I also vote for shadowland buy Peter Struab excellent stuff if you like ghost/horror stories. Plays on what I think is a secret belief or fantasy in most youg people starting magic. That there may in fact be a "real" magic is you know who to teach you or reach a certainl level of excellence

To either magicians or laymen. Magican and the card sharp. my most fav book

Not exactly about a magician, but close enough: "The Hand of Mary Constable" by Paul Gallico. It's a fun read. Another of his books, "Too Many Ghosts" stars the same character and gets into a lot of "magic" as used in fake spiritualism.

Wow, I'm surprised I'm casting the first vote for it. Sol Stein's "The Magician."

One of my favorites (that has not already been mentioned) is "The Magician Of Lublin" by Isaac Bashevis Singer.

This novel achieves a very curious atmosphere of both lightheartedness and existentialism, the likes of which I've rarely encountered by any author.

Somehow, this books manages to subvert social mores without insulting them, and gives a visceral feel to 19th century Poland. Singer also makes characters, that are in essence quite cartoonish, seem very real.

This book will challenge you and make you think.

For "non-fiction" I'd suggest: "Sorcerer's Apprentice" by Tahir Shah. Basically a travelogue about magic in India, in which a man's journey -looking for a conjurer who appeared to his family when he was a child, taught him some magic and delivered a warning, is cataloged.

Shah later learns about buskers, illusionists and con-men, who practice the artifices of magic throughout India today (as of the 90's, anyhow...)

A good, lively, non-fiction read; but the truthfulness of the account should be taken with a grain of salt.

Always preferred non-fiction when it comes to reading about magicians. Most of them have lives more interesting than what you could make up.

The Magician and the Card Sharp is definately a recommended read. I'm also working on The Glorious Deception- I need to finish it one of these days, it's still sitting on my nightstand.

The Magician and the Card Sharp was good. As was the Glorious Deception. Carter Beats the Devil was alright, but not my favorite.
I also liked the Secret Life of Houdini.
There was another one... The Vanishing Elephant? I think that's what it was called. That one was really good, even though the author jumps on the whole 'Houdini sucked' bandwagon, which I don't really cotton to. Otherwise, it was a phenomenal book.

What kind of dumass name is that?

I will save you all some trouble and recommend that you pass up 'The magician's wife', a terrible book that I read because I was after the girl who recommended it.
Sort of about Jean Robert-Houdin as told by his whiny wife. Just dreadful.

The Prestige, far superior to the movie, as most books are. Definitely read it. Close second Carter Beats the Devil.

I'd recommend The Magician's Wife - written by a superb author, Brian Moore.