Not the Bob Read Book...Kurt Volkmann's Geschichte der Zauberkunst

[Dustin Stinett]

I think that it is a fair question, though the answer will have no bearing on my buying the books--I will be purchasing them next Thursday. (Thank goodness for the installment plan.)

I think it would be fascinating to know the answer. Looking at who might be missing from the text up until the articles written after 1945 could be interesting in that regard. Magic's track record of racism and sexism is less than perfect, particularly in its historic literature.

[Richard Hatch]

In your research, were you able to ascertain as to whether or not Dr. Volkmann was a member of the Nazi party? If so, do we know the extent of his involvement?

As Dustin notes, it is a fair question and one that I was interested in myself. I was, naturally, hoping to learn that Dr. Volkmann had resisted the rise of Nazism rather than supported it. Alas, that was not what I found and the details are given in my introductory essay. In that regard, he was, sadly, in the mainstream of the German legal profession once Hitler assumed dictatorial powers and made all other political parties illegal. Which is not to excuse what he and other Germans like him did by supporting rather than resisting a criminal and racist dictatorship. His own justification for joining are quoted from his de-nazification file in my essay.

I have not seen any evidence that he was an antisemite or that his nominal party membership in any way influenced his scholarship. He learned three card monte during the first World War from a Jewish comrade in arms. He is complimentary about the many Jewish magicians he chronicles. Guenther Dammann, a young Jewish scholar of magic who wrote the first book about Jewish magicians (self-pubilshed in Berlin in 1933), wrote admiringly of Volkmann in his book and warmly inscribed the complimentary copy he sent to him.

I hope that this will not deter many from investing in this importinant work, which CARC has worked hard to make availalble. But I don't think we should ignore the facts either and will understand that there will be those whose purchase might be influenced by this knowledge.

[magicam]

No, my friends, his (passive?) Nazi affiliation -- or if he abused his children or cheated his clients -- is irrelevant to CARC's new edition and its merits. Let's stay on topic, please, and celebrate the book.

[Dr. Solka]

Until 1948, Dr. Volkmann's series only dealt with the history of magic up to the 17th century.

[erdnasephile]

Thanks, Mr. Hatch---you are a first rate scholar and a gentleman!

[Richard Hatch]

My set arrived today and I have seen postings on Facebook of others receiving theirs over the past few days. The books are really magnificent and a great contribution to the literature. Kudos to the Conjuring Arts team for doing this, especially to Bill Kalush, the late Lori Pieper, and Maxwell Pritchard. I don't know if copies are being sent out in numerical sequence (I doubt it!), but note that mine is copy #578/1000, so perhaps they are selling quickly at the early bird price. Also worth noting, packing for the set was exceptional, insuring that they would arrive in pristine condition. If this isn't on your holiday wish list, it should be if you have any interest in magic history!

[Q. Kumber]

Mine arrived Thursday in Dublin and is copy #555/1000.

[magicam]

What an early Christmas present! At first blush, the set's design and production are first-class and very attractive.

Congratulations and many, many thanks indeed to Bill Kalush and his learned team and CARC for such a gift to magic historians. It's a notable milestone in the literature of conjuring history, an essential work, and an instant classic -- a publication most worthy of the community's support.

For performing magicians who appreciate the role and importance of magic history, it is a title definitely worth considering.

I am happy to echo Dick Hatch on the packaging quality -- superb! My copy is #950.

[Joe Lyons]

Mine arrived Thursday. Every book published by CARC surpasses the last. I was only able to read the introductory chapter, forward and note before it was removed to a spot under the tree, but the initial impression was excellent. It promises to be the best annotated history of magic ever. It's also just a beautiful set of books.