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The Magic of Johnny Thompson (Hardcover Set)


Called the greatest magician alive, Johnny Thompson has published the definitive collection of his life's work. EACH SET HAND-SIGNED BY JOHNNY THOMPSON.
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Price: $295.00
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"We have been fans of Johnny Thompson for more than forty years. He has helped create and refine virtually every branch of our stage and television work." -Penn & Teller

"Johnny is not only the most knowledgeable and proficient magician I have ever met, he is also a great teacher who is happy to share his knowledge... I have learned more about magic from Johnny Thompson than anyone else in the world." -Lance Burton

"More than 40 years ago Johnny Thompson welcomed me into his home and into his confidence. Since that day, every time I've met with Johnny I have learned something valuable from him about the real secrets of magic. These books are a treasure trove of knowledge from a true Master who has seen it all, done it all, and is generous enough to share his wisdom with the rest of us." -Michael Weber

Johnny Thompson is one of the most respected minds in magic. His distinguished, decades-long career has covered all facets of magic. As a pioneer of trade show performances, as a legendary dove worker—performed as his iconic stage persona, The Great Tomsoni & Co.—as a bamboozling bar magician, as a charming mentalist, as a surprising illusionist, and as one of the most sought-after magic consultants… Johnny Thompson, truly, has done it all.

And now, he shares it all with you.

Written by renowned author Jamy Ian Swiss and the master magician himself, Johnny Thompson, The Magic of Johnny Thompson meticulously details the real secrets of seventy-eight of Johnny’s most cherished and celebrated routines, including The Cups & Balls, The Balls in the Net, The Egg Bag and The Gambler’s Ballad.

It also includes previously unpublished material from Johnny’s respected colleagues and mentors including Dai Vernon, Harry Riser and Ed Marlo. There is an extended chapter devoted to the close-up magic of Charlie Miller and Max Malini. There is the entire Johnny Thompson Trade Show Act (complete with a sample script), including the incredibly impossible $100 Dollar Prediction. There is also a chapter devoted to dove and silk magic by The Great Tomsoni & Co., which incudes a thorough essay on the development of a dove act.

This handsome two-volume, slipcased set is over 660 pages and is illustrated with nearly 1,100 photographs and features forewords by Jamy Ian Swiss and Lance Burton, and introductions by Teller and Levent. Every copy sold also features two original signatures: one by Johnny Thompson and one by The Great Tomsoni!

Everything you would expect—and much more—from one of the most respected magicians of this, or any other age!

Specifications

Two-volume hardcover, slipcased set: 12.5" x 9.25" x 2.75" (31.75 x 23.5 x 7 cm), approximately 10 lbs. (4.5 kg) with 78 routines spread over 663 pages, featuring nearly 1,100 photographs.

CONTENTS



VOLUME I
FOREWORD by Jamy Ian Swiss

INTRODUCTION by Teller

THE GAMBLER'S BALLAD, Harry Riser (Everywhere Nowhere All Backs, The Ambilipstrous Card, The Kissed Card, Les Quick Cartes, The Bean Coins, Elmsley’s Brainweave, Expert Dunbury Delusion, Impromptu Shiner), ED MARLO (The Empty Balloon, KF + BC + EM2 = Another Universal, Stilted Tilt, Mental Card Miracle, Expert Estimating the Aces), BALLS IN THE NET, MIXED MACS, MORE CARDS (Zarrow Translating Deck, The Whispering Queen, The Prowling Jokers, Stopping Hofzinser, Location with a One-Way Back, The Classic Force, Underground Card Moves: Finlay Shift, Optical Shuffle, Carlyle Top Palm Replacement, Dribble Replacement), BENSON BOWL, MILLER & MALINI (Basic English, Charlie’s First Card Trick, Covering Erdnase, Malini Side Steal, Thompson Side Steal, The Trick That Cannot Be Explained, Manuel’s Phantom Cigarette, Han Ping Chien, The Vanishing Glass, Miller Cups and Balls, Sugar Cube Assembly), THE EGG BAG


