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The War Magician: The man who conjured victory in the desert (Hardcover)

by David Fisher (Author) "Jasper Maskelyne was drinking a glass of razor blades when the war began ..." (more)
2.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)

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Product details

  • Hardcover: 320 pages
  • Publisher: Weidenfeld & Nicolson; First edition thus edition (14 Oct 2004)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0297846353
  • ISBN-13: 978-0297846352
  • Product Dimensions: 23.4 x 15.2 x 4 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 2.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 584,640 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in this category:

    #78 in  Books > Biography > Theatre & Performance Art > Magicians

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Product Description

THE SUNDAY TIMES

'Right from his memorable opening line [Fisher] shows a sure touch... a richly entertaining read.'


Review

'Right from his memorable opening line [Fisher] shows a sure touch... a richly entertaining read.' (THE SUNDAY TIMES )

'a remarkable tale, delightfully told.' (SOLDIER magazine )

'This is one of those books that once you start, you can't give up... a fascinating read' (REGIMENT )
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Inside This Book (Learn More)
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Jasper Maskelyne was drinking a glass of razor blades when the war began. Read the first page
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Customer Reviews

5 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
2.6 out of 5 stars (5 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars Fact or fiction, 7 Oct 2007
By M. A. Ramos (Florida USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   
This review is from: The War Magician: The True Story of Jasper Maskelyne (Paperback)
There is a lot of discussion on whether or not this book is fact or fiction. I picked it up to read because it was a work of "Non-Fiction". But after reading it I am not sure. The book does have verifiable historical detail. But it is filled with complete conversations of the characters/subjects. It seemed to me to be more of a historical novel. Though I do not think everything in the book is accurate, Most of what he is attributed to have done is plausible.

The War Magician written by David Fisher claims to be a true account of the exploits of the illusionist Jasper Maskelyne during the Second World War. Mr. Maskelyne comes from a long line of magicians. And like his ancestor who used his magic knowledge to help T.E. Lawrence in Arabia in WW I, he wanted to do his part in WW II. And so he does. His skills are used to help the British forces in developing new and creative weapons of illusion. Like making the armies look larger then they actually were. To innovations in camouflage, which are very interesting. And these camouflage techniques would take a mind such as Maskelyne had to conceive and execute.

The book makes for very interested reading. And just goes to remind us, that with enough ingenuity and hard work, anything can be accomplished. Regardless if the book is all factual, or if there is some embellishment, it is worth the read.
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6 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars A strange read, 18 Jun 2006
One of the most puzzling books I have ever read. An amazing tale to be sure, but the manner of the telling is very odd. If Mr. Fisher had kept to a straight factual account I would trust its content a lot more than I do. Unfortunately, he insists on dramatising some events and with all those adverbs and modifiers scattered through his prose I just do not know what is the product of his imagination and what is factually accurate. The lack of chapter notes is telling. If he cannot source the events and dialogue he uses then he should not pretend that this is a factual account.

A very strange read. It is as if a film screenplay has been turned into a book.
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2 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars Total Hogwash, 20 Mar 2007
This review is from: The War Magician: The True Story of Jasper Maskelyne (Paperback)
This book may be entertaining, but nothing about it is true. As history it is total rubbish, being based on Maskelyne's entirely tendentious ghost-written memoir. If anyone wants to know the full, and very detailed history of Allied Deception in the Second World War, they need go no further than Thaddeus Holt's 1100-page 'The Deceivers'.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Read
I can't for the life of me understand why the previous reviewers are so sceptical and critical of this book. What's the problem? Read more
Published 5 months ago by BadgerMeister

3.0 out of 5 stars Mixed feelings
I agree with the previous reviewer, you never know what's historical truth and what's dramatisation. I'm not sure that matters though, because the story is fascinating. Read more
Published on 31 Aug 2007 by Peter M

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