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Tahir Shah
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Sorcerer's Apprentice Paperback – December 21, 2020

by Tahir Shah (Author)
4.2 out of 5 stars 257 ratings
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As a child in rural England, Tahir Shah first learned the secrets of illusion from a visiting Indian magician, the hereditary guardian of his ancestor’s tomb. More than two decades later he set out to India on a quest: to study the form of magic used across the subcontinent on a daily basis by so-called ‘godmen’.

Making his way to Kolkata, Tahir is taken on by Hakim Feroze, magician, illusionist, sadist, master, and irrepressible polymath, before embarking on what is described as a ‘journey of observation’.

Shah’s initiation into the brotherhood of Indian magicians makes for one of the most adventurous, enlivening, and downright bizarre travel books of its time. Lifting the lid on age-old illusions – such as human hibernation and levitation – Sorcerer’s Apprentice established Shah as one of the leading travel writers of his generation.

Nothing is what it seems in this spellbinding tale. A rollercoaster of a read from start to finish, the travelogue reveals a secret underbelly of life that thrives across India, but which most authors hardly ever notice exists.

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  1. Print length
    525 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publication date
    December 21, 2020
  4. Dimensions
    5.5 x 1.32 x 8.5 inches
  5. ISBN-10
    1912383713
  6. ISBN-13
    978-1912383719
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Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Secretum Mundi Publishing
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ December 21, 2020
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 525 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1912383713
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1912383719
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.46 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 1.32 x 8.5 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 out of 5 stars 257 ratings

About the author

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Tahir Shah

Tahir Shah

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Tahir Shah was born in London, and raised primarily at the family’s home, Langton House, in the English countryside – where founder of the Boy Scouts, Lord Baden Powell, was also brought up.

Along with his twin and elder sisters, Tahir was continually coaxed to regard the world around him through Oriental eyes. This included being exposed from early childhood to Eastern stories, and to the back-to-front humour of the wise fool, Nasrudin.

Having studied at a leading public school, Bryanston, Tahir took a degree in International Relations, his particular interest being in African dictatorships of the mid-1980s. His research in this area led him to travel alone through a wide number of failing African states, including Uganda, Sierra Leone, and Zaire.

After university, Tahir embarked on a plethora of widespread travels through the Indian subcontinent, Latin America, and Africa, drawing them together in his first travelogue, BEYOND THE DEVIL'S TEETH. In the years that followed, he published more than a dozen works of travel. These quests – for lost cities, treasure, Indian magic, and for the secrets of the so-called Birdmen of Peru – led to what is surely one of the most extraordinary bodies of travel work ever published.

In the early 2000s, with two small children, Tahir moved his young family from an apartment in London’s East End to a supposedly haunted mansion in the middle of a Casablanca shantytown. The tale of the adventure was published in his bestselling book, THE CALIPH'S HOUSE.

In recent years, Tahir Shah has released a cornucopia of work, embracing travel, fiction, and literary criticism. He has also made documentaries for National Geographic TV and the History Channel, and published hundreds of articles in leading magazines, newspapers, and journals. His oeuvre is regarded as exceptionally original and, as an author, he is considered as a champion of the new face of publishing.

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Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
257 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book to be a delightful read with peculiar adventures to follow, and one review describes it as a breathless journey through a fascinating world. The writing is humorous, with one customer noting how the author uses humorous sarcasm to tell the story. Customers consider it one of the greatest travel books. The plot receives mixed reactions from customers.

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26 customers mention "Readability"26 positive0 negative

Customers find the book delightful and entertaining, with one noting how the author strings the tale together cohesively.

"I really enjoyed this book. It takes one on a journey into India and the extreme marvels and mysteries that manifest there...." Read more

"...Otherwise an entertaining and informative read during which I laughed often...." Read more

"...In fact, I pretty much blew over the pages. It started out fairly good and some of the author's parts of life in India were very interesting...." Read more

"...journey is told with humorous sarcasm and always in an honest and engaging way...." Read more

21 customers mention "Suspenseful"21 positive0 negative

Customers find the book suspenseful, describing it as fascinating with peculiar adventures to follow, and one customer notes it as a wonderful journey of self-discovery.

