BOOKS
After many years the landmark Vernon Chronicles books are back-in-print! This complete set of books has long been unavailable new, commanding high prices on the secondary magic market. Now, all of these must-have titles are once again available, but don't wait, you never know for how long!
VERNON CHRONICLES VOLUME 1 by STEPHEN MINCH
THE LOST INNER SECRETS
In 1963 Dai Vernon was invited by The Academy of Magical Arts to move to Hollywood, CA and become the resident "living legend" at the Magic Castle. Upon hearing this news, two young close-up artists packed up and moved cross country to Hollywood, just to sit at the feet of "The Professor". These two men were Bruce Cervon and Larry Jennings. During a three-year period in the early 1960s, they spent every minute they could with Dai Vernon-and each night Bruce Cervon went home and carefully recorded everything he had learned.
Cervon's notes grew to fill fourteen large binders. Among the inner circle, these became known as The Castle Notebooks, and their content was much coveted and speculated upon. Within these notebooks were known to lie fabulous secrets and tricks, knowledge gathered and guarded by The Professor over a lifetime in magic that spanned seventy years-secrets that were kept from print and were reserved for the use of a very privileged few.
Beginning with this volume, the legendary Castle Notebooks are being opened to the magical community. Bruce Cervon, with the aid and permission of Dai Vernon, and in co-operation with Larry Jennings and Louis Falanga, is releasing this massive body of invaluable knowledge.
Volume One contains more than fifty sleights, tricks and routines with cards and coins. They are fully explained in these pages for the first time. The material is vintage Vernon, the magic that made him a legend among magicians; expert magic that has made one reputation and will make others. Included are rich insights into the thinking and psychology that is known as "The Vernon Touch," and historical anecdotes that are both entertaining and informative. Numerous rare photos and pieces of memorabilia from The Professor's private collection have been added, as well as a biographical essay on him by Elizabeth Wilson.
There are very few books that recognized as a classic before they reach press, this volume is one such book.
235 pages, hardbound with dust jacket.
ITEM # BK0223 PRICE $40.00
VERNON CHRONICLES 2 by STEPHEN MINCH
An 18 page Vernoniana Portfolio by professional photographers Young & Robin opens the volume. Rare and interesting Vernon memorabilia photographed so you can enjoy it over the years. The book contains over 50 Vernon routines, 27 historical photographs, 177 illustrations.
Pages 245 – Hardcover
ITEM # BK1365 PRICE $45.00
VERNON CHRONICLES VOLUME 3 by STEPHEN MINCH
FURTHER LOST INNER SECRETS
This third volume of The Vernon Chronicles offers another generous serving of superb magic from the repertoire of magic's most revered Professor, Dai Vernon.
The book opens with a special essay, which surveys a cross section of the close-up magic being done by New York City's avant-garde during the seminal 1920s and 1930s. William P. Miesel constructed the skeleton of this historical excursion from columns in the old Sphinx magazine. Prominent there were Dai Vernon and his friends; people like Sam Horowitz, Ted Annemann and Luis Zingone. Mr. Miesel selected some of their more intriguing effects and, in collaboration with Dai Vernon, Max Maven, Bruce Cervon and Stephen Minch, the methods were reconstructed as accurately as is possible. This study is an important historical document, and revealing in the life of Dai Vernon.
We then resume the pleasant task of recording another large
portion of Dai Vernon's unpublished work. Included are many little-known
sleights and tricks with cards, coins and bills. The magic ranges from the
nearly self-working to the consummately skillful. And, at long last, here is an
explanation of the near legendary "Joker Monte" trick that Mr. Vernon
used for decades to tease and baffle fellow magicians. His original method is
given, along with new ideas by Tom Gagnon and Bruce Cervon.
Like the second volume of this series, a generous seasoning of magic by Dai
Vernon's friends, both past and present, is included. Among those represented
are Arthur Finley, Sam Horowitz, Henry Christ, "One-Armed" MacDonald,
Dr. Daley, Faucett Ross, Herb Zarrow and Bruce Cervon.
This volume continues the pageant of exquisite magic that helped to justify Dai Vernon's reputation as one of this century's most important innovators and champions of artistic conjuring.
219 pages, hardbound with dust jacket.
ITEM # BK0145 PRICE $40.00
VERNON CHRONICLES 4 by STEPHEN MINCH
He Fooled Houdini
This fourth volume of The Vernon Chronicles is a complete change of pace from the three that preceded it. In the works since 1965, this enthralling anecdotal biography follows Dai Vernon from his birth to his coming to Hollywood's world-famous Magic Castle in 1963. As you read you will feel as if you are sitting with Dai at the Magic Castle while he shares the stories and experiences of his lifetime.
You will learn far more magic here than from any mere book of tricks as Dai talks about his "Attack on Magic", "Practice", "On Using Trick Cards", "Secrets", Effects Defined", "Shade", "Authority", "Great Tricks", "Classics" and "What's Wrong With Magic".
Dai describes the techniques he used to establish his world-wide reputation and introduces you to many legends of magic; his idols, such as the great Johann Nepomuk Hofzinser and Max Malini. His inspirations - Nate Leipzig, Dr. James Elliott, the Challenge Card Champion of the World, and J. Warren Keane. Many others including Harry Houdini, Jud Cole, Fred Keating, Jarrow, Cliff Green, and Tommy Downs; as well as such colorful and intriguing characters as Mr. Shock, The Mysterious Kid, Old Snakey Davis, "Slip the Jit" Harry, and Garnet Lee, the Chinaman's toy.
The story of the greatest natural magician the world has ever seen - the fantastic story of the man who fooled Houdini.
Pages 308 - Hardcover, 67 historical photographs
ITEM # BK1366 PRICE $45.00
INNER CARD TRILOGY by DAI VERNON
"Inner-More Inner and Further Inner Secrets of Card Magic make up the finest-ever collection of top-quality tricks and sleights. Get them on your shelf and you'll be set for life...for this type of material will be fresh in 50 years time." - Harry Stanley, The Gen January 1969
Perhaps Hofzinser said it best, "card effects are the poetry of conjuring." If that is so, Dai Vernon was a master poet.
Beginning at the tender age of five, David Frederick Wingfield Verner passionately embraced the art of magic with all his heart and soul-he never let go. Nothing got between him and his lifelong quest for perfection at his craft.
His well-grounded knowledge of the principles of conjuring and his skillful knack for expanding upon those principles gained him world-wide admiration. His many innovations have become "the stuff that dreams are made of." Magicians respected him because he respected magic. It is well documented that he had a profound influence on his contemporaries as well as on the subsequent "new wave" of close-up practitioners that faithfully followed his teachings. Cervon, Jennings, Klause, Skinner, et al, they felt "The Vernon Touch"...they still do...so will you.
Thoughtfully pursue the pages of this book with cards in hand and you'll soon realize whey they all lovingly call Dai Vernon, "The Professor."
Pages 240 - Hardbound with dust jacket.
ITEM # BK1367 PRICE $45.00
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