The Genii Forum

Saw this on magicweek.co.uk:

The Complete Walton by Roy Walton, Volumes 1 and 2. Both volumes of this incredible set have been re-edited and bound to an exceptional standard. The two volumes include literally hundreds of some of the most creative card effects of our time, described as "Truly Brilliant" by Dai Vernon. These books are now available on a limited basis for pre-order, priced at 39 each or 68 for both (+p&p). In addition, if both books are ordered together, Roy Walton's latest and unreleased packet card effect, "Pocket Brainwave" will be included free. Available exclusively through Davenports Magic: www.davenportsmagic.co.uk.

Two of the greatest books on card magic ever published. I studied every trick and diagrammed all the packet effects on numerous pieces of paper so I could understand what was going on. Worth every penny you have to pay.

There was supposed to be a third book that collected everything after the second. Not sure what happened to it.

I think it's great these books have been reprinted. I wonder if they are different enough with the edits for those that own the books already to purchase the new set.

Bob Farmer wrote:Two of the greatest books on card magic ever published. I studied every trick and diagrammed all the packet effects on numerous pieces of paper so I could understand what was going on. Worth every penny you have to pay.

Bob

Are you saying there are not enough diagrams and that one needs to actually sketch them out to understand the books?!

erdnasephile wrote:I think it's great these books have been reprinted. I wonder if they are different enough with the edits for those that own the books already to purchase the new set.

Not altogether sure, but I took the plunge, nonetheless. I love these books!

If you are interested at all In card magic and don't have the Walton books on your shelf, BUY THESE IMMEDIATELY!!!

No, I'm not saying that. If you want to really understand how a masterful packet effect or card trick works, you have to deconstruct it and understand how it flows and why. I do that by drawing diagrams, short horizontal lines representing cards, up and down arrows representing face-up and face-down cards. Then as the trick progresses, I see how the relationships of the cards change.

This also helps to smooth out tricks I'm inventing because I can work backwards from a point and reorder things to eliminate moves or unnecessary restacking.

My version of Roy Walton's masterpiece, "Cascade," is called "Mutanz" and was created in this way (with Roy's permission), so if you compare both, you'll see how it works.

Thanks for the clarification Bob. You are a smatter man than I. I have your Mutanz and I think it's time I take another look at it.

I'd suggest getting a copy of Roy's original effect, "Cascade," and analyzing both to see the differences. You'll find that by, say, changing some small thing in an earlier step, a later step suddenly becomes smoother. Here's the sort of diagram I use:

____ AC (f/d)

____ AH (f/d)

____ AS (f/u)

____ AD (f/d)

Elmsley Count. Packet is now:

____ AC (f/d)
____ AD (f/d)
____ AH (f/d)
____ AS (f/u)

Rather than the f/u or f/d designation, I use up and down arrows.

I am glad that I am able to purchase the reprints :)
have been hunting them down in the past years, and now it saves me lots of work ~*

- Arthur

I ordered mine last week, can't wait!!

Pre-ordered mine last week as well.

Does anyone know the approximate/target date that they will ship?

brianarudolph wrote:Does anyone know the approximate/target date that they will ship?

I believe that they are shooting for the end of November.

If that's the case, Evan, I see a little more 'Merry' in my Christmas and 'Happy' in my Holidays!

Looks like these have begun shipping. I can't wait!

Has anyone received their set (who would order only one of the two volumes!) yet?
Has anyone in the USA received their set yet?

It seems a little unreasonable to charge $46.80 for shipping two small books to USA for a total of $156.67. I have the originals.

Sam Kesler wrote:It seems a little unreasonable to charge $46.80 for shipping two small books to USA for a total of $156.67. I have the originals.

I believe that it is on par with what international buyers would pay if they bought 2 Kaufman and Company books from Richard($20 per book).

Postage from here to there has doubled in the last year. For example; if I were to send a Spot set to the States, which comes in at 87g, that used to cost 1.65. Last week it was 3.30 - and that's for a very light package.

