Apparently the book's finally out . Anyone care to post a review?

There are reviews in the February issues of MAGIC and GENII. Anybody else read the book?

Joe

Is there a link to a supplier?

Here you go:
http://www.abracadabra.co.uk/

Thanks

Is this being shipped yet.

Paul

Yes,
I got my book week ago!
Great book. You will like it!

Highly recommended

Any chance someone with this could post a more detailed review of the book?

Cheers,

Jamie.

David Britland posted his thoughts in his blog:

http://www.davidbritland.com/

David Britland's blog makes for very good reading.

I purchased this book without hesitation when I saw Peter Duffie's name was on the cover. (My favourite book "The Dave Campbell Legacy" being by the same author)
I took advantage of Martin Breese's pre-order offer.

I suppose I was expecting something along the lines of the Dave Campbell Legacy and to be honest I was disappointed with The Magic of Fred Robinson. I have a healthy library of magic books and I guess that on average, I have paid in the region of around £35 for each (save for the Dover paperbacks and the like.) I have to say from the outset that at £75, The Magic of Fred Robinson is, in my opinion, staggeringly overpriced. Even at the pre-order offer - it is to much! I make that comment folks purely on the average cost of other books. Either I am right or, as I suspect some will concur, other books are staggeringly underpriced. I'm happy with that observation - certainly in the case of The Dave Campbell Legacy!

Now I've put my neck on the block and most likely incurred the wrath of some and alienated myself from others (heck, it isn't the first time and it wont be the last! ) allow me to justify my personal opinion. That is exactly what it is as I just found the book to be, well, let's say, just not for me.

Unlike TDCL which was littered with typos and poorly typefaced, TMoFR is beautifully presented and illustrated to exceptionally high quality throughout and Martin Breese and Peter Duffie must, with justifaction, be very proud of it.

Whilst I appreciate the importance and relevance of glowing testimonies and tributes, I thought fifty pages of them to be just a tad too much in a book of it's size and price.

The section on Deals, Passes and other sleights will please the technically gifted as will the coins section at the end. I just thought that there may have been a little more variety on the card effects in there other than concentrating some of the forces outlined earlier. Just my view - I know others will appreciate them.

I was surprised, at this price, that the book would include such 'filler' as "I Know" which at best should have been an internet anecdote and, to me, a pretty meaningless handling of Daley's Last Trick. Mind Reading at The Marlborough? I'm not sure how that made it through the selection process.

There is a section on Gambling effects that to be honest, I skipped through very briefly as I personally cant be ar$ed with elaborate set-ups of this kind. That said, the effects read well and should delight the gambling routiners out there.

Perhaps, if I had known the contents of the book prior, I may not have been so hasty to part with my money and chosen to spend it a little more appriopriately elsewhere.

The book is of exceptional quality, and if the above brief resume of contents is your bag - then you'll love it. It's certainly one for the collectors!

Now folks, Ive said my bit and its my view only.I know other will disagree and offer very valued and informative information. I do not seek to get into Café row over it and am happy to be in the minority. But, for £75? I'll very seriously be considering what is offer from this publisher in the future. As for further Peter Duffie venture's, as usual, I'll be somewhere near the head of the queue.

I'm hanging on to it merely in the hope that it might turnn out to be an investment, but I seriously doubt it.

Light blue touchpaper and retire a good distance.....

Hi Roger,

I have the book in my hands right now. It is a pricy piece of hardware to be sure and I guess it depends on the motives for purchase. In my case it was the information on the false deals and the riffle pass that drove me. On that score I am very pleased with the technical insights Fred Robinson has brought to the table. He provides a method of dealing with an ordinary grasp of the deck that allows for seconds, bottoms, greeks and center's to be dealt from the same grip and during a single deal. This is material new to the publishing world. I particularly liked Paul Wilsons insights into the use of false deals in magic as opposed to cheating . Then there are the moves such as a hoffzinger type force, insights inot handling the double lift, a version of the Curry turnover change, a multiple shift etc etc, complete with some excellent touches. I have only really begun to get to 'grips' with the material but so far I am very impressed.

