Killed in 1918 while performing his renowned illusion known as Defying the Bullets, Chung Ling Soo’s myriad deceptions began unraveling. He was really William Ellsworth Robinson, a former magicians’ assistant. But for nearly a century, a swirl of more sinister secrets surrounded this man.

For the first time, Jim Steinmeyer has uncovered the truth behind William Robinson and the magic world’s most glorious deception.