The Life and Times of The Great Lafayette

Discover the Shocking Truth Behind The Great Lafayette – "The Most Hated Magician Who Ever Lived!"

Nearly 20 years ago, a captivating book by legendary magic historian Arthur Setterington was released... and then vanished. The publisher suffered a stroke, shut down his business, and this extraordinary biography of The Great Lafayette was lost in storage — until now!

This rare collector’s edition is more than a magician’s biography. It’s an immersive journey through the early 1900s — the Golden Age of Variety — where magic ruled the stage and legends like Houdini, Horace Goldin, and Will Goldston were born.

Inside, you’ll uncover:

• Houdini’s secret “patriotic mystery” and wartime role

• The shocking truth behind Chung Ling Soo’s death

• The scandalous near-fight between Lafayette and a world champion boxer

• A lawsuit that nearly shattered Horace Goldin’s career

But most fascinating are the bizarre and deeply personal revelations about The Great Lafayette himself:

• His obsessive relationship with his dog, Beauty

• How he engineered publicity stunts to earn up to £1000 a week — in 1910!

• Why Will Goldston dubbed him "The Most Hated Magician Who Ever Lived", despite a funeral attended by nearly 200,000 mourners

Explore the tragic theater fire that ended Lafayette's life, the cremation mix-up that shocked the nation, and the mysterious clue the fire revealed about one of his greatest illusions.

This edition includes over two dozen vintage photos, posters, and playbill reproductions — capturing the spirit of an era lit by gas lamps and burning ambition.

You’ll also learn:

• How Houdini honored Lafayette with a unique tribute

• Lafayette’s eerie funeral request

• 12 of his original illusions explained — including The Lion’s Bride, the first act to ever use a real lion onstage (decades before Siegfried & Roy)

The Great Lafayette designed all his own illusions, famously declaring he had never bought or sold a trick. One of them was hailed by Jasper Maskelyne as “one of the most spectacular illusions ever performed.”

Whether you’re a magician, historian, or collector, this is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to own a key piece of magic history. With only a handful of remaining copies, this rediscovered masterpiece is your link to magic’s most flamboyant — and controversial — figure.

Claim your copy before it vanishes forever.