If you’re a magician, you’re always on the lookout for new, incredible tricks. One of the best ways to learn new tricks is through magic books.
The more books that you read, the more tricks you will know and the better you will be at them. Even if a magic book doesn’t teach you something new, it will help refresh what you already know and increase your magic skill.
Some of the best types of magic tricks to learn through books are card tricks. There are many card magic books out there, including books for beginners and some specifically for advanced card tricks. With many of these books, all you need is a deck of cards and the right technique, and you can learn to perform some fantastic card tricks!
Card Magic
If you can’t get enough magic, learning a wide variety of card magic tricks is a great idea. Using a pack of cards, you’ll be able to wow an audience no matter where you are. Whether you are standing on a stage or you’re standing on the street corner, everyone will love to see the magic tricks you can do with just some cards.
Learning card magic is non-negotiable for magicians. It’s one of those simple things that everyone expects when they’re watching a magic show. Even if you are just beginning to learn magic and only performing in front of the mirror, card magic is a great place to start.
Whether you are just getting going or you’re a seasoned expert, reading card magic books is important. They are sure to teach you some new tricks and will help you perfect those that you already know. Not only that, but the expertise inside the books is sure to light that card magic fire!
While there are many card magic books out there, those that stand out are sure to make your card magic expertise really take off. Take a look at the top 10 card magic books:
Card Magic Books- Top 10
1. Royal Road to Card Magic
If you’re looking for one of the most popular and most common card magic tricks out there, Royal Road to Card Magic by Jean Hugard is the book for you. This book is
written simply, in a way that anyone could understand. It teaches the basics of card magic, explaining classic sleights and tricks. In Royal Road to Card Magic, you will learn the basic sleights and movements, as well as how to use those techniques in endless card magic tricks.
This is the most recommended card magic book, especially for beginners. While it may not take you to the advanced level of card magic, it’s perfect for those just starting out and more advanced magicians who would just like a refresher.
2. Card College Series
In the Card College Series by Roberto Giobbi, there are five books that essentially start after the most basic beginning card magic, and weave the reader through tips and tricks to help them progress. These books look deeper into card tricks, diving into advanced sleight of hand and helping readers progress to an expert level.
3. Bobos’ Modern Coin Magic
While this may not actually, officially be a card magic book, Bobos’ Modern Coin Magic by J.B. Bobo is an important book for anyone delving into magic that uses sleight of hand. To become an expert at card magic, you will need great skill with sleight of hand, appearances, palms, and vanishes. With Bobos’ Modern Coin Magic, you will take the extra leap into sleight of hand techniques to ensure that you know what you need to know in order to effectively perform card magic tricks.
4. Joshua Jay’s Amazing Book of Cards: Tricks, Shuffles, Stunts, & Hustles Plus Bets You Can’t Lose
Joshua Jay’s card magic book is a fun and entertaining look at all of the components of card tricks. Amazing Book of Cards is a great way to learn the basics, refresh yourself, or even to get your kids interested in learning card magic.
Written by a young, top-notch magician who has burst onto the scene, Joshua Jay’s Amazing Book of Cards is considered to be one of the best and most effective books for learning card magic. Learn flourishes, shuffles, moves, and tricks, to become an expert card magician.
This book actually comes with an instructional DVD so you can have Joshua Jay walk you through everything that he teaches in his book. The DVD is a great support to the book, ensuring that you’re truly able to learn everything that you read.
5. Art of Astonishment Series
Another book series, the Art of Astonishment series by Paul Harris, is a high-quality, entertaining series that teaches card magic, coin magic, and more. Written in a conversational manner that makes you feel instantly at home and comfortable with the author, the Art of Astonishment books are a great way to learn card magic and have fun while doing it.
6. Expert Card Technique
Written by Frederick Braue and Jean Hugard in the 1940s, Expert Card Technique is filled with the top card magic techniques for magicians. In fact, most of what the book teaches continues to be used by card magicians today.
The book is filled with practically every sleight and technique that is used in card magic, essentially working as a how-to guide for magic tricks using cards. It’s a great book to have on hand. Anytime you are having difficulty remembering what comes next, all you have to do is look in Expert Card Technique and you’ll have the answer.
Expert Card Technique doesn’t only include sleights; it guides readers through some of the most popular and most difficult card tricks out there.
7. Expert at the Table
Eerily similar to Expert Card Technique, Expert at the Table was written in 1902 by an anonymous author who went by the pseudonym S.W. Erdnase. It is considered to be one of the foremost authoritative card magic books out there.
Expert at the Table works just like Expert Card Technique, in that it is designed to be the answer to any card magic-related question. Whatever you need to know, Expert at the Table will have the answer.
Keeping either Expert Card Technique or Expert at the Table on hand is essential for learning card magic.
8. Strong Magic
Another book that is not solely about card magic, Strong Magic is a well-written and informative book that teaches the theory of magic. This isn’t the book you read to learn
how to do something. Instead, it’s the book you read when you’re ready to understand the ins and outs of magic, and how to create a strong magic presentation. This is the book to read if you want to understand how to put together a great, top-notch card magic show.
9. Mark Wilson’s Complete Course in Magic
The Complete Course in Magic book by Mark Wilson is one of the best magic books out there. It’s not quite for beginners, as it takes some twists and turns that beginning magicians might not understand yet.
Mark Wilson’s Complete Course in Magic is over 500 pages chock full of techniques, tricks, illustrations, and routines that are sure to inspire and teach any magician. The book teaches card magic, but it also teaches so much more, such as rope and coin. If you’ve passed the beginner stage on your card magic journey and you’re ready for something a little more advanced, Mark Wilson’s Complete Course in Magic is just what you’re looking for.
10. Magic by Misdirection
Dariel Fitzkee wrote Magic by Misdirection as a way to explain what misdirection is and why it works in magic. Misdirection is a huge part of card magic, which is why this book is so important for magicians learning it. Deception and misdirection are essential when you are performing card magic. It’s not only about getting your audience to look towards something else, it’s also about how to really deceive them as you perform your card magic trick. High-quality book for magicians ready to step up their card magic performance.
In Conclusion
There are many magic books and card magic books out there. While most of them will provide you with tools, tips, and techniques for your card magic performance, there are some that really hit it out of the park. Read these ten books and expand your card magic skills.