Sections of particular interest include 'History of Tarots, as Told by Themselves,' 'The Application of Cards to Science,' covering heraldic cards, astronomical and fortune-telling cards, and others, 'Fortune-Telling,' which touches on early historical cartomancy, the Sybil's Leaves, methods of use, and more, and 'Conjuring and Card-Sharping,' covering descriptions of several sleight of hand magic tricks. Presented handsomely here in a 19th century fine leather binding, The History of Playing Cards holds an impressive breadth of knowledge on one of man's favorite pastimes and means of magic and prognostication, with subjects including the origin of playing cards, Tarot and ancient divinatory use of cards by the Roma people, the expansion of playing cards through South and East Asia, the Middle East, and Western Europe, particularly in France and England, gambling, fortune-telling, sleight of hand, and the use of cards in several fields of science.
