White Magic (Classic Reprint): The Story of Maskelynes - Couverture souple

Jasper Maskelyne

Couverture souple

ISBN 10 : 1440036187 ISBN 13 : 9781440036187

Editeur : Forgotten Books, 2018

Synopsis

Discover how illusion shaped a family's fate and the story behind one of magic’s great houses.

This memoir traces the rise of the Maskelyne magic dynasty, from legends of a farmer who allegedly sold his soul to the devil to the real-world tricks that delighted audiences for generations. It blends personal memory with historical insight, offering a candid look at a life lived on the edge of wonder. This book centers on the story of J. N. Maskelyne and his successors, the innovations they pursued, and the questions they faced about shows, science, and superstition. It interweaves family lore with the practical side of running theatres, creating new illusions, and imagining early radio and stage productions. Readers will encounter the thrill of magic set against the everyday realities of touring, business, and artistic ambition.

• A history of the Maskelyne stage tradition and its influential figures
• Behind-the-scenes stories of magic, seances, and scientific curiosity
• Accounts of early experiments in wireless radio and theatrical production
• Personal reflections on fame, failure, and the question of legacy

Ideal for readers who enjoy memoirs by performers, histories of magic, and portraits of a family whose life centered on illusion and ingenuity.

A propos du livre

Présentation de l'éditeur

Excerpt from White Magic: The Story of Maskelynes

What is magic? - The Black Arts and the White - A farming family goes to the Devil! - Did Nevil Maskelyne practise witchcraft? - The Maskelyne tradition - "J.N." becomes a watchmaker - Friendship with Cooke - Attending spiritualistic seances - Advent of the Davenports.

There are a number of answers to the question "What is magic?". Doubtless some of my readers who have played faro or highball poker with strangers can give one definition. Victims of the three-card trick or the manipulated dice have their own ideas. People who, in these enlightened times, still openly believe in ghosts, spirit manifestations, and wart-charming, can explain yet another form of magic, though they cannot explain it away.

For myself, I believe in only one sort of mystification, and that is White Magic. I grant a respectful reservation towards the Black Arts, not because I can practise them myself, but as the result of some rather eerie experiences which I shall detail later.

In the main, however, this book, being a history of the Magic House of Maskelyne, deals with the gentle art of illusion only, and the adventures that have befallen three generations of us who have made a living by deluding the public.

Other wizards - the share-pushers and gold-brick sellers of our times - have perhaps been even more financially successful, and had more exciting lives.

About the Publisher

Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com

Détails de l'édition

• Éditeur: Forgotten Books
• Date d'édition: 2018
• Langue: anglais
• ISBN 10: 1440036187
• ISBN 13: 9781440036187
• Reliure: Broché
• Nombre de pages: 260
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