Conjuring

"Conjuring - more commonly known as magic - is said to be the world's second oldest profession. This sumptuously illustrated history tells the story of magic and its bizarre history through portraits of the conjurors themselves. Included are Chapters on Horace Goldin and His Buzz-Saw, "Kellar, the Man Who Spoke with Devils," and - yes - "Thurston, the King of Cards." The dark side of magic is explored in chapters on the fabulous Indian Rope Trick and the deadly Defying the Bullets Trick. In the Rope Trick - a staple of early conjuring history - a boy climbs a stiff rope and disappears into the clouds, where he is hacked apart and his limbs rain down from the sky. The conjuror then places the pieces into a basket from which the intact boy emerges to take up a collection from astonished, horrified spectators. In the Defying the Bullets Trick - so dangerous that not even Houdini would attempt it - the conjuror catches a bullet fired at point-blank range. Several great magicians were killed this way as the victims of mechanical error or sabotage. The rich history of conjuring is complete with unforgettable sections on the Bambergs, both Blackstones, Houdini and his entourage - perhaps