Max Malini circled the globe eight times, enthralling kings and emperors, czars and presidents. After a private show at the White House, Theodore Roosevelt said, “A remarkable young man and a remarkable performance.”
His techniques, tricks, boldness, and character have become the stuff of legend, inspiring no less than Dai Vernon and Ricky Jay to follow in his footsteps.
Yet for a magician revered by so many, there is scant Malini material in print. Until now.
Through the pages of Max Malini: King of Magicians, Magician of Kings Steve Cohen – star of New York’s hit show Chamber Magic – details a wealth of never-before-revealed information, both instructional and historical.
From the methods behind Malini’s famous Block of Ice Production and Blindfolded Card Stab, to the techniques he used for card control, forcing, and palming, as well as a lengthy discussion of the Malini Egg Bag and the Button Biting stunt that made him famous, this new work is a virtual tell-all how-to tome.
But the book explains far more than the mechanics of Malini’s magic. It gives new insight into his presentations, his personality, and explains how these factors made him famous.
Further complementing the instructional text is the most extensive and revealing look at Malini’s life published to date. Cohen’s meticulous research uncovered dozens of unknown stories and photos that reveal the breadth of Malini’s role in early twentieth-century magic.
Woven into his life story are accounts of his performances in India, South America, and Australia (where Malini was suspected to be a wartime spy), “tales of boldness,” as well as chronicles of many of the famous instances of chutzpah – both in performance and everyday life – that made Malini truly extraordinary, and helped him become a genuine legend.
The Malini book contains:
• Over 500 pages, with 200 instructional photographs
• Detailed descriptions of 95 Malini tricks & methods
• Images of Malini’s own props from David Copperfield’s private museum
• A transcription of Ozzie Malini’s recollections of his father
• A touching biography
• Rare Malini memorabilia, including previously unpublished images
A large format cloth bound book; 8 x 10″, with period-style smyth-sewn cloth binding stamped in gilt, black, and blind. Each copy weighs five pounds!
“Steve Cohen has provided a fitting tribute to one of magic’s most lauded performers. The book provides a seamless tapestry of history and techniques that, lavishly illustrated and passionately researched, brings Malini’s story to life. It is a book to enthuse any lover of magic and whether you are a performer or historian, you’ll find much to enjoy.”
-Genii Magazine (Feb. 2022)
Steve Cohen has delighted and mystified audiences all over the world. His long-running show, Chamber Magic, is consistently reviewed as one of New York’s best kept secrets and must-see theatrical events.
In 2012 he starred in Lost Magic Decoded, a two-hour special on the History Channel, and Theater of Wonder, a sold-out solo show at Carnegie Hall. His work has been featured on CBS Sunday Morning, CNN, and Late Night with David Letterman, and in numerous publications including The New York Times and Forbes.
Cohen earned a psychology degree from Cornell University and studied at Waseda University in Tokyo. He holds the esteemed rank of Member of the Inner Magic Circle with Gold Star, awarded by The Magic Circle in London. His book, Win the Crowd, in which he explores the power of suggestion and how it can help people in their everyday lives, has been published in seven languages. Confronting Magic, a coffee table book, was released to celebrate his show’s twentieth anniversary.
