Magic at War

Dutch poet and writer Willem Wilmink's most famous poem was Ben Ali Libi. It was inspired by a Dutch-Jewish magician, murdered by Nazi Germany during World War Two. But, was Ben Ali Libi a fictional character, or did he really exist? Read on, to find out...   On a list of artists, all killed in the war, I spotted a name I'd not heard of before, intrigued and excited, I looked up each fact, about Ben Ali  Libi, the magical act...   – Willem Wilmink   Professor Ben Ali Libi was indeed a real person. He was born Michel Velleman, on 5 January 1895 in The Netherlands. He came from a poor Jewish family and grew up in Amsterdam’s Koestraat, a slum area for ‘second-class citizens.’ Little is known of Velleman’s early life. He  probably started off as a young marketplace performer, which was a common trade. He may also have been mobilised as a soldier during World War One. (Although he wouldn't have seen any fighting as The Netherlands remained neutral throughout the war...

Dutchman, Louis Lam (1903-1943) was a first-rate magician, specialising in card tricks and mental effects. Born and raised in Amsterdam, his primary job was as a trade correspondent. But, by the late 1930s he was making a name for himself as a writer of magic. His trilogy of English language books,  Would You Believe It  (1935),  Watch Me Closely  (1937) and   Be Deceived  (1939), were published in the U.K. and sold well. Lam also contributed to other books, including Fast Ones (1940) by   Joseph Ovette . He was a member of  London's Institute of Magicians and was increasingly well-connected with magicians around the world. Lam, Louis.  Be Deceived  (1939) Lam's magic writings may have been prompted by the situation in his homeland. In the late 1930s, anti-Semitism was on the rise in Europe. As a Jew, Lam would have found it increasingly difficult to get work. His books were, perhaps, an effort to generate an income to look aft...