Mark Wilson’s Complete Course In Magic was the first magic book I read and some 28 years later I still find myself retuning to it often. Written to be easily understood by beginners, and young ones at that, there is a wealth of knowledge in these pages that even seasoned magicians will find helpful from time to time.
Wilson’s course teaches everything from simple card tricks through to constructing, again simple, stage illusions with a good basic introduction to most things in-between. Heavily illustrated with clear line-drawings and concise, easy to follow instruction this a a fantastic introduction to the world of magic.
Labeled a ‘complete course’ it is hard not to draw comparisons to Tarbel’s Course In Magic. Wilson’s single volume course is much simpler than the eight volumes of instructions in Tarbell’s but it will teach you the basics of cards, coins, rope, impromptu, mental and stage magic. Think of Wilson’s as the night school version compared to the credit level education you will find in Tarbell.
As a first book for the curious magician this is near perfection and one can only hope that with its outstanding teaching it will encourage further reading. Magic may be a visual art that lends itself very well to dvd or streaming video instruction but learning from a book is so valuable. It puts the emphasis on the routine instead of the the specific performer seen in video instruction. You are far less likely to mimic a performance when learning from books, which is a good thing.
Easily available from both magic shops and general bookstores if you don’t already own a copy of Mark Wilson’s Complete Course in Magic go and get one now.