"David Copperfield's History of Magic" promises a journey into the world of magic, but ultimately falls short of delivering on its premise. As a reader expecting to delve into the intricacies of magic tricks and how they are passed down, I found myself sorely disappointed by the book's focus on the personalities of magicians rather than the art of magic itself.

While the book may boast some insights from co-authors Richard Wiseman and David Britland, its primary focus on showcasing David Copperfield's museum of magic feels self-indulgent and detracts from the potential depth of the subject matter. Copperfield's constant self-references throughout the book only serve to further overshadow the history of magic itself.

Unless you're a fan of Copperfield, there are probably better books out there on the topic.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to review a temporary digital ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

Magic has always been intriguing to me. David Copperfield is one of my favorites and it was interesting to learn more about him.

DAVID COPPERFIELD’S HISTORY OF MAGIC –

Written by: David Copperfield, Richard Wiseman & David Britland
Photographs by: Homer Liwag

In this personal journey through a unique and remarkable performing art, David Copperfield profiles twenty-eight of the world’s most groundbreaking magicians. From the 16th-century magistrate who wrote the first book on conjuring to the roaring twenties and the man who fooled Houdini, to the woman who levitated, vanished, and caught bullets in her teeth,

I can still remember, as a child, watching with my three older brothers as Copperfield performed his Magic on television in the late 70s, all of us in awe at his ability to do the impossible before our eyes and wonder—to this day—though not really wanting the answer, ‘How did he do it?’

So you can imagine my trepidation and excitement when I was approved to read and review Copperfield’s HISTORY OF MAGIC—which includes…wait for it!

Photographs!

Some may be thinking, ‘So what, Lady, [insert eye roll here] books have photographs in them; it's a thing. Get a grip—geez!’

Yes, that is true, but not all eARCs provided by publishers include the images that will later be added to the final draft. (Aaaaaannnddd, Yes, I am aware this review is a year late. *sigh*)

So, allow me to reiterate…

Photographs!

*Squeeeeeeeeeee*

There is a reason for my excitement, and, what has prompted me to put the hardback version on my to-be-purchased list, are the images that tie into this non-fiction narrative ever so nicely on the pages of Copperfield’s HISTORY OF MAGIC.

Will you learn the trade of the tricks?

The how-tos and what-not from the magical masters of Illusion from the past?

Nope, that’s not what this book is about.

Within these pages, you will, however, learn about Copperfield’s mysterious, cleverly disguised Museum Of Magic and the exclusive contents complemented with one hundred never-seen-before photographs—hence my excitement! ;)

I can’t even begin to imagine how Copperfield must feel being in possession of such time-honored treasures owned and once used by his predecessors, many he looked up to—Yep, I am in awe, once again.

‘On the face of it, my job is to perform the impossible. But when I see audience members being moved by my magic, I am moved, too: magic has the power to redirect people away from their worries and concerns and, perhaps most important of all, to inspire and to provide hope.’

Whether you are a fan of Magic, a would-be Illusionist, drawn in by-way-of the origin stories, or all of the above, I Highly Recommend This Book!

Thank you, NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Publishing, for providing me with an eARC of DAVID COPPERFIELD’S HISTORY OF MAGIC at the request of an honest review; my sincere apology to all for the delay.

This is a fascinating book because Copperfield et al have written it well. I am glued to it, though, in hopes that at least a couple tricks will be explained. So far, no such luck. So I am getting bored and bitter. Come on, sure we are interested in Slight of Hand history and all that and it is fantastic to read about those old automatons y'all have in your collection but you KNOW what we want. YOU KNOW we want to know the how, so please consider a rewrite. Write us some crumbs. Tell us what it's like to go to that special restaurant/club in L.A. that's only for magicians. (I used to pass it on Franklin every day). Thanks

