It's not hard to find dignified biographies of dead magicians whose lives have been carefully reconstructed by erudite scholars. But a living, breathing, memoir of a contemporary magician who is willing to "tell it like it is" -- and able to tell it in a hugely entertaining manner, to boot -- is an entirely different matter. The Lives of a Showman is just such a book.

Mark Lewis is a close-up and cabaret magician, a children's performer, a pitchman, a psychic and a hypnotist - and now, a writer. In this wonderfully engaging memoir, you will follow him from his early beginnings in posh London nightclubs to pitching Svengali decks in Blackpool, from being the most famous psychic in Dublin to becoming a hypnotist in Toronto, from performing for drunks to performing for royalty, and much, much more. Along the way, you will meet a cast of colourful and often remarkable people, none more so than the author himself:

"Mark is one of the truly interesting characters in the world of show business. He has a brilliant yet wicked sense of humour, and is often misunderstood by his peers. As someone who has known him for much of his life, I consider him to be a man of incredible talent as both a performer and grafter [demonstrator]. He is extremely resourceful, and is a walking encyclopedia when it comes to magic and other branches of entertainment. His life is truly one of mystery and intrigue, and he is a wonderful raconteur as will be seen in the pages of this masterpiece. I would consider Mark to be a true showman, and his personality is indeed multi-faceted. I know you will love reading 'The Lives of a Showman'."
- Roger Blakiston, a.k.a. Jolly Roger

The Lives of a Showman is a pure delight. Whether you like biographies, wonder what life in show business is really like, or simply enjoy reading and having a few laughs, you owe it to yourself to get this book.

Pages: 301 - Hardcover

Date added to our online catalogue : Tuesday, May 24, 2011