The Secret History of Magic: The True Story of the Deceptive Art

Lamont, Peter; Steinmeyer, Jim

ISBN 10: 0143130633 / ISBN 13: 9780143130635

Editore: Tarcher, 2018

All pages and cover are intact including the dust cover, if applicable . Spine may show signs of wear. Pages may include limited notes and highlighting. May include "From the library of" labels. Shrink wrap, dust covers, or boxed set case may be missing. Item may be missing bundled media. Codice articolo MINV.0143130633.G

Riassunto:

Pull back the curtain on the real history of magic – and discover why magic really matters
 
If you read a standard history of magic, you learn that it begins in ancient Egypt, with the resurrection of a goose in front of the Pharaoh. You discover how magicians were tortured and killed during the age of witchcraft. You are told how conjuring tricks were used to quell rebellious colonial natives. The history of magic is full of such stories, which turn out not to be true. Behind the smoke and mirrors, however, lies the real story of magic.
 
It is a history of people from humble roots, who made and lost fortunes, and who deceived kings and queens. In order to survive, they concealed many secrets, yet they revealed some and they stole others. They engaged in deception, exposure, and betrayal, in a quest to make the impossible happen. They managed to survive in a world in which a series of technological wonders appeared, which previous generations would have considered magical. Even today, when we now take the most sophisticated technology for granted, we can still be astonished by tricks that were performed hundreds of years ago. 
 
The Secret History of Magic reveals how this was done. It is about why magic matters in a world that no longer seems to have a place for it, but which desperately needs a sense of wonder.

Informazioni sull?autore: Peter Lamont is a historian and psychologist at the University of Edinburgh, and a specialist in the history and psychology of magic. His articles have appeared in many scholarly journals and national newspapers, and his critically acclaimed books include The Rise of the Indian Rope Trick (one of the New York Times' "books of the year" of 2005).

Jim Steinmeyer is a world-renowned magic designer and author, who has created many of the mysteries featured by professional magicians, and special effects featured in popular Broadway shows. His books include The Last Greatest Magician in the World, the Taschen coffee-table book, Magic, and the Los Angeles Times bestseller, Hiding the Elephant.

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Titolo: The Secret History of Magic: The True Story ...
Casa editrice: Tarcher
Data di pubblicazione: 2018
Legatura: Rilegato
Condizione: good