Spellbound: The Wonder-filled Life of Doug Henning Hardcover – July 31, 2009

Despite the hefty price tag, it's obviously well researched and quite good. The editing quality suffers due to grammatical and spelling errors scattered throughout its 412 pages.The type of readers most likely to love this book will be: ... Stage technicians, designers and artists who will appreciate its detailed technical descriptions (maybe a bit daunting for the average reader). ... Show-biz people, managers, and financial backers will recognize the massive tasks, frustrations and hard work involved. ... Magicians and illusionists will recognize the modus operandi from the names of the effects (Asrah, Table of death, etc.) but the revelations are not presented in the spirit of an expose style. ... Meditators, although some TMers won't like the references to the more negative aspects of the behavior and deceptive practices described. I know something about TM. As a TM instructor with 41+ years of meditating, I can attest to the questionable issues addressed in the book. In the late 60's I established the first TM center in Sacramento California at my home. I encountered the bad and bizarre behavior, the power struggles, and the overzealousness of some meditators. There were good ones too. Later, I recall Maharishi telephoning Sacramento and chiding them about their errant ways and misguided practices. He facetiously referred to Sacramento as the "mystical capitol of the world" and irately told those who were out of line that they could, "go to hell". I feel that John Harrison was kind in not revealing all that he had uncovered in his research on TM (he's a lawyer and knows the law). His assessment is fair and unbiased - if not under-reported. He has done his home work and tells it like it is and "speaks the truth softly" as Maharishi would put it. In the early 70's in Majorca, I personally discussed with Maharishi some of the same concerns mentioned in the book regarding the movement. His advice: "Follow the tradition as you were taught it and just do your own thing quietly. Don't go back home and say to the others, 'Maharishi said, ... this and that'".Unfortunately, as in Doug Henning's case, many meditators end up living to meditate instead of meditating to live. Over the years Maharishi became less and less accessible; dying as a recluse in his private former monastery property. I only wish that Mr. Harrison would have told us more of his findings. "Spellbound" exhaustively emphasizes the logistical aspects, but maybe readers would like to know more about the personal details which he seems to hold back on.All in all, it's a good read and I highly recommend it.Thank you Mr. Harrison.

I think it's a real shame that Doug Henning, probably the greatest magician of the twentieth century, has largely been forgotten by the magic community. This book, which is long overdue, helps to rectify that situation and pays homage to one of magic's all time great performers.This is a very captivating read, tracing Henning's journey to super stardom from his humble origins as a self described "buck toothed Canadian kid" to a Broadway star to starring in some of the very best magic television specials ever seen. What was especially admirable about Doug's specials is that he in no way relied upon trick photography or creative editing as some current performers are shamefully doing. The magic the audience at home saw was exactly what viewers in the theater were seeing.Doug's abilities as a magician were superb in every capacity. Unlike many, he was capable of performing the largest illusions or the most intimate close up wonders with style and panache. In other words, Doug wasn't just some guy relying on a bunch of trick boxes to work his miracles. It takes a special kind of endurance and capability to work illusions, and it takes a special kind of confidence and rapport to do sleight of hand. Doug could do it all and entertainingly.That such a genuinely kind and gifted person should retire at the height of his career and turn away from magic for the last twelve years of his life is a terrible shame. One can only hope Doug indeed found his time working to further the TM movement and establish Veda Land fulfilling. The world can only wonder what heights he might have achieved if he'd focused on his magic instead.My only complaint with this work is that there are more than a few grammatical errors -- roll instead of role, etc. -- and it could've been proofed more carefully. When one is paying this much for a book one doesn't like to be distracted by such elementary errors.Nevertheless, I highly recommend this book to Doug Henning fans and anyone else curious about one of the world's greatest magicians. Doug was truly a remarkable individual, especially considering that the onstage Doug was virtually identical to the real man. He wasn't an actor playing the part of a magician; he was just himself an enthusiastic, energetic, wonder filled human being.

This man did as much as anyone to revitalize the public's continued fascination with the art of magic, at a time when it was fading from view and falling on hard times. The book captures the essence and spirit of this remarkable entertainer and tells his story with class and candor, leaving out virtually no details in what can only be described as a "page turner."Harrison's choice of titles is most appropriate -- applied to both the subject matter, and to the story that Harrison tells. Indeed, I was spellbound by this book and it made me miss Doug Henning all the more. Those of us who were alive to see him and enjoy him are the lucky ones. Harrison gets five well-deserved stars from me for this remarkable biography.

Magic was a dying art...until a young man from Canada revolutionized the way it was viewed. This book is a great read that goes into detail on how he revitalized long-forgotten illusions & used them to bring the conjuring arts from near-death to the revitalized art it is now.

What a treat to read this book. As a "boomer' during the mid '50s, I'd fallen in love with magic, but couldn't find any to watch-especially on tv.Then came Henning in the mid '70s. This book details the incredible life of magic's biggest hero. A small town kid from Canada becomes a Broadwaystar, then television star in such a small amount of time. You're taken behind the stage curtains, the stage hands and dancers, into the very heart oftheater magic and how difficult it is to produce. I sincerely hope that everyone who wants to learn how magic became mainstream and "cool" again,reads this terrific story.

HAVE NEARLY FINISHED READING THIS BOOK,WHETHER YOUR A MAGICIAN OR NOT THIS BOOK ON DOUG HENNING IS EXCELLENT, THERE IS SO MUCH DETAIL WITHIN ITS PAGES, ABOUT DOUG, THE MAGIC, AND VARIOUS OTHER INTERESTING FACTS. I HAVE BEEN DOING MAGIC SINCE I WAS TWELVE, I AM NEARLY FIFTY NOW, THIS BOOK IS A MUST READ, FOUND IT DIFFICULT TO PUT DOWN, ONCE I STARTED READING.

Un historique complet, un voyage à travers les tv spéciales de Doug Henning, dates, contenus et anecdotes ! Pour les magiciens comme moi fan du regretté DOUG c'est une mine d'or !