In The Secret Life of Houdini, magic expert William Kalush and bestselling writer Larry Sloman reveal the man behind the legend, tracing Harry Houdini’s rise from poverty to international fame as a handcuff king, escape artist, illusionist, master magician?, alleged spy, and lifelong skeptic whose legacy was threatened by a bitter battle with Spiritualists and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
Since his death eighty-eight years ago, Harry Houdini’s life has been chronicled in books, in film, and on television. Now, in this groundbreaking biography, renowned magic expert William Kalush and bestselling writer Larry Sloman team up to find the man behind the myth. Drawing from millions of pages of research, they describe in vivid detail the passions that drove Houdini to perform ever-more-dangerous feats, his secret life as a spy, and a pernicious plot to subvert his legacy.
The Secret Life of Houdini traces the arc of the master magician’s life from desperate poverty to worldwide fame—his legacy later threatened by a group of fanatical Spiritualists led by esteemed British author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Initiating the reader along the way into the arcane world of magic history and professional magic, Kalush and Sloman decode a life based on deception, providing an intimate and riveting portrayal of Houdini, the man and the legend.

eBook - ePub
The Secret Life of Houdini
The Making of America's First Superhero
- 604 pages
- English
- ePUB (mobile friendly)
- Available on iOS & Android
eBook - ePub
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Table of contents
- Cover
- Half Title Page
- Title Page
- Copyright
- Dedication
- Contents
- Foreword
- Introduction
- 1. THE OATH
- 2. STARVING FOR A LIVING
- 3. THE CELEBRATED CLAIRVOYANTS
- 4. QUID PRO QUO
- 5. THE KING OF HANDCUFFS
- 6. M
- 7. POLICE STATE
- 8. TAMING THE BEAR
- 9. THE CHALLENGE OF THE MIRROR
- 10. LEAP OF FAITH
- 11. KILL THY FATHER
- 12. DEATH VISITS THE STAGE
- 13. ABOVE THE DOWN UNDER
- 14. THE EMPEROR OF SYMPATHY-ENLISTERS
- 15. CHINESE WATER TORTURE
- 16. FORGIVE
- 17. FIGHTING OUR WAY TO THE GRAVE
- 18. DEATH BY MISADVENTURE
- 19. ART IMITATES LIFE
- 20. SAUL AMONG THE PROPHETS
- 21. LITTLE SISTER WILL DO EXACTLY AS BIG BROTHER SAYS
- 22. MARGERY’S BOX
- 23. MY OWN SECRET SERVICE
- 24. I…AM A FAKE
- 25. AN EYE FOR AN EYE
- 26. THERE IS NO DEATH
- Epilogue
- Acknowledgments
- Index
- About the Authors
- The Secret Life of Houdini
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Yes, you can access The Secret Life of Houdini by William Kalush,Larry Sloman in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in History & Historical Biographies. We have over 1.5 million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.