Because some of the methods were so difficult that others wouldn't even want to attempt the effort and the methodology for some is freeflowing ala ACAAN which as we know is incredibly difficult to describe and put into print. Looking forward to reading the book.

I have ordered and am looking forward to the book. Interestingly, the author says that he wrestled with the thought that Sidney didn't want any methods published . He has been swayed to publish by the thought that whatever methods are revealed (and I doubt they would be easy) could be enhanced and improved by the magic fraternity. There is a pledge not to reveal whatever is found and the price is high enough to put off the curious. I hope I can study this book and have even more admiration for them and the story that he developed his methods in a prison camp is fascinating in itself. I love this art

It is now available as a .pdf on lybrary

The author is also producing a DVD :



I am puzzled : "brand new modern methods" means no rapport with the piddingtons ?

I obviously can't say for sure, but I'd interpret it / guess that it means taking advantage of the latest technologies that weren't necessarily available to the Piddingtons. It may be possible to do that while staying in keeping with their approach.

But like I say, this is little more than wild, ill-informed speculation on my part...

By that statement, it sounds like this "investigative reporter" might be planning to expose the sacred secrets of other magicians in the future and sell to the general public for his personal profit. I choose not support this project. I'll save my money and maybe wait for the free downloads to appear on the web soon.

I saw the Evesons performing at South Tyneside last year.
I really, really do not want to know how this sort of effect works.

I am guessing it takes years to build up a system, and not something you can just pick up from a book and dive straight into a performance.

At 40 quid a copy it's going to be of absolutely NO interest to the general public. Are there lay people about who would have any interest in such a project anyway? Hart has quite clearly stated that the book is aimed at the magical fraternity, not the general public.

So the price protects it form the general public? Really?????

It doesn't sound like that at all. I fail to see how you can jump to that conclusion.

Also, our secrets are not 'sacred'. That is giving them far too much importance.

I'm afraid the Magicians Code is doomed by folks like you...........
Everything is for sale.......

In as much as price protects ANY magic publication, DVD or effect from the general public.

I do not imagine that there is a huge rush of lay people waiting for the release of this book, and most certainly not at the price. By definition I would think anyone buying the book is already interested enough in the field not to be classed as a lay person.

And it's not just about price. There's plenty of $5 and $10 publications about but it takes a certain degree of interest for someone to purchase them surely?

I have this and am reading at the moment. It is fascinating mainly because of the life of Sydney during the war and the germ of the act being Bourne out of such adversity.

How does it compare to Hanussen's act in your opinion, in that it was developed during war times in the service...???

Sorry I haven't read Doc Hillford's Hanussen Dossier. But just to say it must have been a way to get through the terrible trauma of the prison conditions.

My copy of Piddington's Secrets arrived this week. I haven't read it completely yet, but wanted to share my first thoughts as I know some people in this thread sounded as interested as I was.

The first and most important question - does this actually answer all the questions surrounding the Piddingtons shows? Yes it does. And it introduces new information to the discussion from reliable sources.

That leads to the second question that's come up a few times in this thread - should it have been published? My feeling is probably not, and certainly not like this. Others may disagree and that's fine.

In the preface and introduction, the author shares his "rationale" for sharing what Lesley Piddington herself (as well as numerous others) never would. I fail to see any argument or reason given at all. Even reading between the lines it's hard to find any motive other than, "I wanted to share what I found out, and was encouraged to do so by certain professional magicians". I'm further confused by the fact that the author put this book out for sale in public markets, proudly exposing every secret, but then includes a strange "I promise I will not show this book to anyone or share the secrets" pledge at the start of the book. Double standards? He speaks of honour in keeping the secrets, but then tells of every method and every secret and every person involved in constructing the acts. Maybe it's just me but I don't get that.

The third question - can I use these secrets in my act? Having not read the book in its entirety, I can't be sure, but the bits I have perused contain methods that I'm pretty sure fall into two categories with regard to the people I meet here in the Café:
1. You'll know the general concepts from reading the classics.
2. For a handful of different reasons, you probably won't be able to replicate the methodologies yourself without a LOT of work.

I was willing to pay a high price for this book because I was fascinated by the history of Sidney Piddington and thought that this would be a pleasing addition to my library. I had, in the back of my mind, an assumption that I already knew how most of their work was actually done (turns out that I wasn't always right). As a history book though, this is lacking. I apologise to the author, but it's not particularly well written or edited, and from someone who introduces themselves as an investigative journalist at the start of the book, I find both the grammatical errors and the page layout quite hard to read. Call me nitpicky if you like. I prefer to call myself borderline-Aspergers!

Will I enjoy finishing this book? Yes, absolutely. But I'll also hate it. When I was a kid borrowing magic books from the library, all of them said "Don't tell people how you did it", and a couple of them went on to explain why - that the excitement and entertainment is in the not knowing, and that your audience will often be disappointed or become ambivalent if you tell them how it was done. That's the case here. In my desire to look at the history of the Piddingtons, I've inadvertently spoiled some of the magic in my mind and will only continue to destroy the mystique and legend as I continue to read. That's a shame.

My feelings may change when I read the book in its entirety, so stay tuned for a sudden post of retraction in the coming weeks. For now though, it's a nice book, and it's interesting to see that these secrets were discoverable all this time, but I don't recommend people rush to buy it.

Thank you for this review, it is helpful

Thanks C.J. for a nice review and some actual insight instead of just speculation. So the methods and details you believe are true and real, rather than some pseudo-explanations as some suspected? Very interesting. Yes, please check back as you complete the book and have had time to reflect.

Thank you for the insightful review C.J....this is definitely a book I'm interested in.

A great review C.J. I think its very sad that someone would make the secrets public knowledge, but that seems to be the trend these days. What happened to magicians being a secretive bunch ? These days they seem to be the complete opposite, more interested in telling friends "I know how that's done" as if that makes them appear clever.
They don't seem to realise the damage they do.

George, what damage is being done by this release exactly?