The Secret History of Magic

The True Story of the Deceptive Art

By: Peter Lamont, Jim Steinmeyer

Narrated by: Rory Barnett

If you read a standard history of magic, you learn that it begins in ancient Egypt with the resurrection of a goose in front of the Pharaoh. You discover how magicians were tortured and killed during the age of witchcraft. You are told how conjuring tricks were used to quell rebellious colonial natives. The history of magic is full of such stories, which turn out not to be true. Behind the smoke and mirrors, however, lies the real story of magic.

It is a history of people from humble roots, who made and lost fortunes, and who deceived kings and queens. In order to survive, they concealed many secrets, yet they revealed some, and they stole others. They engaged in deception, exposure, and betrayal, in a quest to make the impossible happen. They managed to survive in a world in which a series of technological wonders appeared, which previous generations would have considered magical. Even today, when we now take the most sophisticated technology for granted, we can still be astonished by tricks that were performed hundreds of years ago.

The Secret History of Magic reveals how this was done. It is about why magic matters in a world that no longer seems to have a place for it, but which desperately needs a sense of wonder.

©2018 Peter Lamont and Jim Steinmeyer (P)2018 Tantor

Really fascinating history, well-researched

Great scholarly work, clearly a huge amount of research and thought went into it. While there were a few slightly dry sections, I was totally sucked in for much of the book. They interrogate a lot of the ‘myths’ from magic history, and do an incredible job with historical framing. They have some really interesting and useful things to say about the ‘philosophy’ of magic as well— what it means, what it could mean, and what the stakes are. I came away with a(n even greater) respect for the craft, and am excited about learning more and supporting contemporary magicians.

Casting a Spell of Intrigue: Uncovering the Hidden History of Magic

This is a well-researched and engaging book. I found that it successfully digs deep and in contrast simply hints at some of hidden stories within magic and its remarkable individuals. It offers readers a fascinating glimpse into the evolution of this enchanting art form.

The parallel between magic and the way we view and experience our daily lives

Good in depth history of magic and the magicians that make up this world.
Can be a bit text book at times,
Narrator and their reading was quite good.

Great magic

Fascinating stories. Very interesting. Well written and presented to keep the attention. Sorry it ended. Will listen to it again.

Get used to hearing Rubber Oodan!

If you are a magician, its worthwhile listening.
Robert Houdin gets a litany of coverage.