VOLUME II
FOREWORD by Lance Burton

INTRODUCTION by Levent

THE CUPS AND BALLS, MORE COIN MAGIC (Presto Chango, The Golden Coin, Coin in the Bottle), DAI VERNON (Expert Vernon’s Variant, Cutting the Aces, Copper and Silver Transposition, Dai Vernon’s Magic Castle Act), COLOR-CHANGING KNIVES, EVEN MORE CARDS (The Five Senses, Card on the Seat, Quadruple Coincidence, Grippo’s Card to Envelope, The Genii’s Stop Trick, The Scoot, Ravelli Meets Rix, Parrish the Thought, Lazy Man’s Card Trick), MENTALISM (The Koran Medallion, Polish Epic, The Pump Deck), ILLUSIONS (The Color-Changing Dress, The Transformation Tunnel, The Trunk Trick, The JT Asrah), THE GREAT TOMSONI & CO. (The Act, On Birds, Pockets and Principles, Wings of Warsaw, Unprepared Serpentine Silk, Color-Changing Silk, Color-Changing Dove, Multiple Dove Vanish, Paper to Parakeet), TRADE SHOW ACT (The Act, Sample Script, The Opener, Miniature Invisible Deck, Micro-Macro, Triumph, Signed Card to Miniature Box, The Johnny Thompson $100 Prediction)

