Over the course of his 88 years, Walter B. Gibson wrote more than nine million words comprising a library of books on countless subjects ranging from magic, psychic phenomena, crime, scams, and historical figures including Houdini, Thurston, Dunninger, and Kreskin, for whom he served as ghost writer. Throughout much of that time one of his closest friends was the late Bill Rauscher who shared mutual interests in all these subjects. Now, in this last and final book, Rauscher reflects on his enduring friendship with Gibson, creator of The Shadow.
In this 107-page book, Rauscher takes the reader inside the Gibson house in Eddyville, N.Y. where he, Walter and Litzka Raymond Gibson spent so many hours. For the first time, photos of Gibson’s extensive library and home can be seen. From the memorabilia-covered walls of posters, broadsides, and paintings, to the many libraries (each with its own typewriter) the reader gets to see where Walter drew his inspiration for The Shadow, Norgil the Magician and other characters.
Make no mistake, this is not your typical biography, there are other books that accomplish that challenging task. No, this is a look into the mind of Gibson, his creative process, his inspirations, work ethic, and his fantastic, photographic memory. Rauscher takes you on a journey into the lives of these two wonderful people who had such an impact on American fiction.
Wizard of Words is a full-color, hardbound book filled with dozens of rare photos, many never seen before. We invite you to journey with Rauscher back to Gibson’s humble beginnings in Philadelphia, his friendships with Houdini, working on the Thurston biography, and his final days. In fact, Rauscher conducted funerals for both Litzka and Walter.
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