The Last Greatest Magician in the World: Howard Thurston versus Houdini & the Battles of the American Wizards
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.99 (750 Votes) |
| Asin | : | 1585428450 |
| Format Type | : | paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 384 Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 2013-05-30 |
| Language | : | English |
DESCRIPTION:
HOWARD THURSTON LIVES AGAIN! B. Robinson Jim Steinmeyer's excellent new biography of Howard Thurston (1869-1936) is a welcome addition to the literature of the theatre and that of the history of magic. The dogged research by the author is noticeable on every page as we find our subject first on the outskirts of society as a petty thief and then rising to the heights of being an American institution -- parading the largest touring magic show ever. Th. Well written Dave Yost The book reads clean and does a fine job of showing the relationships of the various magicians of the era. I rated this four stars due to the lack of any photos, lithographs, or other visual aids. I expected to see something.. The first great modern stage magician! Rory Coker Howard Thurston in the first three decades of the 20th Century gradually created what became the standard great touring magic show, a mix of pure sleight-of-hand, hilarious audience-interaction bits, and huge stage illusions. Every top US magician since, such as David Copperfield or Criss Angel, has eventually mounted a "big show" that mirrors Thurston's closely. Yet, while magicians remember and revere Thurs
Jim Steinmeyer is the critically acclaimed author of The Glorious Deception, Charles Fort, and Hiding the Elephant, a Los Angeles Times bestseller. . He is also a leading designer of magic illusion who has done work for television, Broadway, and many of the best-known names in modern magic. He lives in Los Angeles, CA
In The Last Greatest Magician in the World, Thurston's magic show is revealed as the one that animates our collective memories.. He won with a bigger show, a more successful reputation, and the title of America's greatest magician. His touring production was an American institution for nearly thirty years, and Thurston earned a brand name equal to Ziegfeld or Ringling Brothers. Here is the seminal biography of the magician's magician, Howard Thurston, a man who surpassed Houdini in the eyes of showmen and fans and set the standard fro how stage magic is performed today. The public's fickleness over magicians has left Thurston all but forgotten today. Steinmeyer explores the stage and psychological rivalr
Hailing from Columbus, Ohio, Thurston gained fame in the early part of the 20th century with his œRising Card Trick, in which he levitated cards named by audience members. (Feb. From Publishers Weekly Expanding on his chapters on Howard Thurston in his history of magic, Hiding the Elephant, Steinmeyer produces an engaging full-length biography of the man Orson Welles called œthe master. . Steinmeyer recovers, from the shadows of his greatest rival, a figure whose grandiose productions were an American institution for almost 30 years. 3) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. He then became a top vaudeville star, but wisely left the vaudeville circuit to produce more ambitious spectacles involving 40 tons of magic apparatus and colorful costumes, a variety of animals, and more than two dozen assistants. All rights reserved.