A History of the Art of Conjuring

Almost a century in the making, appearing for the first time in book form... Kurt Volkmann's A History of the Art of Conjuring is finally available.

"I've never seen a magic-history book like this. It's more than an encyclopedia of magic and is filled with incredible ideas for anyone who wants to be inspired." David Blaine

"Amazing! What an accomplishment for both Volkmann and Conjuring Arts!" David Copperfield

"The most thorough and best-researched history on conjuring ever written. [...] This two-volume set of Volkmann's History of the Art of Conjuring is magnificent and without a hint of hyperbole is required in the library of anyone with a serious interest in conjuring history." Stephen Minch

Kurt Volkmann's complete "Geschichte der Zauberkunst" series has been fully translated into English by Lori Pieper and Maxwell Pritchard. Volkmann's articles on magic history are considered by Steffen Taut to be "the best overall investigation on the history of conjuring." In translating Volkmann's work, Lori Pieper brought her extensive linguistic knowledge to the project, drawing from over a dozen languages.

This remarkable 2-volume set is strictly limited to 1,000 numbered sets.

The first volume offers an in-depth examination of performance magic through the ages, from antiquity and the earliest sources documenting magical performers to modern times and Europe's most accomplished stage conjurers. Kurt Volkmann's rich prose guides readers through a wealth of manuscripts, books, newspapers and artwork in over a dozen languages to present an insightful exploration of what magic has meant to magicians and their audiences over the centuries.

In volume two, Volkmann focuses his keen analytical skills on individual countries and the texts and performers associated with them. Familiar names and stories from across Europe (and beyond) are explored, as well as the repertoires and motivations of lesser-known practitioners.

In total, you're getting more than 1,200 pages and 430+ beautiful color illustrations, all of which are accompanied by full crediting and comprehensive annotated endnotes. Volume two also includes eleven appendices presenting new findings about the sources and magicians Volkmann discusses, as well as a vast Bibliography and an exhaustive Index.

Printed on archival paper, with foil-stamped cloth binding and sewn signatures, and housed in a luxury slipcase. this is a magic history book like no other. It's a must have book for any serious magician or collector.

"Just when you thought you knew something about magic history, A History of the Art of Conjuring comes along and changes everything. These two gigantic books provide a view of magic that is both unfamiliar and endlessly fascinating. Seemingly every page provides us with new information. And as we have come to expect from the Conjuring Arts Research Center, these books are of the highest quality." Mike Caveney

"These volumes are an amazing accomplishment on every level: The original research, the writing, the translation by Dr. Pieper and Max Pritchard, and the stunning presentation. I've had many friends call and write to ask, "Are they worth it? Should I get them?" My answer to all of them, and to you, is "Yes. These are a must."These books are a remarkable resource and a remarkable value. As I looked through them, I kept thinking, "I wish Ricky could have seen these." You'll be happy from the second you begin to unbox them (this may be the best packing job any book has ever received) beyond the moment you turn the last page and every time you return to these volumes for deeper knowledge and inspiration. Here is my personal guarantee: If anyone gets these and doesn't believe that these books and the information inside them are worth many times the asking price, I guarantee the person hasn't actually read them.Now that this edition of Volkmann's History of the Art of Conjuring exists, I cannot imagine not owning it." Michael Weber