Eldin, Peter: Pocket Book of Magic ©1985 Kingfisher Books, Ltd, London Softcover, perfect-bound, 4.75x7.5", 189 pages ISBN: 0-86272-121-0 Printed in the USA as: The Magic Handbook ©1985 Eldin Editorial Services, Simon & Schuster Softcover, perfect-bound, 189 pages ISBN: 0-671-55039-X Reprinted in 1986, 1987 ©1992 The Mysterious Book of Magic Hardcover, no dj, 7.75x9.75", 95 pages (also in paperback) ISBN: 978-1856050548

Kingfisher 1987 edition Image courtesy eBay seller raolsonmagic

Simon & Schuster Edition Image from Magicref

Image courtesy eBay seller Marlam28

Comments: Illustrators: Jeanne Colville, Jane Eccles, Janos Marffy, Annette Olney, Mike Saunders. Originally published in Great Britain under the title Kingfisher Pocket Book of Magic. This is a beginner's text, with lovely color illustrations. Very attractive little book. There are some very good effects in here (how many beginners' texts can you name that include the Han Ping Chien? Sword Box? Egg on Fan? I mean, I was doing magic for years before I even heard of some of these. If only I'd had this book when I started out.) This is one of the best beginner's texts I've ever seen. Some very strong material here. Has been reprinted several times under different titles.

Contents (from Handbook edition):

8 Chapter 1: The World of Magic
10 How to Start: practice, practice, practice
12 Equipment: what you will need

14 Chapter 2: Impromptu Magic
16 Jumping Rubber Band: Any magicians not know this one?
17 Initial Transfer: Initials on sugarcube transfer to hand.
18 Chink a Chink: Matrix routine with sugarcubes covered by hands.
20 Straight Through: Rope or handkerchief loop penetrates arm/pole/leg/whatever.
21 Journey Through Postcard: Classic stunt: Postcard cut to form band that can be stepped through.
22 Squash: Glass wrapped in newspaper penetrates table.
24 Topsy Turvy Bill: Folded bill turns upside down.
25 Anti-Magnetic Matches: Match in spectator's hand goes flying when touched with another.
26 One In The Pocket: Spongeball routine with wads of paper, large wad produced at end.
28 Han Ping Chien Coins: Coins travel from one hand to other.

31 Chapter 3: Stage Magic
32 Houdini Silk: Silk pulled from glass without disturbing intervening barriers.
33 Houdini Ball: Ball in sack tied with ropes held by spectators vanishes from sack.
34 Going Up: Stack of cubes, different color cube travels upwards in stack under cover of tube.
35 Clippo: Newspaper strip openly cut with scissors, stays in one piece.
36 Newton Outdone: Two glasses set on book covered with silk defy gravity.
38 The Sterling Egg: Pieces of torn paper on fan, becomes egg, egg broken into glass. Labor-intensive preparation.
40 Sympathetic Silks: Six silks knot and unknot themselves in sympathy with each other.
44 The Organ Pipes: Two tubes, one passed through the other, shown empty, nested, silks, etc. produced.
45 Square Circle Production
46 Silks From Newspaper
48 Production Extraordinaire: Production of assistant from two cardboard boxes previously shown folded flat.
50 Incredible Sword Box: Sounds more impressive than "Incredible Wooden Dowel Cardboard Box" I guess.

53 Chapter 4: Magic Money
54 Classic Palm Vanish
55 Coin Fold: Coin folded up in sheet of paper, packet torn in half.
56 The French Drop
57 A Natural French Drop: Alternate handling.
58 Coin In Ball of Wool
58 Soapy Secret: Coin vanish using handkerchief, soap in place of Magician's Wax.
60 Coin Escape: Coin twisted into center of handkerchief penetrates it.
62 Dissolving Coin: Coin dropped into glass of water under hank, shown in glass, vanishes under cover of hank.
63 Travelling Coin: Coin travels to join coin in other hand.
64 Through the Hand: Coin penetrates back of hand.
66 The Miser's Dream: A few basics, not full routine.
68 Making Money: Four pieces of paper folded up, change to four bills.