It really does depend on what you want out of a book like this and Roger makes some thoughtful points. As for me, well, I bought Cardshark at a premium price before it was reprinted and I'm still thrilled with it. I believe Jason England has a review of the Fred Robinson book in one of the mainstream magic magazines. His insights are well worth studying before buying.

Regards,

Paul

Hi Roger,

Thank you for your review and opinions. Under no circumstances should your review incur the wrath of anyone and alienated you in any way. At a glance it appears negative, but it contains many positives, too. I only want to make one comment, in reply to:

"I'm not sure how that made it through the selection process."

When one compiles a magic book that represents the life work of a subject, I believe there should be no selection process. Remove any one item and it no longer contains the complete output of the subject. Incidentally, the "I Know" gag, when presented at the right time, is actually far better than it might read. But only if you're a smoker!!

Best Wishes

Peter

Just received the book.
Apart from the emotional aspects of having in hand things that where patiently taught and adjusted in my hand (and my youth's impatient craving for "new") by my first really great master, the book refreshed my awareness of the value of his teaching. The book could have had a sub-title: "do it right!"

The reader will not find there ignored or forgotten secret moves: the book describes the carefully thought out subtleties that Fred had input into a naturalistic approach of sleight of hand. As there is a Vernon Touch, there is a Robinson touch. No magician flourishy moves: just moves that blend in to avoid suspicion. In every move Fred was looking for the gesture which could supply as much misdirection as body language justification. These are in the book but you have to look for them: it's not a book to flip through. It's a book to learn things from.
The tricks are fairly classic but there are so many tiny things that really make the difference, that it's really worth reading page after page and not too fast, thinking "how can I put this little thing that makes all the difference in my own routine?"

Some magical "maturity" will help in really fully appreciating what the book offers, but if the beginner is really concerned to start magic with a deeply right track, he should accept the advice of "seasoned" magicians: this book is a bliss. Check on the Riffle Pas, the Faro, on the deals, on the card changes. on the rising card... Check on everything: there is no filler here. Maybe a magician or another dropped a sleight at one sstage in his magical life, thinking that it could be done perfectly deceptively: if it's in Fred's book, it can.

Loved the book: thank you Peter Duffie, you succeeded sharing Fred's spirit in his approach to moves, not just describe his moves. I hope (still fearing it) that magicians will not go too fast on this one... for their own good.

A fair and important point Peter that, at the time, slipped me by. My overall disappointment though was paying such a price (by comparison to similar tomes) for such lengthy tributes and some, well, lets say, not exactly groundbreaking inclusions.

I know I'll be in the minority and I'm happy to be so, but I might just be saying what one or two others are thinking.

There is no doubt that there is value in the book for others.

I agree with Peter - everyone is allowed their own opinion, and it may be that Fred's material is just not for you.
I just wanted to make sure you aren't missing a coupple of things.
you find his handling of Daley's Last Trick 'meaningless'; well, for me, I appreciate the elegance of the handling - that the glide leaves you in perfect position for the doulbe lift, with no get ready required. It's a great example of management. despite having read many versions over the years, Fred's is the version I use. Well, you don't know me, but the fact that this is the handling that Bill Malone uses ought to say something.
As for the 50 pages of tributes; some reviews I've read have appreciated the picture they paint of Fred the man, but if that's not of interest to you, fine. But - within the tributes, the article I wrote summarises the lessons on the performance of magic I got from Fred. No tricks, sure - but lessons on magagement, choice of material, misdirection etc, which were enormously valuable to me.
yes, the book may still not be for you - but, since you paid your money, I wanted to help you get some value from it!

Dominic Twose

Now available as a PDF. One of my truly favorite books: https://www.lybrary.com/the-magic-of-fre......899.html