Seabrooke's Book

The Life and Mysteries of a Celebrated Lunatic.

 When this book first came out, some magicians referred to it as "The Complete Seabrooke" because it represented one of those rare occasions when a successful performer puts virtually his entire act (including the patter) into a single book. It is a testament of the quality of this material that for the rest of Terry's life he made a fine living by performing the effects described in this book. Seabrooke's Book isn't just a book of secrets (though you'll find plenty). Reading it is like having a fireside chat with the man himself and you will quickly learn that being a magical lunatic is pretty serious business. Follow Terry through his early years as an apprentice magician when he was searching for that special something that would set him apart from the rank and file. He definitely took the path less traveled by and that has indeed made all the difference. Today, the name Terry Seabrooke brings a smile to the faces of magicians in all parts of our magic world.

 You will find things you'd expect in a Seabrooke book, like plenty of crazy commercial magic but there are also things you'll find in no other magic book: how to get the most out of a magic convention, the do's and don'ts of a Magical M.C., a hilarious section on dressing rooms, plus opinions and theories that will raise your eyebrows and start you thinking. During the past quarter century, two routines from this book have found their way into the repertoires of an astonishing number of working magicians, namely, The Burnt Bill in Wallet and The Cigarette in the Coat. These two modern classics are explained in great detail with the aid of thirty photographs taken during a live performance. A number of line drawings will help you understand the precise handling and each routine includes all of Seabrooke's hilarious patter. This is your chance to learn every detail about these great routines from the man who earned his living with them. Whether you are looking for an evening of delightful reading or a full-time career in magic, you'll find them both in Seabrooke's Book. Hardbound with a striking dustjacket. $30.00

 A PEEK INSIDE SEABROOKE'S BOOK

An Object Lesson

Credit for the very first idea along this line must be given to the late Jimmy Esler who was an active member of the Magic Circle and involved with the psychic activities of the Circle. The effect is presented by yourself and your amazing psychic friend who needless to say must also read this book. The method about to be explained is so simple that anyone can be "trained" to perform this cunning little stunt right on the spot with only a few moments in private with you. It is one of those lovely little items which can be performed at any time and is very suitable for the private dinner party type of gathering or even a crowd in a pub.

 You introduce your partner as _____ the Great Psychic who knows all, sees all and hears all. You ask that your psychic friend be taken out of the room and that one of the spectators stay with him to insure that there is no communication between him and anyone in the room. Once that is done, you ask the audience to give you a number of objects of any description. Items from pockets, purses or even clothing will do. The audience then decides which three objects they want you to use and the others are returned. Finally the audience is asked to select just one of the three to act as the chosen object. They are all asked to concentrate on this chosen object. Then all three objects are either held or put on a table for the helper to see when he comes back into the room. Now the magician is taken by a spectator to a different part of the building. Once he is safely out of the room, the Psychic is brought back into the room. When the Psychic returns he can immediately call out loud the name of the object being thought of.

 The method is just too simple. But then isn't that the way it is with most good tricks? Please remember that any objects can be used and are chosen by the audience, and there is absolutely no communication between the two performers. The secret revolves around the lengths of the objects chosen. The only one point you have to make sure of is that no two objects are exactly the same length, and this rarely happens. So once you have your three objects chosen, you will have a short, a medium and a long item in front of you. The audience decides on one object and concentrates upon it. The cue to your partner as to which item is the selected one is WHERE the three objects are when he comes back into the room. You will make sure they are in one of three positions:

1) held by a lady,

2) held by a man,

3) placed on a table or chair.

If the chosen item is the longest one, all three will be held by a lady. Remember, "L" as in longest and lady. If the chosen item is the middle length one, they will be held by a man. Remember, "M" as in medium and man. If it is the shortest item, then the three objects are just placed on a table, chair or on the floor. You will now see that from where the three objects are placed, your partner will know straight away which is the chosen one. All you have to do, as the assistant, is once the audience has selected an object, either ask a lady or a man to hold the three objects, or have them set down if the shortest object was chosen. Well, there you have it. A very simple item but believe me when I tell you it is very effective and I know you will have fun with it. I suppose there is scope for extending this into four or five items and just adapting the code to suit the situation.