Hugard's Magic Monthly Volumes XIV, XV, AND XVI by Jean Hugard, Editor and Publisher

Reviewed by Jamy Ian Swiss (originally published in Genii December, 1997)

Speaking of fabulous compendiums with reams of sparkling material created by and collected from illustrious contributors, yet another volume of Hugard's Magic Monthly has been released in Magico's continuing project. This installment originally ran from June of 1956 to May of 1959, and includes offerings from the likes of Okito, Slydini, Leipzig, Tenkai, Cliff Green, Max Katz, Don Alan and more. Milbourne Christopher continues his own column of magic along with that of his pseudonymous commentator, Frank Joglar, and Fred Braue returns with his wonderful Roundabout column, the very first installment of which includes a trick of Max Malini's, and a late segment of which is devoted at length to think-a-card tricks. Arthur LeRoy provides a series entitled Coney's Conjuring Cavalcade about magic and other attractions of New York's famed Coney Island, and Hugard's response to Houdini's Unmasking of Robert-Houdin appears in installment form. (You might want to photocopy these 80 pages out of your own purchased volume of the magazine and then reassemble it for easy reading.) Jean Hugard in fact contributes a great deal of his own superb writing throughout, including an interesting if perhaps minority view of the value for magicians of Erdnase's writings, an essay about what makes for a "simple trick," and more. Arthur Leroy offers heartfelt praise of Cardini while presenting a strongly-worded attack on copyists. Harry Lorayne first publishes his popular poker deal routine. I've reviewed these volumes at length in the past and so cannot invest a great deal of space here, but once again I can't encourage you strongly enough to share in the many hours of pleasure these books are bound to provide. Pick up the latest installment, or start your collection now if you haven't yet done so.