Roy Walton – The Complete Walton(1-2)
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There are many paths to becoming a good card magician. My own began with beginners magic books, a few pamphlets on sleight of hand and some gambling moves I picked up along the way. Looking back, I didn’t really begin to develop my skills until I had completed The Royal Road To Card Magic and I think this is true for many of today’s card magicians. After that, the path might split towards any number of influences but I consider myself fortunate to have been directed to Expert Card Technique by Hugard and Braue, Dai Vernon’s Inner Card Trilogy by Lewis Ganson, and Close Up Card Magic by Harry Lorayne. This proved to be an excellent road to success for a card magician and I was fortunate to be guided by the owner of my local magic shop, who happened to know a thing or two about card magic himself.
Roy Walton is considered to be one of the most gifted creators in card magic and his knowledge, skill and insight is unsurpassed in my experience. From the first time I met him, Roy generously advised me on what books to buy as I learned to focus my long-held interest into a lifelong passion for the art of magic. It was Roy who sold me my first copy of Royal Road and cautioned me not to jump ahead but to read each chapter carefully before moving onto the next. It was Roy who sent me to Stewart MacMillan’s house to buy Expert Card Technique when he didn’t have a copy and it was Roy who showed me Dai Vernon’s Triumph for the first time.
These are all important stepping-stones in my development, but two of the books I cherish most were by Roy himself: The Complete Walton, volumes one and two.
Magic has taken me around the world. I’m fortunate to have a creative streak that gives me a lot to talk about or contribute as I travel to conventions, give lectures or spend time with my friends and peers. I have no doubt at all that I owe this to Roy and the remarkable group of creative minds who grew up around him in Glasgow. I also know that, when I first started making a name for myself, two of my most powerful weapons were the Roy Walton books. If I ever ran short of new ideas or needed something entertaining, ingenious and fooling to share with my magician friends, I was sure to find just what I was looking for in these pages.
As a performer I have used some of Roy’s effects for my entire career and I am not alone. Many of the world’s finest card men have a Roy Walton effect in their arsenal whether it be well known classics such as “Card Warp”, “The Smiling Mule” and “Oil And Queens” or hidden gems like “Outward Bound”, “Grown Up Hofzinser”, “Stage Shout” and “Traveller’s In Time”. I’ve performed Roy’s “Back Into Time” tens of thousands of times and I never fail to marvel how the simplicity of method is brought to life by the genius of Roy’s plot.
To say that these books represent a wealth of buried treasure is a gross understatement. These are a mother lode of excellent ideas, brilliant construction and practical, powerful methods. Reading these books will take you on a journey that will delight, entertain and fool you! As you follow Roy’s instructions, cards in hand, you are certain to find yourself amazed at how Roy’s methods cut straight to the chase without unnecessary procedures or clumsy handling.
These books each contain one hundred tricks. I’ve read them many times but I still find something I didn’t fully appreciate the first time or stumble upon something that helps inspire my own ideas. For the price they have to be the best investment for anyone unfamiliar with Roy’s work. If you are a serious student of card magic then you cannot afford to miss an opportunity to own two of the best books in any magic library. Davenports have done a superb job with this reprint from the quality of the binding to the paper used and the beautiful new covers that complement each other perfectly.
Yes, I am biased. Roy is a dear friend and mentor and I am sincerely grateful for his guidance over the years. I know my journey through life took a fortunate turn the day I walked into his shop. Without Roy’s example I have no idea where I would be now or what I would be doing. Buy these books and study them closely. You won’t be disappointed.
