statman's review
3.0
This is definitely a little different than what I usually read. I don't think it works as an ebook or audio book because the photographs of the magical objects is a big portion of the book. Copperfield is essentially describing different items that are in his personal museum of memorabilia from famous magicians of the past. The history is a little light on the people and what they did. It is kind of random without a real flow from chapter to chapter. You won't get any secrets behind differnt magical tricks but it does give you a glimpse into how much work magicians have to do to practice and make the tricks possible.
avinz's review
3.0
The history of white male magic. Some interesting things but feels very much focused on David Copperfield and people. David Copperfield likes from history.
fatherroderick's review
3.0
The title promises more than the book delivers: this isn't a coherent overview of the history of magic, but a collection of short essays about individual magicians. Each chapter ends with what feels like an ad for David Copperfield's museum: "I bought the item or contraption this magician used or developed and it's on display in my museum". The information is interesting, albeit very factual, almost like a summary of a couple of Wikipedia pages. I missed the personal perspective from the author; it rarely goes beyond commonplace phrases like "I really admire what this magician did, we build on the legacy of the magicians who came before us." It's an interesting read, but the book could have been so much better... it lacks the magic you'd expect.
uberbutter's review
informative
medium-paced
3.75
David Copperfield's History of Magic is a bit of everything. Presented in coffee table book format, Copperfield discusses different magicians that had impacted his life and shows the artifacts from said magicians that he has in his museum. That's right, Copperfield has his own private magic museum full of historical magic clothing, tricks, and other items. It was an interesting journey into how magic has transformed over the last 150 years and I thoroughly enjoyed the full colored pictures of the artifacts found in the museum. An enjoyable, fairly quick read but not easy on the wrists - the book is awkwardly large and heavy.