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If you’re interested in magic or parts of history that are rarely documented, Magic is the book for you

When I first saw Magic, I was excited to get my hands on a copy. When it arrived in I was impressed and in awe of its girth. This is one huge book. Considering it covers the history of magic from 1400-1950, 500 years of illustrations, photos, handbills and engravings are combined into one very impressive book.

Magicians have always been able to capture the imagination though sight of hand, invoking the spirits and mind reading. Magic traces the history of magic from street performers to the Golden Age of Magic in the early 20th century. From street performers to vaudevillian actors, Magic illustrates the rich history of the art and the colorful traditions that exists to today.

Written in English, German and French, the book could have been just one book reprinted in the separate languages but then the book would have been 2/3rds shorter and wouldn’t have over 1,000 illustrations. Personally, I love the hand-drawn illustrations that bring the mystical allure of magic alive by blending demons, ghosts and panache into magnificent visuals.

If you’re interested in magic or parts of history that are rarely documented, Taschen’s Magic is the book for you. It is on the more expensive side and you probably will have a hard time find a place to fit it on your bookshelf, but when you have the massive tome in your hands, you’ll discover it’s completely worth the price. I can’t do it justice so I’m going to let the book speak for itself with a few of the illustrations in the book.

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