explain probably did not happen” (38).
While the authors’ credentials are
impeccable, and their scholarship up to
date and deep, a few sources are strangely
missing from their endnotes. The most
serious of these is Michael Mangan’s
2007 Performing Dark Arts, which exam-
ined ancient magical tales with the same
analysis of “origin myth” as used in Secret
Historyand then discussed persecution
claims in greater detail and with a similar
conclusion as Steinmeyer and Lamont.
They also fail to cite Barbara Stafford’s
1994 Artful Science, a book length dis-
cussion of 18th century entertainment
(including magic tricks) as “rational
recreation.” Unfortunately, the book
Richard Potter: America’s First Black
Celebrity(2018) was published too re-
cently for its updated insights to have
been included.
Steinmeyer and Lamont’s book has a
bias in favor of England, the U.S., and Eu-
rope respectively, but does discuss the re-
lationship of western stage magicians to
Asia. A few other decisions are more sur-
prising. Given their opening discussion of
ancient Egyptian myth, it is remarkable
that they do not even mention the canard
of a magic trick being depicted in an an-
cient Egyptian pyramid. For a book that
in other places is a model of the critical
analysis of a text, the author’s uncritical
reliance on the Blitz memoir is out of
character. Since the authors do mention
the rise in the U.S. of the magic corre-
spondence course, I was surprised that
they ignored the concurrent rise in the
marketing of magic sets (“boxes of tricks”
in England).
I could nitpick: with their remark-
ably lucid style, it is odd that the authors
used the term “juggler” so often without
explicitly stating that it used to mean
“magician.” The performer referred to in-
text as “Ali Ben Bey” (217) is referred to
as “Ben Ali Bey” in the source they cite.
In chapter 10, the word “mindreading”
should for clarity often be qualified as
“theatrical mindreading.” Several end-
notes refer to “I” or “the author” without
specifying which co-author is being re-
ferred to, and their chapter 4 note 35
source is not proportionate to the au-
thors’ claims.
Secret History of Magicopens by ask-
ing about the meaning of performance
magic for the history of civilization, and
closes by asking what it means for indi-
viduals within modern society. For the
discussion of cultural meanings, Secret
Historyis more grounded in science and
psychology (and better written) than is
literary theorist Simon During’s 2002
Modern Enchantments,or theater histo-
rian Michael Mangan’s 2007 Performing
Dark Arts. The intellectual breadth of
The Secret History of Magiccomes at the
expense of ignoring many popular magi-
cians. Thus it is more a complement
than replacement to other general histo-
ries of entertainment magic, such as
Milbourne Christopher’s 1962 Panorama
of Magic(revised and re-titled 1991 as
Magic: A Picture History) or his some-
what mis-titled and much longer 1976
The Illustrated History of Magic (revised
1996 and 2006). A shorter and more
recent option is the surprisingly good
book by Joe Layden and Carl Waldman
from 1997, The Art of Magic.
In conclusion, The Secret History of
Magic’sintelligence and synthesis of re-
cent research makes it useful to experts
in magic history, but its breadth and clar-
ity make it an excellent introduction to
the field. I highly recommend it.
volume 25 number 1 2020 WWW.SKEPTIC.COM 61
Almost a century after the last of
his headlining vaudeville shows and traf-
fic-stopping daredevil escapes, the name
“Houdini” (1874-1926) remains synony-
mous with magic and escape. Early in the
curious new book The Life and Afterlife of
Harry Houdini,author Joe Posnanski spot-
lights the continuing torrent of Houdini
marketing, Houdini TV shows, and Hou-
dini books for young and old. The two
books under review are worthwhile addi-
tions. The second, Charlotte Montague’s
recently reissued Houdini: The Life and
Times of the World’s Greatest Magician,
evokes the entertainer’s times more effec-
tively than most previous biographies,
while also being the most lavishly illus-
trated book about the Master Mystifier.
Char twell Books. 2017;
208pp. $14.99;
ISBN-13: 978-0785835561
Avid Reader Press,
- 318pp. $28.00;
ISBN-13: 978-1501137235
Houdini Lives
Reviews of The Life and Afterlife
of Harr y Houdiniby Joe Posnanski;
and Houdini: The Life and Times
of the World’s Greatest Magician
by Charlotte Montague
R E V I E W E D B Y M I C H E L L E A I N S W O R T H
