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Hiding the Elephant: How Magicians Invented the Impossible
 
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Hiding the Elephant: How Magicians Invented the Impossible (Hardcover)

by Jim Steinmeyer (Author)
4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)

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Product details

  • Hardcover: 362 pages
  • Publisher: William Heinemann Ltd; First Edition edition (4 Nov 2004)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0434013250
  • ISBN-13: 978-0434013258
  • Product Dimensions: 21.8 x 13.6 x 4 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 293,683 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in this category:

    #87 in  Books > Music, Stage & Screen > Performing Arts > Magic

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Product Description

Review
Queen Victoria may not have been amused to know it, but it seems that all the time she thought she was conversing with Prince Albert from the other side she was actually being taken for a ride by a couple of tricksters. That is just one of the amazing facts to emerge from this book written by master illusionist Steinmeyer. We also learn how some of the most amazing conjuring tricks in history have been brought to life, and about the cut-throat world of showbusiness. In presenting a cultural history of conjuring, Steinmeyer looks at the most famous trick of all - the time Harry Houdini made an elephant disappear on stage. The reader is taken on a backstage tour to see how engineering, artistry and optical illusion have all been used to trick audiences that include everyone from sitters at seances to the well-heeled at lavish theatres. There's only one word to describe this book - magic. (Kirkus UK)

Metro
Steinmeyer's entertaining overview of the subject promises much - examining history's countless famous illusions and most vibrant characters...

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Customer Reviews

5 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
4.8 out of 5 stars (5 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Tantalising and thought provoking, 14 Nov 2004
A very entertaining look at the history of the golden age of stage illusions, from the nineteenth century to the 1930s. This book does explain some of the secrets behind some great illusions, but this is not an expose (all the "secrets" have been written about elsewhere). The author has investigated Houdini's making a elephant disappear and puts his theory forward at the culmination of the book, but more importantly the author gives a great flavour of the intriegue and backstory behind the development of some of the greatest stage magic tricks, and gives a fascinating view of the performers who turned magic into an art form, often by outright theft of other's ideas. The author does not tell you exactly how each and every trick mentioned is done, but rather plots the development of such illusions as levitation and disappearing improbably large objects as the art became more sophisticated and the competition between conjurors more intense. A wonderfully well-written and interesting book for anyone who has asked not only "how do they do that?" but also "how on earth did they come up with the idea in the first place?"
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A superb evocation of turn of the century magic, 3 Mar 2006
By John Adams - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This review is from: Hiding the Elephant: How Magicians Invented the Impossible (Paperback)
In this excellent book Jim Steinmeyer transports the reader back to the times where magic shows were the biggest draws in town. He leads us backstage to witness the scheming and stealing, and professional jealousies that drove the leading magicians of the age in their quest to find the next big trick. Considering the American background of the author he gives a surprisingly large part of the book over to the British magicians Maskelyne, Devant and Morrit.

Mr Steinmeyer knows his subject very well - he is currently the world's leading designer of stage illusions (he's the guy who designed Copperfield's Disappearance of the Statue of Liberty). He is able to describe the technical aspects of the tricks well, giving just enough information to understand the mechanics without ruining the flow of the story. He clearly revels in the innovation of Devant, Morrit and Jarrett and is capable of passing that enthusiasm to the reader.

Highly recommended.

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Remarkably pacy, 9 Nov 2005
This review is from: Hiding the Elephant: How Magicians Invented the Impossible (Paperback)
I originally bought this as it had a similar cover to "Carter Beats the Devil" and its theme looked similar. It is about late 19th and early 20th century magic but is a non fictionalised account of all the great conjurors of them time. As expected there is double crossing and subterfuge and u get a real feel for the particular shows and characters. Depsite not following a strict chronological narrative it is a surprisngly pacy piece of work and recommended to anyone who likes human interest stories. It doesn't often tell you how tricks are done but when it does it is fascinating.
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5.0 out of 5 stars A great overview of the golden age of stage magic
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Length:: 3:24 Mins
Published 6 months ago by Alexandre Maron

5.0 out of 5 stars Make a gap in your knowledge disappear!!!
If you have or have had any interest in stage magic then do yourself a favour and get this book. It is an absolute joy to read. Read more
Published on 30 April 2005 by The Cardinal

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