 Hatched Out!: Card selection is burned, egg is cracked, inside egg is walnut that contains a prediction that matches the burnt card
149 Wizardry With the Wand: wand vanishes from envelope and instantly appears on a black cloth

154 An Advanced Programme
154 The Great Hat Production: ribbons and more are produced from a hat (Servante)
162 Knots and No Knots: three knots vanish and reappear on a rope
167 THe Handkerchief Sandwich: blue handkerchief vanishes and is found tied between two red handkerchiefs
171 The Penetrating Coin: coin vanishes and is found in nest of boxes
176 The Cut and Restored Rope: good approach
181 The Card That Finds Itself: cards are thrown at the wall where only the selection sticks
186 Cutting Yourself in Two: rope passes through the body
189 Goodnight!: ribbon dropped onto a black cloth spells the words Goodnight!