Who else but David Copperfield would you want telling the history of magic? This is a great mix of biographies for each magician who changed the field in their own way, and part autobiography for Copperfield who added his own story about how each one effected his own career and life. Which is why he would be the perfect choice to tell the story of his fellow magicians, it's not just a flat description about who each one was and what they contributed but also about how in some way or another they helped get him where he is.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Simon & Schuster for an advanced copy of this new magic compendium and memoir.
I had expected David Copperfield's History of Magic, written by the magician and entertainer David Copperfield with two co-writers to be both interesting and well magical. But not as magical as it turned out to be. Not just a history of slight of hand artists, cardsharps and illusionists of all types, the book is much more. How magic can not only transform a flower into a bird, but how magic can transform a life and give it purpose.
To call this a history of magic is a bit of a stretch. It is a book of magic history, but it does not provide a coherent narrative of magic from antiquity to modernity. Rather, it presents anecdotes about a variety of magicians throughout history without much effort to connect one to the next.

Magic, magic, magic. I love magic. Specifically, this sort of magic, not the thing you’ll find in fantasy books. And no magician of the modern age has distinguished himself quite like David Copperfield. Not just the fame, not just the recognition, not just the gazillion dollars he’s made doing it, but also the sheer breadth of imagination, the dedication to the craft and the spectacle of the craft, the range and magnitude of his stunts…it’s all pretty impressive.
The man’s been recognized by the magician community and community at large as a living legend, literally. With a legendary dedication to magic. So of course, of course, he would have a secret magic museum. And of course, of course, it would be awesome.
I don’t travel much, but there are places I dream of visiting. Now I can add Copperfield’s magic museum to that list. Located at an undisclosed location somewhere in Vegas desert, this museum, whose front on a lovely gesture is crafted to look just like Copperfield’s father’s clothing store did back in New Jersey once upon a time, collects over 300, 000 magic-related artifacts.
It all began with a 20, 000 item collection of another famous magician. Copperfield acquired it in bulk, so it stayed together and then added (prodigiously) to it over the years. Now, it’s a positively (and appropriately) magical place that features possessions of many if not all great magicians of the past, including things like a recreated magic shop of Copperfield’s youth. It’s like a wonderland for people who like magic. Thank goodness this book comes with photos, many photos, in color for proper effect. It isn’t quite like being there, but it’s the next best thing.
Each chapter features a famous magician. The last one features Copperfield himself, though his voice comes through in other chapters, the man is a professional magician, after all, they aren’t exactly shy about self-promotion, plus Copperfield does indeed have a lot of accomplishments to be proud of. And he is genuinely passionate about magic, that comes through loud and clear.
I’m not sure exactly how much of the writing he did himself, the book features two writing contributors (magic experts), but it reads quite nicely. You get to discover the many variegated lives of the giants of magic on whose shoulders modern magicians like Copperfield stand today. That’s his take and his words, meaning that’s his take on Newton’s famous quotation. A sort of a humble brag, for sure, but hey, why not, really. So much of magic is about showmanship, after all.
And so, I leave the museum charmed, enlightened, and delighted, as I’m sure most magic fans would be after visiting the place for themselves. Recommended.

David Copperfield's History of Magic by David Copperfield was received directly from the publisher and I chose to review it. I am of the age that in my younger years I looked forward to, and obviously watched David's television specials. I have always had an interest in magic but never delved into the craft. For those with an interest, or just a curiosity of magic, this book is the book to get. It is not a David Copperfield autobiography, so if that is what you are expecting, look elsewhere. The book breaks down many of the artifacts in Davids magic museum, outside of Las Vegas. The book gives a quick history of the magician and why that artifact was important in magic history. Recommended for the magician in training or even the casual interest in magic person in your family.

4 Stars

Five stars!

David Copperfield's History of Magic is a well-written conversational tour of David Copperfield's magic history museum, which is unfortunately not open to the public. No secrets are given away, but there is a plethora of information about the history of illusions and the people who present them from the 1500s to the present day complete with fascinating photos of the artifacts he has collected, from letters to posters to the props and tricks themselves. Highly recommended for anyone with an interest in entertainment, magic and magicians, or history in general.

