Excerpt from the Foreword:
This is a book about the close-up magic of Bobby Bernard … There have not been too many books in the past on close-up as opposed to those devoted purely to sleights. Hugard brought out a great little book on the subject in the Thirties, and two decades later Bert Allerton's book was splendid. But now we have another book, which we feel sure will become a classic of its kind. The book which you hold contains a wealth of moves, tricks and routines, from which any discerning reader could select a repertoire likely to gain him a reputation.
Of particular interest is section 3 with several short essays and opinions on a variety of subjects interesting to the conjurer.
- Foreword
- A Few Words on the English Language
- Introducing…Bobby Bernard!
- SECTION I: COINS
- "Impetus" Coin Production
- Face-to-Face Vanish
- "Television Coin-Vanish" (or Change)
- "Fingertip Folly"
- The "Trouser-Vanish"
- Coin in Tie "Vanish"
- A Useful Switch
- Bernard Switch
- Versatile Coin Move
- Indian Rope Trick
- Bobby Bernard on "Sleeving"
- The "Tourist" Coin
- The Pawrus Coin
- The "Heads or Tails" Coin-Vanish
- Bar-Top Coin Change
- The Hook Coin
- INTERLUDE
- "On Being Fawkes"
- SECTION II: CARDS
- A Double Lift
- Al Koran's Top-Change
- The "Logicality" False Cut
- Just a Thought on the "Charlie Chaplin Shuffle"
- A "Sure-Fire" Turnover
- Bobby Bernard's "Crimp" Sequence
- Oriental Card Divination
- The "Detective" Card Trick
- The "Opportunist" Card in Pocket
- "The Sands of the Pharaoh"
- SECTION III: BOBBY BERNARD SAYS
- Bobby Bernard on Misdirection
- Bobby Bernard on "The Actor in Magic"
- Bobby Bernard on "Sleight-of-Hand"
- Bobby Bernard on "The Classics of Close-Up"
- Bobby Bernard on "Conventions"
- Bobby Bernard on Television
- Bobby Bernard on the Movies
- Bobby Bernard on Close-Up Presentation
- Summing Up
- A Few Concluding Observations
