The Best General Close-Up Magic Books

It's time to revisit Erudite Magic's Five Foot Shelf of Magic video series.📚 This time, the rules have changed - now I can include books that are OOP! You'll have to do some shopping. 🛍️ 😉
📖 My Top Magic Book Recommendations ▶️ • Five-Foot Shelf of Magic
🛍️ Shopping List 💸
🛒 Tarbell: bit.ly/3sCenwb (affiliate link) or bit.ly/3feMtj3 (affiliate link)
🛒 Tarbell Course (FREE): bit.ly/3uIfDzM
🛒 Stars of Magic: amzn.to/3sDnWed (affiliate link)
🛒 Art of Astonishment: bit.ly/2PnJayx (affiliate link) or bit.ly/2YSK5YX (affiliate link)
🛒 Sankey books: bit.ly/3pZkXv2 (affiliate link) or bit.ly/2O6REcF (affiliate link)
🛒 Patrick Page Magic book: bit.ly/2Odhcoo
🛒 My Best: bit.ly/3q6ayh8 (affiliate link) or bit.ly/3r2kjhA
🛒 Mastering the Art of Magic: bit.ly/3q6bz8W (affiliate link)
🛒 Magic by Gosh: bit.ly/3b5bpuh (affiliate link)
🛒 Greater Magic: bit.ly/2PcRUHx (affiliate link)
⏳ Timestamps ⌛
0:00 - Intro
2:23 - Tarbell Course
3:17 - Stars of Magic
3:52 - Art of Astonishment
4:34 - The Definitive Sankey
6:58 - Magic Page by Page
8:17 - My Best
9:29 - Mastering the Art of Magic
10:42 - Magic by Gosh
12:07 - Amateur Magician's Handbook
13:29 - Greater Magic
15:38 - Conclusion
💫 Follow Jeff on social media:
/ eruditemagic
/ erudite.magic​
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#EruditeMagic #magicbooks #shelfofmagic

[@EruditeMagic]

📖 My Top Magic Book Recommendations ▶ kzbin.info/aero/PL3pYmbe-tYErxDqrd20rPuI-eub1AWHa6

[@MexieMex]

Some great choices there. Regarding Patrick Page, not only was he a great thinker, he was a true gent and a lovely bloke, such a shame he is no longer with us.

[@ritchyflomagic]

Another quality video full of so much value! we have needed a change like this forever!! so glad its finally here! I love seeing the books I do have featured.My lists of "TO PURCHASE" is constantly growing even more now! GREAT WORK!

[@EruditeMagic]

Thanks for watching, Ritchy!

[@SpencerRaybourne]

Great list.

[@EruditeMagic]

😃👍

[@jasonm921]

Greater Magic is one of those books I enjoy looking through before I go to bed. I pick a random section and just read it. It is so voluminous that i still find effects that I glanced over for one reason or another.

[@EruditeMagic]

Lots of gold, too! 'Harry Lorayne's' Epitome Location is actually a Blackstone trick contributed here... 😃

[@ScottRSmith1964]

Another great show! Thanks! I love the shows! I probably buy 80% of the books that you review. Thanks!

[@EruditeMagic]

So glad you liked it - thanks for watching!!

[@jasonm921]

Since you showed the clip of Improv Nightshades in AOA. I have to say for anyone that wants an interesting piece of close up magic...this is hard to beat.

[@EruditeMagic]

💯😉

[@christophermoro]

Great content, Jeff! Good news too, we can find Magic By Gosh in paper back these days.

[@EruditeMagic]

Absolutely - great book, but who knows how long it will be in print⁉️🤷‍♂️

[@christophermoro]

Erudite Magic exactly!!!

[@davidlamarca899]

All great books...I find as incredible source the Sankey's thrilogy...anyway all top books presented in this video

[@EruditeMagic]

Thanks, David! Do you have most of the books on this list?

[@davidlamarca899]

@@EruditeMagic of course almost all👌I love magic book and I study very oft there👍

[@EruditeMagic]

That's great! 😃👍

[@TheOriginalSindini]

Trust me, you can buy all three together with the video of The Drfinitive Jay Sankey! Of course, you have to belong to a private site! Yes, I consider myself very lucky! I shouldn't even be talking about it because they're watching! No joke. 👍

[@kalvinhepple5975]

Super review!We love all magic books and their contents no matter if they are in print or not so if you have ANY books you want to discuss it would be appreciated by us magic book fanatics.What are your top 3 card trick books/coin books/rope books/impromptu books/beginner books/intermediate books/expert books/sleight books/automatic trick books ? etc etc etc.Thanks again for your hard work and entertaining style.

