Author: Mike Caveney
Mike Caveney Wonders
9 by 11.5 inches
456 pages printed in full colour on heavy art matte paper
570 photographs
Foreword by Mac King
Printed end-sheets with a tipped-in colour frontis-piece
3-colour foil stamping on the cover
The Conference Illusions
9 by 11.5 inches
256 pages printed in full colour on heavy art matte paper
330 photographs
Foreword by Jim Steinmeyer
Printed end-sheets
2-colour foil stamping on the cover
Both books come in a matching slipcase with foil stamped side. They arrive in a custom printed cardboard shipping box. Sold only as a set. Published in 2013.
For the last five years, Mike Caveney has been toiling away on a duo of books that document basically every trick he’s ever pulled off during his career. He started with a vague idea and ended up with a hefty 700 pages across two volumes. Being a long-time book collector himself, he wanted to ensure this would be his legacy and, let me tell you, he’s outdone himself.
Caveney realised he could write about the methods, theories, history, and whimsical anecdotes behind each routine, but he also knew he needed top-notch visuals. Enter his long-time mate and Hollywood special effects whiz, Bill Taylor, who transformed Caveney’s basement into a photo studio. For fourteen months, they shot hundreds of photos, many of which made it into these books, showcasing some of the clearest, most explanatory images you’ll find in any magic tome. Thanks to the full colour printing, every last detail pops!
Volume I, aptly titled Mike Caveney Wonders, covers all the routines he’s performed, dating back to his teenage days with the Long Beach Mystics, right up to his current masterpieces like Magic Paper, The Bow & Arrow, and Scissors, Coat, Silverware & Chicken. This isn’t just a How-To guide; Caveney dives into the creative process behind each trick. For example, in the case of Magic Paper (yes, the animated toilet paper), he shares all five methods he tried before settling on the final version after three decades. The aim? To inspire readers to create their own original routines. A peek at the table of contents reveals a delightful variety of material.
Contents
Foreword 11
Introduction 15
Preface 19
The Long Beach Mystics 23
Giant Thimble Production 23
The Substitution Barrel 35
Trade Show Act 43
Amazing Mechanical Merlin 44
Split Deck 49
Crystal Card Catch 50
Anverdi Key Chest 53
Jumping Straw 57
The Nailed Card 61
The Benson Plunger 67
Two, One, None 83
Coin Vanish 89
Our Own Worst Enemy 94
Money Machine 99
Impromptu Linking Coat Hangers 109
Linking Coat Hangers 117
Lubor Die 127
Lie Detector 135
Halloween Card Stab 141
The Phome Book 151
Idiot Rings 159
The Powers of Darkness 171
Impromptu Powers of Darkness 187
Serious Laughter 195
Chinese Pipes 201
Nind Reading 209
Ten Dollar Bill Trick 219
Bill in Cigar 239
3-Arm Juggling 269
Coffee Juggling 281
Magic Paper 297
Bow & Arrow 345
Scissors, Coat, Silverware & Chicken 373
Billy's Chicken Trick 417
The Chicken Chronicles 423
Mastering the Ceremonies 439
Volume II, The Conference Illusions, takes a completely different angle. Over the past twenty-two years, Caveney has revived a number of long-lost tricks and illusions for the Los Angeles Conference on Magic History, each presenting its own unique challenges. Sometimes he had the original apparatus from legends like Howard Thurston or Charles Carter; other times, he had to build it from scratch. This book chronicles the research into the history of these illusions, the original routines, and how he reimagined the mechanics and presentation for a modern audience. After their debut at the History Conference, many of these effects were showcased repeatedly for layfolk at the Magic Castle, proving to be as effective today as they were over a century ago. Each chapter is peppered with vintage photographs and posters from the Egyptian Hall Museum’s archives, as well as behind-the-scenes and action shots from performances. Most readers probably won’t add these mysteries to their acts, but there’s a wealth of knowledge to glean from the creative minds of magic’s Golden Age.
Contents
Foreword 9
Introduction 13
Magic's Golden Age 15
1993 Dante's Sawing a Lady in Half 27
1999 Selbit's Bricks 43
1999 Through the Eye of a Needle 55
2001 The Million Dollar Mystery 69
2003 OH! Chair 101
2005 Del Adelphia Egg Bag 123
2007 The Astral Hand 165
2009 The Drum That Can't Be Beaten 181
2009 Well I'm! 193
2011 The Orson Welles Act 221
2013 The Spirit Cabinet 247
"This is the finest set of books I have ever owned. This is the finest thing in magic that I have ever owned. An absolute bargain and a must read."
- Steve Bryant Little Egypt"Your books arrived today and I've not been able to put them down! The only way I can describe your books is pure beauty."- Al Rudge"As a fellow bibliophile, I love books that show how much the publisher cares about the material. Your books set a new standard."- Samuel Lamerson"[Your books] are a magnificent achievement in every respect. Congratulations."- Stephen Minch"Mr. Caveney's new 'Wonders & The Conference Illusions' is truly astonishing. This is magic at its very best: wonderfully-crafted, thought-provoking material in a set that's simply stunning. This is one of those very rare occasions in magic in which the material in question far exceeded my expectations. I really can't recommend this set of books highly enough — it's an absolute must-have for anyone who takes the art of magic seriously. Period."- Daniel Ulin"These books surpass your own unbelievably high standards. Just finished the conference illusions. Phenomenal."- Andy Labbie"This is one of the most enlightening, amusing, and useful books on magic I have ever read, and I've read quite a few. The advice and insights in the book are valuable to anyone who performs any kind of magic anywhere and even infrequently. These bits of advice and insights are delivered in a non-pompous fashion, which matches the good humour with which the book is written. Magic books are not known for their laugh-out-loud humour but I found myself literally laughing out loud on more than one occasion while reading the books. So congratulations on writing a classic book, containing not just the story of your journey through magic and some of the people you met, not just a record of your attempts at perfecting the tricks you perform, but providing inspiration to try and make magic itself, which you so dearly love, better — perhaps even to make it art."- Matt Field"I've spent half a day with your new books, and to state the obvious: You have done a glorious thing. The thought, skill, good taste, and joy that radiate from your efforts is palpable."- David Regal"Superb in every aspect of content and production. Congratulations on a phenomenal job. I have sent out the good news on Twitter/Facebook."- Paul Daniels"I picked up the books from the PO Box on the way into work this morning. Now it's two o'clock and I haven't done a single productive thing all day. If my boss finds out and gets mad, I'm giving him your number."- Bill Mullins"Initially, the price gave me pause but only for a few seconds. I remembered that every book I bought from Mike Caveney's Magic Words was a first-class production in every respect. This set hit that mark and then set the bar even higher. Remarkable work, Mike, truly impressive. Congratulations!"- Lindsay Smith
