About this book
Modern Magic: A Practical Treatise on the Art of Conjuring by Professor Louis Hoffman transports listeners to the late 19th-century world of sleight-of-hand and theatrical illusion. Part practical handbook, part historical portrait, this classic of the Art genre lays out the essentials of stagecraft—appearance, program layout, and audience management—alongside clear expositions of tricks using cards, coins, watches, rings, handkerchiefs, dominoes, dice, cups and balls, hats, and other apparatus.
Hoffman writes with the measured authority of a Victorian professional, balancing technical instruction with an ethic of respect for fellow inventors: he limits disclosures to effects already in the public sphere while offering thorough commentary on performance and presentation. The result is both a how-to compendium for aspiring conjurers and a vivid snapshot of performance culture when parlors and music halls were fertile ground for magic.
Ideal for magicians refining technique, students of performance history, and listeners fascinated by vintage entertainment, this audiobook is an indispensable resource for anyone who wants to learn classic conjuring methods, understand the roots of modern illusion, or enjoy a richly detailed manual from a foundational figure in the art of magic.
