Trade of the Tricks
Inside the Magician's Craft
Format:Hardback
Publisher:University of California Press
Published:14th Oct '11
Currently unavailable, and unfortunately no date known when it will be back
From risque cabaret performances to engrossing after-hours shop talk, "Trade of the Tricks" offers an unprecedented look inside the secretive subculture of modern magicians. Entering the flourishing Paris magic scene as an apprentice, Graham M. Jones gives a firsthand account of how magicians learn to perform their astonishing deceptions. He follows the day-to-day lives of some of France's most renowned performers, revealing not only how secrets are created and shared, but also how they are stolen and destroyed. In a book brimming with humor and surprise, Jones shows how today's magicians marshal creativity and passion in striving to elevate their amazing skill into high art. The book's lively cast of characters includes female and queer performers whose work is changing the face of a historically masculine genre.
"This book is a celebration and a revelation. Highly recommended." Genii Magazine "By following some of the world's leading magicians and fully participating in the scene as a kind of sorcerer's apprentice, [Jones] shines a light on [the] community." The Independent "Readable, scholarly ... and personal... A fascinating account of an anthropologist visiting another world." -- Peter M. Nardi Los Angeles Review Of Books "Look beyond the birthday parties and 10-gallon top hats and magicians have a long history going for them." Maxim "Studded with humor, insights, revelations about deceptions being created and destroyed." Magicana "Fascinatingly lays bare the craft, mores, sociology, anthropology and tendencies of magic... It's also quite funny." -- Brian Reffin Smith, U.K. Leonardo Reviews "Fascinating... [Jones's] writing is lively and engaging; Trade of the tricks will fascinate specialist and non-specialist readers alike." -- Matthew Solomon, University of Michigan Journal Royal Anthro Inst (Jrai) "There is a lot to appreciate in this book... The shrewd magician will read it." Genii Magazine "Compelling and original... A learned and witty excursion through the rituals of an ancient craft with a fascinating history." -- Susan Terrio American Anthropologist
ISBN: 9780520270466
Dimensions: 229mm x 152mm x 20mm
Weight: 590g
308 pages