[@EruditeMagic]

I'll have to look into exploring these topics in future videos - thanks for the comment!

[@magicman506]

Outside of learning moves and sleights, if you only ever purchase and learn from the AOA and the Sankey books you're set for life as a magician.

[@EruditeMagic]

💯👌

[@jlebowitz8325]

What a great review of close up magic books. Thanks so much for taking the time to do these. Quick question about Greater Magic--it seems as though there are a number of versions out there: multiple volume editions, single volume editions, and (I think) an edition that was expanded, revised, and edited by Richard Kaufman... are there differences among these different editions? All are quite pricey (FYI, you are 100% correct. After a quick price check, Don does a whole lot better than eBay when it comes to pricing, and, when you order from Don, you don't have to worry about quality control...)

[@EruditeMagic]

There are some small differences in the Kaufman reprint and the original from what I understand, but I don't own the Kaufman version. 🤷‍♂️ I would get whatever version you can afford. And you're right, Don's Magic & Books is 2nd to none!

[@axyz246]

Excellent video! I have a couple of questions, though. What is your opinion on books vs PDFs? A lot of books are out of print, but available as PDFs. 2: I notice on some of your books, you have the dusk covers and some do not, i.e. your Card College series. Is there a reason or personal preferance? Thanks in advance. PS: Looking forward to the Jay Sankey books, they have been reprinted! 😁

[@brandonnewsom8529]

👍

[@jonahberg9280]

do you use more stuff from the sankey books art of astonishment or tarbell? im just trying to figure out which set to get

[@jennifermagic7984]

5:28 Drool @ The Definitive Sankey -- I wish I could find this.. Last set sold for $450 on ebay... 7:44 Patrick Page book also has a lot of memdeck routiens in it right?

[@EruditeMagic]

I heard the Sankey books could be reprinted, but not from a reliable source. 🤷‍♂️ Yes, several great memdeck routines in the Page book!

[@jennifermagic7984]

@@EruditeMagic That's my main interest for the book. I"m kinda collecting all the memdeck books :) But wow I didn't know he created Extreme Burn and other big hits :)

[@jonahberg9280]

What are your favourite John bannon books ?

[@jonahberg9280]

my best is still sold as a hard copy at tanens magic! have you ever been?

[@EruditeMagic]

Yes, I went back in September 2019 when I visited NYC. I'm sure it won't be my last stop in

[@RobertBallMagician]

Some great picks 👍👍👍👍

[@EruditeMagic]

Thank you!

[@christophermoro]

Hey everyone, I paid $80 for Greater Magic, new, in the late 90’s, so if you can find it used for $75 like Jeff did, that’s a big score!

[@EruditeMagic]

I should have verified my facts, but I did just now: $79.50 shipped back in September 2011 :D

[@christophermoro]

That’s a mere, $4.50 difference! Still a GREAT deal in 2021!

[@EruditeMagic]

2011: 10 years ago 😱

[@christophermoro]

Erudite Magic 😯 in that case, maybe $200 today?

[@EruditeMagic]

🤷‍♂️ your guess is as good as mine. I've seen copies for $150

[@jonahberg9280]

is it worth getting the amateur magician handbook even if im not a begginer?

[@jonahberg9280]

how come youve never mentioned old books like minds in close up by jack yates or marvoyan brain bafflers both of them are gems

[@jonahberg9280]

is there mentalism in greater magic ?

[@Yup712]

It’s a crime “Greater Magic” hasn’t been republished. At least as a PDF at this point! The one thing I hate about magic is how books like this are kept in low, out-of-print numbers.

[@EruditeMagic]

But it's being revised and expanded even as we speak! Richard Kaufman is planning a reprint in the near future, I believe...

[@MrsKathySon]

It’s on PDF…I have it

[@Yup712]

@@MrsKathySon I have been hearing for 10 years about this reprint and wanting a copy of a book, that’s I’m pretty sure should be open copyright for anyone to print soon. The book is like 100 years old. Copyrights and book rights only last so long in America. Like “Alice in Wonderland”, anyone can base work or use it.

[@steves2465]

👍