Dai Vernon's Ultimate Secrets of Card Magic
This is the fourth and final book in Vernon's famous Inner Secrets of Card Magic series.
Ultimate Secrets of Card Magic is also the largest of the four with 242 pages (3 times more than each of the other books), and many more sleights and routines. We also get the pleasure of three treatises put together by Dai himself: Vernon on the Pass, Vernon on Table Passes, and After Peeking. Other highlights from the book, pieced together by Ganson, are things like the incredible Slow Motion Card Vanish, the often imitated Matched Spellout, Running the Scale, Pre Mathematics, Small Packet Glide, Cold Deck, and work on the Bottom Deal.
One thing that sets this volume apart from the others is the amount of additional effects contributed by other magicians. We see works from Bruce Cervon, Charlie Miller, Fred Caps, Ross Bertram, Larry Jennings, Alex Elmsley, Roy Walton and several others! One might consider this book to be akin to Stars of Magic given the number of stars and exceptionally good material included within.
And please do not forget -- remember, do not forget -- sleights and methods are merely the tools. What you do with them is up to you.
Contents of Dai Vernon's Ultimate Secrets of Card Magic
- Foreword by Lewis Ganson
Chapter 1. Starting Right
SECTION ONE - CARD EFFECTS
Chapter 2. Matched Spellout
Chapter 3. The Perfect Circle of Cards
Chapter 4. Secrets
Chapter 5. Do As I Do
Chapter 6. Black and Red Puzzle
Chapter 7. Mental Spell
Chapter 8. Ten Gives Three
Chapter 9. The Magic of Larry Jennings
- Tell-Tale Aces
Chapter 10. Larreverse
Chapter 11. Gambler's Triumph
Chapter 12. The Changing of the Guard
Chapter 13. Monarchs' Quartette
Chapter 14. Les Cartes Diaconis
Chapter 15. Running the Scale
Chapter 16. Pure Mathematics
Chapter 17. Slow Motion Card Vanish
SECTION TWO - CARD SLEIGHTS AND MOVES
Chapter 18. Vernon on the Pass
- Standard Pass
- The Black Pass
- Location Pass
- Sprong's Pass
- Fan Pass Transformation
Chapter 19. Vernon on Table Passes
- First Method
- Second Method
- Mexican Joe's Table Pass
- Charlie Miller's Table Pass
Chapter 20. After Peeking
- Pressure Fan
- Spread Location
- Shuffle to Top
- Double Peep Control
- Three Break Control
- Multiple Peek Control
- Transferring the Break
- Spectator Finds His Own Card
- Adaption of Greek Break
Chapter 21. One Handed Shuffles
- Benzon's Shuffle
- Vernon's Shuffle
Chapter 22. Card Placement
- Vernon's Placement
- John McCormick's Penetration
Chapter 23. Handling a Short Card
- Locating a Short Card
- The Corner Short
- Vernon's Method of Handling
Chapter 24. Magic Castle Moves
- All Around Square Up
- Jenning's Top Palm
- Key Card Placement
- Small Packet Glide
- Rooklyn Top Palm
Chapter 25. More Useful Sleights & Moves
- Single Shuffle Control
- Spreading Six Cards as Five
- Key Card Location
- Cold Deck Cut
Chapter 26. Two Sleights by Dr. Elliot
- Bottom Deal
- Favourite Break Control
SECTION THREE - FRIENDS OF DAI VERNON
Chapter 27. Magic From Britain
- Slippery Aces by Jack Avis
- Double Prediction by Alex Elmsley
- Face Your Brothers by Alex Elmsley
- Last Word Four Aces by Francis Haxton
- The Innocent Cheat by Fred Lowe
- Thought of Card Across by Peter Warlock
- Fellow Travellers by Roy Walton
Chapter 28. Magic from Canada
- Pivot Change by Ross Bertram
- Bottom Steal & Recovery by Ross Bertram
Chapter 29. Magic from Holland
- The Three Jokers by Fred Kaps
- Ups and Downs by Rink
- Find the Ace by Eddie Taytelbaum
- Infallible Force by Eddie Taytelbaum
Chapter 30. Magic from Ireland
- Vernons Variant by Dai Vernon
- Emerald Isle Aces by Vernon, Ross, and Lambert
- Swivelleroo by Hubert Lambert
Chapter 31. Magic from U.S.A.
- Card Transposition by Francis Carlyle
- You Get it by Gerald Kosky
- One Pack 'Do As I Do' by Jay Ose
- Sleight of Mind by Bill Simon