It would be great fun to be a magician, except they sometimes get killed during the show. Other jobs are lethal and not near as much fun as magic. If you want to conjure up some rabbits out of your hat, or a burning cigarette out of your mouth (ouch) David Copperfield's History of Magic lets you stand on the shoulders of giants, figuratively. It's hard to stand on the shoulders of dead magicians, unless your form of magic is necromancy.
Written in an easy-to-follow, friendly way, David Copperfield's History of Magic feels like Copperfield is walking you through his museum while he tells stories about the history of magic. Interesting info on the magician innovators and stars throughout the decades, including the engineering and technology they created to work their magic. Lots of colorful photos of old costumes, posters, books on magic, and magician's props including a guillotine, circular saw, and Houdini's death-defying water box. Copperfield includes two famous female magicians--always glad when historians remember the ladies. Copperfield doesn't give any secrets away, but he does tell about the classic books that the magicians wrote to teach magic and slight-of-hand tricks. If a reader really really wanted to learn magic and card tricks, Copperfield sends them in the right direction. The book includes extensive notes on research. Thanks to Netgalley for allowing me to read and review an eARC of this nonfiction book.
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