70 Chapter 5: Magic Of The Mind
72 The Bionic Brain: Prediction involving three possible outcomes.
73 Who Will Win?: One of several envelopes has money, after spectators choose, money in remaining envelope.
74 Living And Dead: One envelope chosen correctly from packet.
75 Book Test: Any book of 150-200 pages may be used. First word on randomly chosen page correctly divined.
76 What's Your Name?: Five names sealed in five envelopes. Each name correctly divined.
77 One Ahead
78 The Giant Memory: Ten randomly selected nouns from the audience are immediately memorized, recited back in order, then in reverse order.
80 Half And Half: Clipboard with playing cards held sticking out from sides by rubber bands. Magician writes prediction on board. Card chosen. Card removed and placed under clip. Board turned to show prediction matches.
82 Spirit Number: Three randomly chosen three digit numbers totaled. Total matches prediction which appears on blank card signed by spectator and held in their possession before numbers selected.
84 In The News: Book test variant involving newspaper article headlines. Requires assistant.

87 Chapter 6: Magic With Rope
88 Quick Knot
89 One-Handed Knot
90 Magic Washing: Rings and tied hanks penetrate knotted ropes via the Grandmother's Necklace principle.
92 Impossible Knot: Knot tied in rope without letting go of ends or crossing arms.
93 Knots-a-Plenty: Rope coiled around hand, uncoiled to show any number of knots.
94 A Long Stretch: Two equal lengths of rope knotted into loops. One loop visibly stretches.
96 Cut and Restored Rope
100 Equal, Unequal Ropes: Professor's Nightmare with all three ropes becoming one as a finale.

102 Chapter 7: Classics of Close-up
104 Ghostly Pin: Safety pin through hem of hank, moved back and forth without ripping.
105 Piff, Paff, Poof: Classic unlinking safety pin effect.
106 Coins Through Table
110 Ring On Stick: Ring penetrates wand under cover of hank.
112 Out of This World: Invented by Paul Curry. Red and Black cards separate even with the spectator dealing.
114 The Paddle Move. Seeing Spots: Routine using Paddle Move.
116 Torn and Restored
117 Performing Torn and Restored
118 The Cups and Balls: With final load.

120 Chapter 8: Card Conjuring
122 Threes and Fours: The four threes appear on top of four piles of cards.
123 The Red Card: Ten cards alternate face up and face down. Spectator picks number from one to ten, which turns out to be the red card.
124 Sim Sala Bim: Title of trick spelled out to reveal chosen card.
125 Do As I Do: Two decks of cards, magician chooses card from one, spectator a card from the other, cards match.
126 Key Cards: Several varieties discussed.
128 Glide Location: Uses one of the key cards mentioned earlier.
129 Stab In The Dark: Deck Stab, cards wrapped in newspaper.
130 Quick Change: Card selected, top card shown and tabled, changes to selection.
132 Eight Kings Chased: Deck stack.
133 Si Stebbins: Another stack.
134 Mental Identification. Multiple ID Test
135 The Three Tops: All three use one of the stacks mentioned.
136 Forcing A Card: Several different methods.
138 Revealing A Forced Card: Two suggestions.
140 False Shuffles: Several different methods.
142 Your Card: Finding chosen card by peeking at the bottom card in the deck.
143 Impossible Location: Selection returned anywhere in deck, found.
144 The Fabulous Four Aces: Four stacks of cards, Ace on bottom of each, one stack becomes all four Aces.

147 Chapter 9: For My Next Trick ...
148 Burned and Restored Bill: Bank Night routine.
150 Cards Across: Three cards pass from a stack held by one spectator into stack held by another.
152 Twentieth Century Silks: Silk vanishes, appears tied between two differently colored silks.
154 Going By Tube: Cardboard tube threaded on two strings rises and falls at magician's command.
154 Silk Through Rope: Silk tied around rope penetrates it.
156 The Afghan Bands
158 Soft Soap: Sucker effect, three dirty silks put into box, box turned over, three clean silks removed, box taken apart to show empty.
160 Time To Say Goodbye: Cloth bag shown front and back, folded up, ribbon placed inside, unfolded to show "Goodbye" sewn into bag.
161 The Tale of a Donkey's Tail: Same effect as above, picture of tail-less donkey, tail placed in bag, etc.
162 The Magic Book: Magic Coloring Book.
162 The Color Changing Pack: Svengali Deck where backs change instead of fronts.
163 An Amazing Prediction: Effect using Color Changing Pack.

164 Chapter 10: On With The Show: General performance and practice tips.
178 Comedy Props: Several ideas.

180 References: Very brief history of magic plus addresses of IBM, SAM, Magic Circle, etc.
182 Magic Book List: A few basic texts listed, also some of the more well-known magic dealers (Abbot's, Tannen's , etc.) addresses given.
184 Glossary of Terms
187 Index