The Great Boomsky: The Many Lives of Magic's First Black Superstar

Thirteen-year-old Milton Hudson Everett loves his job as Boomsky, the clumsy sidekick of the great magician Alexander Herrmann (1844- 1896). Beloved across America, Boomsky falls on top hats and drops trays of borrowed watches, bringing screams of laughter. But Boomsky is himself a magician's ruse- a skilled secret assistant hiding in plain sight.

For a series of African American teens, the role of Boomsky becomes a training ground and launching pad. Against all odds in segregated America, eight former Boomskys establish brilliant adult careers as magicians, musicians, and comedians.

Herrmann's protégés entertain millions, but their achievements go unrecorded by the segregated press, condemning them to obscurity. More than a century later, magic's greatest untold story is finally revealed in this rollicking tale of adventure, success, betrayal, and perseverance.

Margaret Steele turned to writing after thirty years in parallel performing careers: as a magician and as a Juilliard-trained oboist. She is the editor of Adelaide Herrmann, Queen of Magic: Memoirs, Published Writings, and Collected Ephemera (Bramble Books, 2012). Margaret has presented her groundbreaking research on women in magic for the New-York Historical Society, HISTORY, and NPR. The Great Boomsky is her first book as author.