The Magical Writings Of Edwin A. Dawes by Edwin Dawes

Reviewed by Jamy Ian Swiss (originally published in Genii January, 1998)

If there remain any doubts that Eddie Dawes, as he is known to most of his friends and colleagues, is one of magic's most prolific and respected historians and writers, this unusual monograph should permanently allay them. Conceived and apparently shepherded by Brian McCullagh, these pages document the hundreds of contributions that Professor Dawes has published, beginning with an article in the February 1955 issue of the Thistle, the organ of the Scottish Conjurers' Association. The bibliography actually begins with a list of books and monographs, from 1979's Isaac Fawkes: Fame and Fable to The Magic of Britain (part of the Robert Albo international series, and probably the best of the lot at that), published in 1994. Due to a cut-off date of 1996, Professor Dawes' most recent major work, his well-received Charles Bertram: The Court Conjurer [page 332], is excluded.

The second page lists items contributed to "various publications," whereupon this bibliography steps into breathtaking gear by examining Professor Dawes' output in a journal-by-journal format—no less than 24 journals in all! This remarkable record has been assembled and presented in meticulous fashion, and will be of inestimable value not only to fans of Professor Dawes but to conjuring researchers of diverse interests and specialties, given the astonishing range of the professor's interests and investigations. The booklet begins with a full-page color photograph of Professor Dawes and concludes with several blank pages, which will no doubt become filled in the years to come as this important force in the world of conjuring literature continues to bestow his literary gifts upon us.