"...It takes one on a journey into India and the extreme marvels and mysteries that manifest there...." Read more

"...Otherwise an entertaining and informative read during which I laughed often...." Read more

"...fairly good and some of the author's parts of life in India were very interesting...." Read more

"...His journey is told with humorous sarcasm and always in an honest and engaging way...." Read more

10 customers mention "Humor"10 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the humor in the book, with one review noting how the author uses humorous sarcasm to tell the journey, while another mentions how the descriptions made them laugh.

"...The book presents the culture of "capitalistic superstition" with humor and warmth...." Read more

"...His journey is told with humorous sarcasm and always in an honest and engaging way...." Read more

"Shah has a terrific vocabulary and strings his tale together so cohesively. I laugh, I read parts out loud. I'm totally engrossed...." Read more

"...and the descriptions of the places and culture were really great, well-written, articulate and often even eloquent but when it came to the author's..." Read more

5 customers mention "Travel value"5 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the travel value of the book, describing it as one of the greatest travel books, with one customer noting how it takes readers on a journey through India.

"I really enjoyed this book. It takes one on a journey into India and the extreme marvels and mysteries that manifest there...." Read more

"...I laugh, I read parts out loud. I'm totally engrossed. Enjoyed his trip thru india. Also his trail of feathers trip thru peru..." Read more

"A brilliant traveler's tale!..." Read more

"One of the very greatest travel books of all time. Supremely original, exciting, fun, fascinating and beautifully told...." Read more

5 customers mention "Plot"3 positive2 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the plot of the book, with some finding it eccentric and unusual, while others mention that the story never really grabbed them and that the adventures became slightly repetitive.

"...Reading this makes you feel like something new, often bizarre and wonderful is just down the road." Read more

"Terrific read, couldn't put it down although his adventures became slightly repetitive in the last quarter...." Read more

"...The Sorcerer is the best kind of eccentric.. Weird. I'm fond of this author since reading The Caliph's House. However, this is nothing like it." Read more

"...and a podcast with the author piqued my curiosity; however, the plot rambled and the story never really grabbed me." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Angela Benson
    5.0 out of 5 stars A Wonderful Journey Into the Manifestations of Magic
    Reviewed in the United States on May 18, 2024
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    I really enjoyed this book. It takes one on a journey into India and the extreme marvels and mysteries that manifest there. You won’t learn anything about actually creating miracles, but you may find out a thing or two about techniques that are employed to fool others and seemingly create magical experiences. What fun!
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  • Robin Weisel-Capsouto
    4.0 out of 5 stars A different angle on India
    Reviewed in the United States on May 29, 2017
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    I chose to read this book because my son has been living off and on in India for the past several years, and I am planning to visit there for the first time in the near future. The book presents the culture of "capitalistic superstition" with humor and warmth. It will make me read my guide books with a very different perspective. It presents me with a different frame of reference from which to look at this overwhelming nation.
    I gave Sorcerer's Apprentice the score I did because, while I enjoyed most of the book, I felt the part about Shah's sojourn at his Teacher's house in Calcutta became bogged down and tiring. Also, it ended so abruptly, although the ending didn't surprise me at all. Otherwise an entertaining and informative read during which I laughed often. If you are going to spend time in India, or if you already have, I recommend it.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Joann R. Greene
    3.0 out of 5 stars I didn't like this one
    Reviewed in the United States on May 12, 2017
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    I have read two other books by Tahir Shah and loved them. They were "The Caliph's House" and "A Year In Casablanca - Casablance Blues". I thought I'd give this one a try but it didn't do anything for me. In fact, I pretty much blew over the pages. It started out fairly good and some of the author's parts of life in India were very interesting. If there was a plot, it rambled on and nothing in the book really grabbed me enough to stay with it. My enthusiasm waned about a quarter of the way through.
    One person found this helpful
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  • She Who Loves Books
    5.0 out of 5 stars Incredible
    Reviewed in the United States on August 1, 2015
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    Tahir Shah’s experiences in India are incredible. He becomes an apprentice to a sadistic master in order to learn the secrets of illusion practiced by the godmen and magicians of the sub-continent. He then reveals those secrets in this book.

    Although this book is non-fiction, the narration reads like a novel. His journey is told with humorous sarcasm and always in an honest and engaging way. I especially liked the third part of the book which was his journey through different parts of India. Here is where we meet a myriad of unusual people in India. His travels take him to places off the beaten track, and it’s fun to read about where he went. This is also one of the few books I’ve read about India that includes the city Vijayawada, a place that is dear to my heart but hardly ever mentioned in travelogues.

