For thousands of years, people have been fascinated by magic, and since time immemorial, sorcery has taught them to fear and laugh, to tremble and marvel. Once persecuted as heretics and sorcerers, wizards have always embodied a connection to a parallel world where practically nothing was impossible—whether they conjured spirits, read minds, or reversed the laws of nature with sleight of hand. When science fiction, virtual reality, computer games, and the internet still lay in the distant future, there was no more powerful fantasy world than that of magic. Kings tore their hair, baronesses fainted, and the common audience found themselves reduced to "Ah!" and "Oh!" when the true fathers of special effects presented their skills.

Featuring more than 750 rare posters, photographs, flyers, engravings, and paintings by Hieronymus Bosch, Bruegel, and other artists, The Book of Magic traces the history of magic from 1400 to the 1950s. Spectacular illustrations and expert essays illuminate the development of the magic craft, from the street performers of the Middle Ages to the grand masters of theatrical staging who gave early film its first special effects, from the golden age of magic in the 19th century to the vaudeville artists of the 20th century and pioneering daredevils like Houdini. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll pull a white rabbit out of a hat!