Harry Kellar was the Dean of American Magicians, the predecessor of Harry Houdini, and the successor of Robert Heller. Kellar's 1886 biography begins with wit and humor and colorful insights into his early life, but it soon becomes more of a travelogue than his life story. It is a third person account of world-wide experiences, as if written by his familiar spirit, not a first person chronicle of his life.

As an aside, let me say that Houdini was not Kellar's chosen successor. On May 16, 1908, Kellar retired and in a grand onstage ceremony, removed his cape and placed it on the shoulders of his chosen successor, Howard Thurston. As good as Thurston was, Houdini proved to be the better showman and better at getting free publicity.

If you are looking for the secrets behind Kellar's illusions, you will be disappointed by this book. If you are curious about what makes a world-famous magician tick, this book only goes part of the way to satisfying that wonder. If you want to know where Kellar went and what he saw during the final decades of the 19th century, this book will meet that desire. ( )