    I highly recommend this book. It’s entertaining and informative. This is the first book I’ve read by Mr. Shah, but I will be ordering more of his books today.
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  • nv_swimmer
    5.0 out of 5 stars great read
    Reviewed in the United States on July 11, 2013
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    Shah has a terrific vocabulary and strings his tale together so cohesively. I laugh, I read parts out loud. I'm totally engrossed. Enjoyed his trip thru india. Also his trail of feathers trip thru peru

    This digital volume has so many typos, random interchange of 1 and I, at first I thot it was a British English vs. Amer english, but no, just poor typing / editing. Try that spell check every once in a while......
    6 people found this helpful
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  • ST
    4.0 out of 5 stars *SPOILERS*
    Reviewed in the United States on June 23, 2017
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    This is the only book I've read by the author and I really liked it but it's weird. I've always been interested in India and the descriptions of the places and culture were really great, well-written, articulate and often even eloquent but when it came to the author's dialog and actions it was almost like he was a simpleton. How Feroze had the patience to bother with him is a mystery. Had to be as a favor to his old pupil and the fact that he managed to survive everything he was hit with. His dimness wasn't confined to small things either, he was robbed, poisoned and duped at every turn. But, at the same time, he was able to explain all the "magic tricks" which, in my opinion, even though it's interesting, strikes me as very disloyal to the practice he was supposed to love so much. He could have left some details out. Why ruin it for everyone? Most of it was harmless. Meanwhile, a halfwit would have known half the characters were Feroze in disguise and Bhalu was leading him around by the nose. It made the denouement kind of stupid; could have been good if done better. But I still liked it, it had enough going for it to just eye-roll at the dumb parts. Would probably try one of the other books.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Craig Parsons
    5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful journey of self-discovery and adventure
    Reviewed in the United States on August 30, 2017
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    A brilliant traveler's tale! Told via a personal search motivated by a childhood encounter with a magician, Shah is masterful in pacing and narrative. He balances colorful details with cultural insights all while giving us a breathless journey through a fascinating world. Reading this makes you feel like something new, often bizarre and wonderful is just down the road.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Suegurl
    4.0 out of 5 stars Terrific read, couldn't put it down although his adventures ...
    Reviewed in the United States on August 18, 2017
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    Terrific read, couldn't put it down although his adventures became slightly repetitive in the last quarter. Gives great information on the art of illusion.
    Would recommend.
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Top reviews from other countries

  • David Turner
    5.0 out of 5 stars Enchanting
    Reviewed in India on July 15, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    Typical Tahir Shah. A great read. The dividing line between fact and fiction, is as always hard to define. It made me want to go visit this wonderful city of Kolkata again.
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  • MRP
    5.0 out of 5 stars Magical journey
    Reviewed in Canada on April 26, 2015
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    A fascinating account of street magic and street life in India. The descriptions are vivid and remind me of my own experiences in several of the places. My only complaint is the book needed more careful editing for typos.
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  • Noura
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great read
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 26, 2014
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    Tahir Shah's writing never disappoints me. I lapped this one up and hoped it would last longer than it did. His writing pace is always faultless and he knows how to construct a pageturner. His subject matter is always unusual and rare and this makes reading it more interesting and exciting. This book forcuses on magic, its origins and the explanations for it in India where it is still practised and highly believed in. Absolutely first class and a book to get rid of the rest of the winter. It transport you to a foreign land with all the smells, sensations and visual experiences as well as explains in surprising depth how much that is considered to be magic can be explained.
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  • Maria Gillen
    4.0 out of 5 stars Atmospheric
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 13, 2014
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    Very good travel writer. The book brings modern day India life. Well worth reading if you enjoy a good adventure.
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  • S. Sadanandan
    4.0 out of 5 stars Very good, nearly excellent
    Reviewed in Germany on September 25, 2012
    Verified Purchase
    Perhaps because I am an Indian, I didn't find the journey as incredible as the author claims in the title.

    But it was really good. Some of the things he's written are quite fascinating (even to the extent that I would not want to believe it without checking).

    The major plus of this book to me is that it's been done well in all departments - narration/observation/content/suspense/etc.

    But the major minus is that, while all these departments are well done, none is perfect. There is an "incomplete" feeling. So, I give it a 4.. I wish there were a 4.5 though.
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