I'm not at all surprised that it costs 30 to send two heavy books across the Atlantic.

I was talking to Steve Beam at the Bash about buying the three Trapdoor books. Have a guess at what the postage is going to be on those puppies...

I placed my order today. Thanks for posting re postal charges. Thought it to be a bit extravagant.

It costs almost $5 a pound for us to send books outside the US (including Canada). So, a 4-pound book has a postage charge of $20. It gets pretty high pretty quick. You have our governments to thank.

I guess I shouldn't quibble over the postage since I'll be getting two of the best card books ever written. Screw the postage.

They just arrived in Seattle.

Wonderful news, Evan.

That means there's hope I might still see mine in time for Christmas since I think I placed my order a day or two after you ordered yours.

I'll keep my fingers crossed for you, Brian.

I already have a set from the second printing, but it was a bonus to see that this one is a numbered, and relatively small print run.

Evan:

Is the binding better this time around? Any significant changes on first glance?

I only have the second edition to compare with, and I didn't have an issue with that, but this one is really very nice. Higher quality paper, stronger (sewn) binding, better type-set and font (Sorry... I'm not very well versed in all the details that a publisher would know. This is a question better answered by Richard).

No dust jacket. There is a nice, recent photo of Roy included.

If the numbering is accurate, then there are only 400 sets to be had. I ordered fairly early on (as soon as I heard about the reprint) and was issued #147, which tells me that these may not be available for very much longer.

They're NUMBERED? I don't recall reading or hearing that they would be numbered, but it's cool to learn that they are numbered.

Of course I don't know my number yet since mine still haven't arrived. But I'm sure I ordered several days after Evan so with any luck they might still make it in time for Christmas.

Anyone else receive theirs and care to share some first impressions?

Evan, where is the number that you referenced? In the books, or perhaps on a separate certificate? I see no numbers. The books are beautiful.

Hi Doug,
I'm out of town on business right now, so I can't say for sure, but it was definitely on one of the first few pages.

Thanks. When you return we can compare notes. I looked again, expecting it was a "senior moment", but nothing. (In the books.)

PS When I clicked your "Magic of Japan", it came up "Page Not Found".

Thanks for the "heads up" on the video. I recently updated my website (tip of the hat to Jonathan Levit!) and need to update the link, as well.

I don't have the books in front of me, but I remember the number ("141/400", I believe)was penciled in ever so lightly in tiny writing on the top right corner of the 3rd or 4th page.

The numbering is so subtle, its as if they did not want to make a big deal that these books ended up limited to 400.

The numbers in my set are on the first title page, which is the first page to have printing on it. The other side of this page has a portrait of Walton. Then there follows a full title page with author, illustrator, copyright, edition, and publisher.

I noticed this is the same format of title pages Richard used in his books on Dingle, Jennings and Bro. Hamman, for instance, so maybe he knows if publishers have a trade term for an initial page that contains only the title.

I wonder if people who order only Vol. 1 or 2 get a numbered book.

PickaCard wrote:I don't have the books in front of me, but I remember the number ("141/400", I believe)was penciled in ever so lightly in tiny writing on the top right corner of the 3rd or 4th page.

The numbering is so subtle, its as if they did not want to make a big deal that these books ended up limited to 400.

Does it make any sense financially to only reprint 400 copies of these books?

My set is numbered the same way, but I find it very unusual that Davenports has never mentioned anything about it. Or have they, and I missed it?

Eric Fry wrote:The numbers in my set are on the first title page, which is the first page to have printing on it. The other side of this page has a portrait of Walton. Then there follows a full title page with author, illustrator, copyright, edition, and publisher.

I noticed this is the same format of title pages Richard used in his books on Dingle, Jennings and Bro. Hamman, for instance, so maybe he knows if publishers have a trade term for an initial page that contains only the title.

That's the half title page.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Half_title

That was fun... I never heard of a "Bastard title page" before... (see previous link).

I'll keep calling it the half title as I adhere to Chicago Manual...

Happy New Year all!

Andrew