THE FINAL WORD
by Johnny Thompson

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Featured Magic Tricks

Customer Reviews (showing 1 - 10 of 13)
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GOLD! Report this review
Pro Privacy ON (login to see reviewer names) on April 12th, 2018
I remember the feeling, years ago, when I bought The Books of Wonder. It was as if one of magic’s greatest thinkers and performers had opened his brain for his readers. On reading I realized that he had not only opened his brain but his heart as well.
This, on a much larger scale, is what I felt when a very large package arrived at my door. The package contained the long-awaited set on the magic of Johnny Thompson. I make no claim to have read everything yet, much less worked through all of the material, but I know that this book not only contains gold, it is gold.
Every once in a while, a book or set of books comes along that is destined to be a treasure for years to come. This set is the epitome of such treasure. It opens with “The Gambler’s Ballad” which I had the honor of seeing Mr. Thompson perform years ago for a small, select group attending a “Card Clinic.” It was real magic! Seeing the piece written out and fully explained is an unbelievable gift to our community. Gold.
The books were written by both Thompson and Jamy Ian Swiss. Mr. Swiss is, in my opinion one of the finest writers in magic, both technically as well as stylistically. The photos are crystal clear and show exactly what is needed (as far as I have looked and I have no reason to doubt that this is true of the entire book). The set is beautifully produced for those of us who care about the aesthetics as well as the content of our books. They have been autographed by both Mr. Thompson as well as his character, “The Great Thompsoni.” They are housed in a beautiful case fitting for such wonderful words. Gold.
Inside, the reader will find magic. Not just tricks, and certainly not tricks that have been “invented” yesterday, tried out last night, and videotaped this morning. These are genuine pieces that have been worked on by the finest minds in magic (Vernon, Elmsley, Marlo, etc.). They are not “miracles” that have never seen the light of day, but workhorses that have been performed thousands of times until every small rough edge has been sanded off. Gold.
I purchased these as soon as the publisher began taking money for them. I was afraid that by the time they were published the set would be sold out. You have the opportunity to get them now. A lifetime of work shared by one of magic’s greats. I advise you to sell whatever you can and buy these books. They will teach you more that the last fifty DVDs and instant downloads. Working through them will give you a goal not for a week or two, but for your life.
The same chant that St. Augustine heard two thousand years ago should ring in your ears: Tolle Lege (take up and read). You will never look at magic the same way again.
7 of 9 magicians found this helpful.
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The magic of Johnny Thompson Report this review
Verified buyer Pro Privacy ON (login to see reviewer names) on July 26th, 2018
Absolutely magical, a both beautiful and insightful addition to any serious collection. The quality of the content is reflected in the quality of the books themselves. Would recommend to any passionate (and patient) magician amateur or professional (tho be warned it is , in my opinion, NOT for beginners who will be quickly lost among the assumed foreknowledge of effects, routines, references, lingo ect...).
2 of 2 magicians found this helpful.
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The most important books of my lifetime Report this review
Pro Privacy ON (login to see reviewer names) on April 18th, 2018
I have heard whispers of these books for the past eight years. I have had them for over a week and I can say that they are everything I dreamed and then some. Within these books you have the last of magic's renaissance masters teaching his life's work. Not only do you learned Johnny Thompson's magic, but you are treated to previously unpublished material by Johnny's friends and mentors; in this case, that's Dai Vernon, Charlie Miller, Harry Riser, etc. I am sure that I will be learning from these books for decades to come. I firmly believe that these are the most important books of my lifetime, and that they will soon be a sought after collector's item. Get them while you can, or regret it forever.
2 of 3 magicians found this helpful.
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GET THIS WHILE YOU CAN Report this review
Verified buyer Pro Privacy ON (login to see reviewer names) on October 1st, 2018
The material in this book literally makes me wish that I'm the only one who had it!
Gambler's ballad is a routine that teaches you what a routine is---a lot of tricks claim to be 'routines', but they are just 'effects'. If performed and practiced right, Gambler's ballad will be a killer.
That's all I've read up till this point but I also took looks on what's coming after and all that still seems reeeeaaaal good material!
1 of 2 magicians found this helpful.
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A Treasure Trove of Masterpieces Report this review
Verified buyer Pro Privacy ON (login to see reviewer names) on June 29th, 2018
Very rarely does a magic book turn me on. The only book to have done so is the Magic Way. But this is a new level of magic. It's full of fantastic, tested, amazing routines straight from Day Vernon, Charlie Miller, etc. Johnnie's routines kill, and while I don't claim to have read and performed it all of the material in this book, I have tried several of them. This is an investment only serious magicians will make, but it's easily worth 2x the cost when you get a lifetime's worth of magic from one of the greats. This book has beautiful photos, crystal clear writing, and beautiful binding. It's an instant classic. It includes two fantastic acts and working pieces that have been shaped and formed to amaze. When my family and I saw Penn and Teller's new show in Vegas (with several killer tricks from this set) we were stunned. The entire audience was at a loss of words and even some of he magicians in the crowd admired the masterpieces that are the routines in this book. There's truly something for everyone here, although card magicians will be in magic heaven. If you're serious about magic, this is a must read.
1 of 2 magicians found this helpful.
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Top Quality Report this review
Verified buyer Pro Privacy ON (login to see reviewer names) on May 26th, 2019
What fine quality books. This set is simply beautiful. If you admire Johnny Thompson then there is no way you can pass this up. So much information and wonderful photographs. All of Johnny's routines are here. Perfect binding with slip cover and Thompson's traditional signature with the bowling ball "O's" I am very satisfied with these books and they are well worth the money. Once they are gone they will double or perhaps triple in value.
Highest recommendation.
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Get This Book! Report this review
Verified buyer Pro Privacy ON (login to see reviewer names) on April 3rd, 2019
There is so much great information in this book. I was lucky enough to buy it before it became unavailable. I have so many friends who have been helped by Johnny's expertise, and now I have a book from which I, too, can learn from Johnny Thompson. I am not going to go over my favorite parts, effects, tips, because those are all subjective. I will, however, highly recommend that if you don't have this book, you should really buy it ASAP before it will no longer be available (at least with Johnny's autograph).
I regret not buying it sooner, but better late than never!
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An amazing legacy Report this review
Verified buyer Pro Privacy ON (login to see reviewer names) on April 2nd, 2019
There is a reason that Penn & Teller, Criss Angel, and sought Johnny Thompson's advice, and why he was referred to as "The Godfather". These two volumes should be in the library of any serious student of magic.
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No disappointments here!! Report this review
Verified buyer Pro Privacy ON (login to see reviewer names) on April 2nd, 2019
I've been waiting for this book for over 20 years, and I was not disappointed! While the price will keep this out of the hands of the average "dabbler", there is plenty for the serious hobbyist and professional here. No pipe dream material; this is a very fitting tribute to one of the most influential magicians of our, or any time.
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Legend. Report this review
Verified buyer Pro Privacy ON (login to see reviewer names) on March 13th, 2019
This book is a must have. I called Johnny for help on a magic concern of
the blue. He didn’t know me from Adam. He was gracious enough to take the time from his busy schedule to help me. I purchased his book from my favorite magic shop Penguin magic. It’s a book every magician should own. Johnny Thompson has left his mark among many generes, but a legend in magic.
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