The Annotated Erdnase

The top card men in the world disagree on many things. One thing they all agree on is that no other book in the history of card manipulation deserves careful study more than The Expert at the Card Table. More than one hundred years after it was first published, The Expert is still considered the foundation upon which modern card magic is based. It contains some of the most perfectly constructed sleights in all of card magic. Even more important are the profound lessons in the real secrets of magic: naturalness, attention to detail, uniformity of action and the psychology of deception. For over a century, the methods of S.W. Erdnase have been studied, practiced and written about by countless card experts. One person who spent a lifetime studying every detail of this landmark book is Darwin Ortiz. The copious notes he kept while meticulously dissecting each move and every sentence of The Expert form the basis for The Annotated Erdnase. Darwin's 273 annotations shed new light on the history of the various moves and effects, provide technical insight into their proper execution, give cross references for further reading and include hundreds of obscure bits of information.

For The Annotated Erdnase we completely re-typeset The Expert at the Card Table resulting in the most readable copy ever offered. We have reproduced a few pages from The Annotated Erdnase to illustrate how the book has been laid out. The inside column of each page (nearest the spine and surrounded by a rectangular box) is the original text from The Expert at the Card Table. The number of each annotation appears in bold type. The outside columns contain Darwin's annotations, which more than double the size of the original book. Whether you're a skilled professional looking to increase your already considerable knowledge, or just a beginner hoping to learn the basics of card magic, The Annotated Erdnase will provide you with years of pleasure.

There has been a lot of speculation about the true identity of the man who wrote The Expert at the Card Table. Was S.W. Erdnase actually Milton Franklin Andrews, a gambler and murderer who took his own life? The evidence is truly fascinating and reads like a Hollywood script. The final chapter of The Annotated Erdnase is an article called The Mystery of Erdnase written by the late Martin Gardner wherein Gardner recounts his search for the man behind the book.

Regardless of your level of expertise or specific area of interest, The Annotated Erdnase is a valuable companion to the greatest book ever written on sleight of hand with cards.

REVIEWS

. . .maybe the first truly academic work on practical conjuring that has ever been produced. It's a joy to read, easy to follow, an excellent reference work and truly inspirational. I haven't read anything like it in magical literature.
—David Britland, OPUS Magazine

 . . . Ortiz has produced an important book. For the experienced card specialist, The Annotated Erdnase is an indispensable reference work and the novice could not ask for a better introduction to a classic in its field.
—T.A. Waters, Genii Magazine

Highly recommended for the student of card magic, the card magic historian and fans of The Expert At The Card Table.
—Michael Weber, Inside Magic