Walter B. Gibson's role as author of Mark Wilson's Complete Course in Magic?

A place where beginners can participate, ask questions, and post their views. However, beginners typically ask a lot of questions about sources, tricks, books, and so on. In fact, all magicians are interested (or should be) in the provenance of tricks, ideas, and related matters. This department will service these needs.
User avatar
EndersGame
Posts: 124
Joined: March 15th, 2018, 8:21 pm
Favorite Magician: Tommy Wonder
Contact:

Walter B. Gibson's role as author of Mark Wilson's Complete Course in Magic?

Postby EndersGame » July 14th, 2018, 12:26 am

I've been browsing through Mark Wilson's Complete Course in Magic again in the last week. There's some very good material to be found inside, and it's a solid course for introductory/intermediate magic.

I'm specifically wondering about the role that Walter B. Gibson had in writing this book. In the edition I have, Gibson is credited as a co-author on page 13. Yet his name isn't mentioned at all on the cover, nor anywhere on the back of the book. Furthermore, the third page of the book has a lengthy list of acknowledgements and credits, including a list of "contributing writers" and "special contributing author" (UF Grant) - but oddly enough Walter Gibson's name isn't mentioned anywhere at all on that page.

What role did Gibson actually have in writing the book, given the minimal credit that seems to be given to him (aside from page 13)?
Click here to see all my reviews: Magic Reviews Playing Card Reviews Board Game Reviews

User avatar
Q. Kumber
Posts: 1851
Joined: January 17th, 2008, 12:00 pm
Favorite Magician: Tom Whitestone

Re: Walter B. Gibson's role as author of Mark Wilson's Complete Course in Magic?

Postby Q. Kumber » July 14th, 2018, 4:29 am

Walter Gibson ghost wrote for many magicians.
I've always assumed he wrote the entire MW course.

User avatar
EndersGame
Posts: 124
Joined: March 15th, 2018, 8:21 pm
Favorite Magician: Tommy Wonder
Contact:

Re: Walter B. Gibson's role as author of Mark Wilson's Complete Course in Magic?

Postby EndersGame » July 17th, 2018, 3:56 am

Q. Kumber wrote:Walter Gibson ghost wrote for many magicians.
I've always assumed he wrote the entire MW course.

It's a well-known fact that Gibson served as ghost writer for numerous big names of magic.

Interestingly, the Magicpedia page for Gibson makes no mention of the Mark Wilson course at all, although it does list titles of other books he wrote or ghost-wrote.
Click here to see all my reviews: Magic Reviews Playing Card Reviews Board Game Reviews



Return to “Reference Room”