The Italian magic website, Praestigiator, offers access to free books and videos, columns and stories about the conjuring arts. Use your google translator if you cannot read the mother language.

http://www.praestigiator.com/index.php

http://www.praestigiator.com/index.php

Database of 53 ancient books of magic freely accessible
Collected by Mariano Tomatis Antoniono

Anonymous
Papyrus Setne (English translation)
Francis Llewellyn Griffith (ed.), Stories of the High-Priest of Memphis, Clarendon Press, Oxford 1900.


Heron of Alexandria
The Pneumatics of Hero of Alexandria
Erone di Alessandria, The Pneumatics of Hero of Alexandria, Londra: Taylor, Walton & Maberly, 1851.


Alcifrone (second century AD)
Letters Alcifrone (greek and english translation)
Alcifrone, Alcifron, literally and completely translated from Greek, The Athenian Society, Atene 1896.


Flavius Philostratus (170-247)
Life of Apollonius of Tyana (English translation)
Christopher P. Jones (ed.), Philostratus: The Life of Apollonius of Tyana, The Loeb Classical Library 16&17, Cambridge - Harvard University Press 2005.


Lucian of Samosata (120-180)
Alexander or the False Prophet (greek and Latin translation)
John Theophilus Lehmann (ed.), Luciani Samosatensis operational graece you latine , Lipsia 1825.


Lucian of Samosata (120-180)
Alexander or the False Prophet (English translation)
Luciano (AM Harmon, trans.), Works , Vol 2, Loeb Classical Library, London 1915.


Sant'Ippolito
Refutatio Haeresium Omnium (English translation)
J. H. Macmahon (trad.), The Refutation of All Heresies, http://www.newadvent.org/


Sant'Ippolito
A refutation of all heresies (Greek)
Miroslav Marcovich (ed.), Refutatio Omnium Haeresium, Walter de Gruyter, Berlino/New York 1986.


Luca Pacioli (1445-1514)
De Viribus Quantitatis (scanning)
Maria Garlaschi Peirani (ed.), Luca Pacioli, De viribus quantitatis , code no. 250 of the University Library of Bologna, Milan 1997.


Gerolamo Cardano (1501-1576)
De Subtilitate (edition 1550)
Gerolamo Cardano, De Subtilitate , Paris 1550.


Girolamo Parabosco
The Oracle
Girolamo Parabosco, L'Oracolo , 1552.


Gerolamo Cardano (1501-1576)
De Subtilitate (edition 1559)
Gerolamo Cardano, De Subtilitate , Lyon 1559.


Gerolamo Cardano (1501-1576)
De Subtilitate (edition 1580)
Gerolamo Cardano, De Subtilitate , Lyon 1580.


Reginald Scot (1538-1599)
Discovery of Witchcraft
Reginald Scot, The Discovery of Witchcraft, Londra 1651 (seconda edizione).


Reginald Scot (1538-1599)
Discovery of Witchcraft
Reginald Scot, The Discovery of Witchcraft, Londra 1584 (ora in Dover, New York 1989).


Claude-Gaspard Bachet (1581-1638)
Problems wits and Delectables, which Font by the Numbers
Claude Gaspard Bachet-, Problems wits and Delectables, which Font by the Numbers: Collected from Parties uarious Autheurs, & Iuentez auec their Demonstration of new leaven. Very-vtiles for All Kinds of People Strange, who Seruent d? Arithmetic , P. Rigaud, Lione 1612.


Andrea Ghisi
Laberinto given again into lvce by Mr. Andrea clarissimo Ghisi
Andrea Ghisi, Laberinto again into lvce given by Mr. Andrew clarissimo Ghisi , Venice 1616.


Anonymous
Hocus Pocus Junior: the anatomie of legerdemain
Anonimo, Hocus Pocus Junior: the anatomie of legerdemain, or, The art of jugling set forth in his proper colours, fully, plainly, and exactly, so that an ignorant person may thereby learn the full perfection of the same, after a little practice: unto each tricke is added the figure, where it is needfull for instruction, T.Harper, Londra 1635.


John Wilkins (1614-1672)
Mercury or the Swift and Secret Messenger
John Wilkins, Mercury or the Secret and Swift Messenger, Londra 1641 (ora in Kessinger Publishing, Whitefish USA 2003).


Gaspard Monge (1746-1818)
Reflections on a card trick
G. Monge, "Reflections on a card trick," Memoirs of Mathematics and Physics, Royal Academy of Sciences, Sydney 1773, pp.390-412.


William Hooper (1742-1790)
Rational recreations (Volume 4, edizione 1774)
William Hooper, Rational recreations, Volume 4, Londra 1774.


Jacques Ozanam (1640-1717)
Recreational mathematics and physical
Jacques Ozanam, Recreations Mathematics and Physics , Vol.1, C.-A. Jombert, Sydney 1778.


William Hooper (1742-1790)
Rational recreations (Volume 4, edizione 1782)
William Hooper, Rational recreations, Volume 4, Londra 1782.


Decremps Henri (1746-1826)
White magic unveiled
Henri Decremps, White magic revealed, or Explanation of Surprennants Tours, which have recently become the? admiration and Capital of the Province, with Reflections on the divining rod, the Players of Automata? failures , Langlois, Sydney 1784 .


Philip Astley (1742-1814)
Natural Magic or Physical Amusements Revealed
Philip Astley, Natural Magic or Physical Amusements Revealed, Londra 1785.


Giuseppe Pinetti (1750-1799)
Physical Amusements and Diverting Experiments
Giuseppe Pinetti, Physical Amusements and Diverting Experiments, Londra 1784.


Edme-Gilles Guyot (1706-1786)
New physical and mathematical recreations (voll.1-3)
Edme-Gilles Guyot, New physical and mathematical recreations , voluminous 1-3, Sydney 1786-1799.


