That's Impossible! a new series on the History Channel, features an interesting episode called Invisibility Cloaks, which includes a discussion of the contributions of British magician Jasper Maskelyne. The episode first aired July 7 and will re-air on July 25th. Mr. Maskelyne and his assistants in the "Magic Gang," formally the A Force, camouflaged the Egyptian city of Alexandria and the Suez Canal in order to protect them from German bombers during the Second World War.
But Richard Stokes challenges this view of Maskelyne's work.
For more on Maskelyne, see his memoirs, Magic: Top Secret (1949), and David Fisher, The War Magician (1983), which Tom Cruise was interested in turning into a film back in 2003.
The History Channel offers the Invisibility Cloaks DVD for $24.95; it will be available August 10th.
Interesting link. The war-time contributions of Maskelyne, if spoken of at all by current Magicians, are mentioned with mythic reverence. Thanks for providing this resource.
Posted by: Leland Stone | July 25, 2009 at 02:25 PM