I am extremely grateful to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster for the opportunity to read and review The History of Magic.

Prestidigitation! Illusion! Conjurors! The incomparable Harry Houdini! David Copperfield!
This book is mainly written by a man who loves his art/craft and wants the generations to know how much harder it was for his precursors to wow the public in the times before the digital age and CGI. He has an extensive library of the history, performance and secrets of magical performances as well as the devices used by the great ones as purchased and even donated by families of them. There are photographs and drawings of original artifacts and stories of the precursors in this field. GREAT!
I requested and received a free temporary ebook from Simon & Schuster via NetGalley. Thank you!

I've always been fascinated by magicians and David Copperfield is one of the best. This is an easy-to-read book that details the history of magic and famous magicians. Alas, no secrets revealed - but that's ok - it's magic after all!!

Copperfield's museum sounds amazing and since it isn't open to the public, this virtual walk through it is as close as most of us will ever get.

Written in an easy-to-follow, friendly way, David Copperfield's History of Magic feels like Copperfield is walking you through his museum while he tells stories about the history of magic.

Interesting info on the magician innovators and stars throughout the decades, including the engineering and technology they created to work their magic. Lots of colorful photos of old costumes, posters, books on magic, and magician's props including a guillotine, circular saw, and Houdini's death-defying water box. Copperfield includes two famous female magicians--always glad when historians remember the ladies.

Copperfield doesn't give any secrets away, but he does tell about the classic books that the magicians wrote to teach magic and slight-of-hand tricks. If a reader really really wanted to learn magic and card tricks, Copperfield sends them in the right direction. The book includes extensive notes on research.

Thanks to Netgalley for allowing me to read and review an eARC of this nonfiction book.

this was a really well done book, I enjoyed going through the history of magic, but then again I've always enjoyed magic. I enjoyed the way Mr. Copperfield wrote the book and read this quickly.

I first heard about this book when the authors gave a talk at this year’s virtual ALA convention. Having grown up with Copperfield’s specials on TV and always having an interest in magic, this seemed like a natural read for me. And indeed it was.

The book takes the reader through the history of 19th and 20th century magicians with the backgrounds supplemented by photos of items which belonged to each that are now part of Copperfield’s museum and library of magic. The collection looks very cool and, hopefully, something the public masses might be able to experience someday.

I'm a huge fan of magic in any form and try to catch The Illusionists on Broadway whenever they're playing. So this book was right up my alley and it was a very interesting history of magic learning about some magicians I had never heard about previously. Just a note that by the end of the book, reading which now resides in my museum was a little much. I'm also sad his museum isn't open to the public.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Simon & Schuster for an advanced copy of this new magic compendium and memoir.

I had expected David Copperfield's History of Magic, written by the magician and entertainer David Copperfield with two co-writers to be both interesting and well magical. But not as magical as it turned out to be. Not just a history of slight of hand artists, cardsharps and illusionists of all types, the book is much more. How magic can not only transform a flower into a bird, but how magic can transform a life and give it purpose.

The book begins as a memoir, brief but full of insights into a young boy who found something that amazed and astonished him so much, that he worked hard at and became the master magician that he is today. The wonder and joy that Mr. Copperfield feels about magic and magicians is clear on every page. The way he writes about each object from the simplest to the most complicated escape is just joyful.

And the cast of characters he writes about. Good, bad from poor to rich, and back again. Men who develope great tricks that carry on, women who fought for their place on the stage, and sometimes louts who didn't deserve anything. All are covered in depth.

An amazing book. No secrets are bared, no magicians tricks outed. A great read for people interested in magic, apprentices or people who love to read about entertainers. I hope there is more from Mr. Copperfield on this subject.

This was a great little book. It doesn't matter whether you are interested in Mr. Copperfield, history, or magic, there's something in this one for everyone.