Edme-Gilles Guyot (1706-1786)
New physical and mathematical recreations (Volume 1)
Edme-Gilles Guyot, physical and mathematical recreations News , Volume 1, Sydney 1786-1799.


Edme-Gilles Guyot (1706-1786)
New physical and mathematical recreations (volume 2)
Edme-Gilles Guyot, New physical and mathematical recreations , Volume 2, Sydney 1786-1799.


Edme-Gilles Guyot (1706-1786)
New physical and mathematical recreations (Volume 3)
Edme-Gilles Guyot, physical and mathematical recreations News , Volume 3, Sydney 1786-1799.


Decremps Henri (1746-1826)
The little adventures of Jerome Sharp, professor of physics fun
Decremps Henry, The little adventures of Jerome Sharp, professor of physics fun , Sydney 1789.


Jacques Lacombe (1724-1811)
Encyclopedic Dictionary of the amusements of Mathematical and Physical
Jacques Lacombe, Encyclopedic Dictionary of the amusements of Mathematics and Physics , Panckoucke, Sydney 1792.


Henry Dean
Hocus Pocus or the whole art of legerdemain in perfection
Henry Dean, Hocus Pocus or the whole art of legerdemain in perfection, Mathew Carey, Philadelphia 1795.


Anonymous
The New Conjuror’s Museum and Magical Magazine
Anonimo, The New Conjuror’s Museum and Magical Magazine, Londra 1806.


Joseph Diaz Gergonne (1771-1859)
Research on a card trick
Joseph Diaz Gergonne, "Mathematical Recreations. Research on a card trick", Annals of Gergonne , Vol.4, 1813-1814, pp.276-283.


Samuel Weller Singer, Robert Triphook
Researches Into the History of Playing Cards
Samuel Weller Singer, Robert Triphook, Researches Into the History of Playing Cards, Londra 1816.


Decremps Henri (1746-1826)
Secrets of white magic or Explanation of 'games of hand striking the Cavalier Pinetti
Henri Decremps, Secreti of white magic , G. Noble, 1827.


Sir David Brewster (1781-1868)
Letters on Natural Magic
Sir David Brewster, Letters on Natural Magic, Addressed to Sir Walter Scott, J. Murray, Londra 1832


Jean-Eugène Robert-Houdin (1805-1871)
Evenings fantastic album of Robert-Houdin in the Palais Royal (Vol.1)
Jean-Eugene Robert-Houdin, albums fantastic evenings of Robert-Houdin in the Palais Royal , Impr. of Guiraudet, Sydney 1851.


Frederick Marshall
"Double vue" in The New Monthly Magazine
Frederick Marshall, “Double vue” in The New Monthly Magazine, Vol.96, Londra 1852, p.417.


Jean Nicolas Ponsin
Unveiled new white magic, occult physical and complete course of conjuring
Jean Nicolas Ponsin, unveiled new white magic, occult physical and complete course of prestidigitation , Adolphe Delahaus, Sydney 1853.


Jean-Eugène Robert-Houdin (1805-1871)
Confessions of a magician (vol.1)
Jean-Eugene Robert-Houdin, Confidences a magician , Sydney 1859.


Jean-Eugène Robert-Houdin (1805-1871)
Confessions of a magician (vol.2)
Jean-Eugene Robert-Houdin, Confidences a magician , Sydney 1859.


Jean-Eugène Robert-Houdin (1805-1871)
The secrets of conjuring and magic
Jean-Eugene Robert-Houdin, The secrets of conjuring and magic: how to become sorcerer , Michel Levy brothers, Sydney 1868.


Jean-Eugène Robert-Houdin (1805-1871)
Confidences and revelations: how to become sorcerer
Jean-Eugene Robert-Houdin, Confidences and revelations: how one becomes a witch , Lecesne, Blois 1868.


Jean-Eugène Robert-Houdin (1805-1871)
Magic and fun physical
Jean-Eugene Robert-Houdin, magic and fun physical , Calmann Levy, Sydney 1877.


Professor Lorento
Lorento's Wizard Guide (or Magic made easy)
Professor Lorento, Lorento's Wizard Guide (or Magic made easy), Hurst & Co., New York 1878.


Professor Lorento
Amateur amusements
Professor Lorento, Amateur amusements, Hurst & Co., New York 1878.


Jean-Eugène Robert-Houdin (1805-1871)
The art of winning all the games: cheating Greeks unveiled
Jean-Eugene Robert-Houdin, The art of winning all the games: cheating Greeks unveiled , Calmann Levy, Sydney 1879.


Edouard Lucas (1842-1891)
Recreational mathematics
Edward Lucas, Recreations Mathematics , Gauthier-Villars and son, Sydney 1891.


William Ellsworth Robinson (1861–1918)
Spirit Slate Writing and Kindred Phenomena
William Ellsworth Robinson, Spirit Slate Writing and Kindred Phenomena, Munn & Co, New York 1898.

Harry Houdini (1874-1926)
The unmasking of Robert-Houdin
Harry Houdini, The unmasking of Robert-Houdin, Publishers Printing Co, New York 1908.

Sam Loyd (1841-1911)
Sam Loyd's Cyclopedia of 5000 Puzzles, Tricks, and Conundrums
Sam Loyd, Sam Loyd's Cyclopedia of 5000 Puzzles, Tricks, and Conundrums, Pinnacle Books, 1914.

WOW thanks so much for sharing this excellent resource link.
I've got lots of reading to do now buddy.

...and me (the curator of Praestigiator) is also here on Magic Café
You can check also my interactive tricks here:
http://www.marianotomatis.it/index.php?page=magia&lang=en