Home Counties Magical Society

David Nixon - Entertainer with the Magic Touch (Edwin A. Dawes, Stephen Short)

Hardback, 276 x 210mm, 288 pages, price £35.00  www.jeremymillspublishing.co.uk.

Mention to anyone ‘Magic and TV’ and you will normally get one of a number of answers depending on the age range, but you can almost guarantee that one of those names will be David Nixon. Dubbed ‘The Father of Magic on TV’, David is fondly remembered by many for this relaxed and friendly style of magic, and his long career on TV in the 1950’s through to the 1970’s. Yet strangely, there has never been any major book on David’s life and career. Thankfully Edwin A Dawes and Stephen Short have collated photos, memories and first hand experiences from many of David’s family, friends and colleagues in show business into a wonderful, enlightening, humorous and factual trip through the life, times and experience that was ‘David Nixon - Entertainer with the Magic Touch’

Delving into this gorgeous and lavish book there is an abundance of photos, magazine clippings, show bills, and television stills, many of which have been collected from the Nixon family, friends and associates, these create a wonderful base around which David’s life story can be told, over 200 photos and illustrations covering all the aspects of David’s on stage, screen and personal life bring the book and David’s story to life. The book was written with help and assistance from the Nixon family, a number of close friends and colleagues of David including the late Ali Bongo. Their memories of David also helps capture and convey David’s delightful charm not only of his magic, but of his personality as well.

David Nixon was born on 29th December 1919 and died December 1st 1978. The book starts its journey with David’s birth, and his illness at a young age that was to push him towards ENSA (The Entertainments National Service Association), when he was unable to join active service in the war. In the first few chapters you can enjoy traveling with David through Gambia, Sierra Leone and Nigeria, the writers manage to not only describe those years in detail, but also capture the emotions of David Nixon through a number of quotes and letters that David wrote home to his family during the war.

From his time running concert parties, David moved to stage and theatre after the war, the book takes you through how David first met and worked with, many now famous names in variety including Norman Wisdom, who also wrote the foreword for the book. As David’s popularity grew the book covers what was to become the start of David’s main TV career with his appearance on ‘Whats my line?’ in 1954.

From here like David’s career, the book becomes even more enthralling, captivating and full of emotion, from the marriage to his first wife, the birth of his son, the sad and tragic death of his wife, through his remarriage and second child. It follows David though his numerous pantomime years, game show hosting and numerous TV Magic and Variety series'. The book also manages to capture the non magic side of David, his musical talents, and inventions, his passion for woodworking and DIY, as well as The Grand Order of Water Rats, and his time as King Rat, the first magician to hold the position. Photographs throughout the book bring the stories of his work with names Barry Cryer, Arthur Askey and others to life, culminating with his 1973 appearance on ‘This is Your Life!’

The book is fascinating, extremely readable and takes you through the highs and lows of David’s life over the years, the presentation of the photographs and illustrations providing a book that can be both be read, and enjoyed from a purely visual point of view.
The book also includes a full listing of all of David’s Theatre, pantomime and TV shows from the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s, including all the guests on the TV shows.

There is very little written information publicly on David, thankfully this book will go a long way to fill that void. It is a superb record of David's life. For those who didn’t know David, or didn’t have the privilege to see him perform, then it is about as close as you can get to truly understand why, and how David Nixon captivated the nation and his public, and experience what was ‘David Nixon, Entertainer with a magic touch’. A thoroughly recommended book.

‘David Nixon - Entertainer with the Magic Touch’ - Available for pre-order from the publishers. Hardback, 276 x 210mm, 288 pages, price £35.00  www.jeremymillspublishing.co.uk.