Byron Walker's Magic Books

Miracles of my Friends II by Burton S.Sperber is the welcome follow-up to his 1982 first volume.  The previous book is long out of print and this volume is limited to only 1000 copies.  Included are favorite mental effects of Larry Becker, Leo Behnke, David Ben, Robin DeWitt, Paul Draper, Ed Fowler, Paul Green, Scott Grossberg,  Todd Karr, Nick Lewin, Max Maven, Jack Tillar and others including nine by the author.  This is a beautifully designed book by Leo Behnke, gold stamped front cover and spine with two Magic Castle cards mounted to the front cover.  xiv plus 124 pages.  $60

The Nail Writer Anthology by Thomas Baxter.  2010.  vi plus 185 pages, hardbound in dust jacket.  Tom starts with a truly comprehensive history of the nail writer with a surprise for those who thought it first appeared in print in Truesdell’s Bottom Facts Concerning the Science of Spiritualism in 1883 (including me until I had read an early draft of this book).  He covers all types of writers including how to make your own and then dozens of routines from top mentalists world-wide.  Baxter concludes with a nice bibliography.  Highly recommended for both the historian and the practicing mentalist.  New copies, $50. 

World’s Greatest Mental Tests: a Collection of Super Mental Feats for Mentalists – Psychics –Mindreaders by “Volta” (Burling Hull).  1944.  22 pages, 8 ½ by 11 mimeograph folded in original pebbled gold stiff covers with cover label..  $20

Magick (Bascom Jones).  Finally a quality reprint of the entire 496 issues plus bonus inserts plus all indexes, including to the final issue.  This fine set is beautifully hardbound in maroon cloth, gold stamped on front covers and spines.  This set contains more than 2,500 pages and more than 1,400 effects.  Added is a new Introduction and each volume contains a new Foreword.  Magick was noted for the very high quality of the material and I always looked forward to each issue.  This is limited to only 500 sets, $795/ set of 5 volumes.

The Art of Stage Mind Reading or Second Sight.  1913. 55 pages in original pictorial wraps.  Fine copy.  $15

Harry Price: The Biography of a Ghost-Hunter by Paul Tabori, London 1950 First Edition.  316 pages plus photographic plates.  Included is an extensive Bibliography of the books, pamphlets and articles by  Harry Price, omitting only one as far as I know.  (Its information supplied on a sheet laid in).  This copy with the striking “skull on books” bookplate of George Boston and INSCRIBED and signed by Kuda Bux on the full page photographic plate of Bux performing his famous fire-walk.  A fine copy in a good dust jacket.  $85

The Complete Guide to Billet-Switching.  46 pages.  The first 32 pages are Step Six of Corinda’s 13 Steps to Mentalism, pages 33 to 46 are “One Man” Mind Reading Secrets by Ralph Read.  As new, $5

Gems of Mental Magic by John Brown Cook and Arthur Buckley with Introduction by John Mulholland.  The 132 page, 1973 reprint of the 1947 classic on mentalism.  I have several mint copies for only $4

The Bigger Book of Boo! by T. Everett Bookings.  2007.  220 pages of bizarre and supernatural magic: A Ghost Hunt, The Stake and the Vampire, The Ghost Notebook, The Ghostly Message, Spirits on the Table, Wood From a Haunted House, etc. etc.  New copy - $49

202 Methods of Forcing by Ted Annemann.  35 pages of card forces, number forces, miscellaneous forces.  (Did you know there are actually 205?)  VG copy - $5

Donald Holmes, A Mind Reading Act.  (1913)  20 pages in pictorial wraps. The scarcest of his four serials. Complete copy but stained with crease in center.  $15