Enchantments

With Wesley James's Enchantments you will find yourself  confronting one of the largest volumes of original card magic ever  conceived by one man--500 pages of shrewd and sophisticated material by a  modern creator and performer who has repeatedly shown his ability to  make important and lasting contributions to the field.

Wesley  James has been a palpable presence for many years on the cutting edge of  New York City's card scene and magic underground. During more than  fifty years in magic, twenty-five as a full-time professional, he  performed nearly every variety of magic from close-up to illusions, from  kid shows to corporate parties, and everything between. For many years  he refused to lecture for magicians, reserving his original material to  enable him to earn his living. Now retired, he shares his professional  secrets freely.

Enchantments is an important testament to  Mr. James's devotion, cunning and expertise in a world in which he  rubbed shoulders and traded thoughts with the twentieth century's finest  cardmen, from Vernon to Marlo, from Krenzel to Dingle. These personal  involvements, amplified by a thorough study of the literature of card  magic, have produced a body of work rare in the quality of its thought  and innovation.

Enchantments collects and presents in  illuminating detail the fruits of Wesley James's intense involvement  with the invention and perfection of card magic from the 1960's right up  to yesterday. Within the covers of this volume you will find fresh  plots playing neighbor to new presentations and combinations of past  classics and overlooked gems. You will find effects with Aces and  packets, presentations of visual magic and mental magic; and you will  find a wealth of new sleights and tools, with far-reaching possibilities  for application, including in-depth studies of false shuffles and  deals, multiple lifts, passes and palming.

Enchantments  is a milestone from one of card magic's most innovative and persistent  thinkers. Its contents benefit from a rare combination of technical  knowledge and performing experience. To read this book is to share with  Mr. James in a breadth of thought, a depth of understanding and an  enchantment in the presentation of quality card magic!