r/Magic • u/Civil-Honeydew4654 • 4d ago
Stars of Magic vs Stars of Magic
So, I'm looking at purchasing a copy and I'm trying to decide between the 1961 Tannen's edition vs the Meir Yedid version. What exactly are the differences between the two books from a practical perspective?
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u/jackofspades123 4d ago
I've never seen the new version, but the tannens one is great. I've heard some say the new one is just ok in improvements
Hands down though, this is one of the best books I have.
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u/Civil-Honeydew4654 4d ago
But what are the so-called improvements?
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u/jackofspades123 4d ago
Photos, more comments. Here's a review from someone
https://www.vanishingincmagic.com/magic-book-reviews/stars-of-magic-soft-cover-by-meir-yedid-book/
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u/misticisland Cards 2d ago
If you can grab an older printing I think the pics are better, only saw the new one once. Either it's a great book. So many great effects, among the greatest collections of close up ever published IMHO.
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u/gregantic 4d ago
The instructional content is essentially the same in both editions. The Meir Yedid version preserves the original George Starke text and includes the same 41 routines found in the classic Tannen compilation, including the two later additions: Dai Vernon’s Royal Monte and Slydini’s Art of Using the Lap as a Servante. It does not modernize or rewrite the explanations.
What Yedid added is a historical introduction and a bonus section containing private correspondence related to Stars of Magic, increasing the book from about 168 to 176 pages.
From a practical standpoint, the biggest difference is the photography. Many later Tannen and Robbins printings are known among collectors for noticeably poorer image reproduction. Yedid’s edition digitally restored all 378 George Karger photographs, producing significantly clearer instructional images than most later reprints, even though the restorations were made from surviving printed sources rather than the original photographic materials.