The Magician and the Cardsharp: The Search for America's Greatest Sleight-Of-Hand Artist

by Karl Johnson

Book Overview

A famous magician's journey to find the greatest cardsharp ever evokes the forgotten world of magic where Americans found escape during the Great Depression It has the nostalgic quality of an old-fashioned fable, but Karl Johnson's The Magician and the Cardsharp is a true story that lovingly re-creates the sparkle of a vanished world. Here, set against the backdrop of America struggling through the Depression, is the world of magic, a realm of stars,...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0805074066
• ISBN13: 9780805074062
• Release Date: August 2005
• Publisher: Henry Holt & Company
• Length: 349 Pages
• Weight: 1.15 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 6.4" x 9.4"

Customer Reviews

The Erdnase of books on Magic History

Prof.Dai Vernon was Sleight-of-Hand's Superman. This book is about Superman's search for a man who could do something that even he could not - deal off the center of a a pack of cards. The Professor, I'm told, told the tale of his quest with great aplomb.I'd say he'd be pretty impressed with the author's version of the tale. It's a very well researched book with a splendid narrative woven around the facts that the author has dug up. You get a peek into Vernon's letters, feel his passion for the art,sense his fear (when he poses as a cardsharp to meet mobsters ) share his excitement (when he discovers Charlie Miller, and when he meets Pleasant Hill's center-dealer) and get insights into the other great magicians of the era. The ways of Pleasant Hill's card and dice mechanics that 'play the boats' or 'work the cubes' will fascinate you. For non-magicians, this is a wonderful read - a taut , magical tale about a man's lifelong quest for something that most would dismiss as a trivial party trick . For magicians, there's enough Erdnase/Vernon worship to keep you happy. The description of how Kennedy masters the deal over many years and the tale of Vernon's 'Ambitious Card' routine that flummoxed Houdini will fill your hearts with pride and respect.

More than just a magic read...

This book goes far beyond most biographical treatments that you see in the field of magic. Yes, it talks about Vernon and his search for Bill Kennedy, and yes, it delves into the magic that they shared (although it was not magic to Kennedy; it was a way of making a living). "Magician and the Cardsharp" reads more like time travel. Johnson superbly takes you back into the past, and gives you a true "you are there" feeling. It reads like a novel, and that is an excellent thing...because you find yourself caring about the characters and seeing how they relate to their surroundings. Superb book; highest recommendation, even if you don't care about magic at all.

The True Story Told Finally and Faithfully

We just finished reading The Magician and the Cardsharp by Karl Johnson and are blown away. If you do not already have this book, get it. Mr. Johnson tells the story of Dai Vernon's hunt for the middle-deal with such excitement, detail, and interest; you would swear he was a magician. He's not one of us but he is the next best thing; a career journalist who knows how to write a good detective story. The story of Dai Vernon's pursuit of what many considered a myth - the center deal - is well-known to most magicians (or at least the ones as old as us). Some magicians assumed Mr. Vernon fabricated the entire story. There is no such thing as undetectable middle-deal, they grumble. And even if there was, no card mechanic would or could ever use it in a real game. Tony Giorgio's writings against the myth of the center deal has been addressed several times on the Inside Magic web site. We see no need to go into it again other than to suggest this book supports a loud "told you so." It is difficult to write a book about magic. We've all read the horrible efforts of non-magicians who either describe effects impossible to perform, or expose effects we depend on for our sustenance. Jim Steinmeyer's approach to writing about the history of our great art deserves praise. We don't believe he unnecessarily exposes magic secrets in his writings. We thought his balance was perfect in his two latest books: the recently released The Glorious Deception: The Double Life of William Robinson, aka Chung Ling Soo, the "Marvelous Chinese Conjurer" and the incredible Hiding the Elephant: How Magicians Invented the Impossible and Learned to Disappear. Some may agree with us, some will not. As much as we loved Mr. Steinmeyer's work -- and we really do -- Mr. Johnson's book on Dai Vernon's hunt for the mythical move surpasses all we've read. Mr. Johnson's works real magic in his descriptions of the hunt for Allen Kennedy - the card mechanic - and the move magicians either dismissed as impossible to perfect, or irrelevant for a true gambler. We read Jamy Ian Swiss' review of the book in one of our favorite magic magazines before we picked it up. Mr. Swiss certainly knows his way around a deck of cards and knows what is possible. Mr. Swiss makes a convincing case that a gambler would learn to perfect the center deal despite the fact that it had limited (or according to Mr. Giorgio no) value in a real card game. By the way, is it just us, or is Jamy Ian Swiss one of the best writers in our business? The guy is good. In fact, we think he's a gooder writer than us any day. Some have asked, why would any mechanic take the time necessary to perfect a move that promised no advantage in a card game? After all, assuming there is a stack you would like to use or preserve, you most certainly would not put the stack approximately in the center of the deck. Remember, in a card game there would be a cut required after shuffling. The cut would certainly change the order o

Great Story About Close Up Magic

Story of the life of one of greatest magicans of the twentieth century.He is not as well known as the stage magicans of this era but most who study magic believe the true art is displayed in close up. Vernon was considered by many to be the best. He was a perfectionist and the book covers this well. It is also a story that covers mid western depression era gambling and associated scams, in Vernon's search for the perfect card slieght. The book is extremely well written and researched.

The Magician and the Cardsharp

Dai Vernon,the "professor" of American magicians was famous for his single minded quests after diffcult and obscure card manipulations. This often took him into the seedy gambling dens of the early 20th century. The best card slights were done by cardsharpers whose income and somtimes life depended on a flawless performance. This true life tale concerns Vernon's search for the holy grail of card moves-the middle deal.Johnson has done a wonderful job of reseach and wrapped it in breezy narrative which makes it hard to put down. If you would like a glimpse into an otherwise closed fraternity of unusually gifted men this is your chance.