Ray Harryhausen - Master of the Majicks (Volume 2) Hardcover – January 1, 2008

Though I have to agree with my fellow reviewer, (who notes Harryhausen's career has been intricately covered and reviewed in other books and TV specials) this book seems to have been created with hardcore fans in mind. The expected photos and stories are here, but they are supplemented with hundreds of new images, and perspectives from co-workers and other writers close to the subject. A note on the book: this is the second volume (released first) of a proposed three volume set, the third of which will cover the British period of films, including "Jason and the Argonauts" and "Golden Voyage of Sinbad". The audience for this book is out there, and you know who you are. Handsomely bound and lovingly detailed, it's probably best suited to Harryhausen completists, who should be delighted. Nice touches include a tribute page to Kerwin Mathews, whose recent death saddened many "Sinbad" fans, and a surprising chapter of cheesecake shots of all the "Harryhausen babes" like Kathryn Grant, Joan Taylor, and Paula Raymond.

Greatly pleased! Thank you.

After having purchased The Art of Ray Harryhausen and Ray Harryhausen: An Animated Life I thought I had read and looked at a lot of material regarding this pioneer, but was much surprised and thrilled to read Mike Hankin's Master of Majicks Vol. 2. I can't add much in the way of a review compared to what others have said, and have said so well. It is a large volume and beautifully bound. This is a keeper for sure. I can't believe this volume is already out of print and shockingly expensive. I say keep a watch on eBay and your local used bookstores, and Amazon Marketplace of course. It's worth the purchase I promise.

This is as good as a book gets about Ray Harryhausen, equal to Harryhausen's own books, loaded with never-seen images, and beautifully packaged.And it arrived amazingly fast after I ordered it, safe and sound.Considering al the incredible amount of work that went into the book, and the top-notch quality control at every step of production, it's worth the price.This Vol. 2 is the first book in this stunningly superb series to be pubished, with Vol.3 coming next and then Vol. 1.I look forward to having all three and I heartily recommend all of them to any Harryhausen, model (stop) animation, and efx fan in the world.Dan FiebigerPortland, Oregon.

I HAVE COLLECTED NUMEROUS MAGAZINE ARTICLES AND INCLUDING RAYS FIRST EDITION OF THE FILM FANTASY SCRAPBOOK AND ALL OTHER EDITIONS AS WELL AND THE LATEST BOOKS CO AUTHORED WITH TONY DALTON...NONE OF THEM COMPARE WITH THIS BOOK THIS BOOK IS JUST FANTASTIC ERNIE FARINO AND MIKE HANKIN HAVE DONE A GREAT JOB PUTTING THIS VOLUME TOGETHER THANK YOU GENTLEMEN ...now come on ernie bring on the next book"

This is a book for those who think that when it comes to Ray Harryhausen they've seen it all.At a point when "Done To Death" might be considered Ray Harryhausen's middle name, I'm delighted to say that this breathtaking volume is much more than a worthy supplement to Harryhausen's two wonderful books, AN ANIMATED LIFE and THE ART OF RAY HARRYHAUSEN. It stands on its own as a major contribution to fantasy film history by recounting the perspectives of the many artists who have worked with the effects master over the years.It is obvious that the powers behind this book were familiar with what had come before and made a huge effort to go in a different direction. The result is a book that no owner of Ray's earlier works will put down with a feeling of deja-vu.Everything about this book screams meticulous research. Mike Hankin has interviewed pretty much everybody you can think of (including, sadly, several who have passed away since he began his research) to bring us the ULTIMATE Harryhausen reference work. Virtually every line of text reveals some new fact about Ray and his films. As I read this book, I was blown away by its incredible amount of detail.The physical dimensions and number of photos are remindful of the previous Harryhausen books. But this is just the first of THREE volumes planned by the publisher and writer. When you consider that this volume covers seven, count 'em, seven movies in the Harryhausen canon, from MIGHTY JOE YOUNG to 7TH VOYAGE OF SINBAD, you will appreciate all the more the incredible effort invested in this overall project.Again and again, as I leafed through the sumptuous pages, I confronted a new photo or an unheard-of piece of information. I'm tempted to drop some "factoids" in this review, given how much I learned, but I think that saying anything specific might take away from the fun you'll have perusing this treasure trove.This book is an ABSOLUTE MUST-HAVE for any Ray Harryhausen fan. Believe me, you will NOT be disappointed even if you've read everything else out there.