The Secret Life of Houdini
eBook - ePub

The Secret Life of Houdini

The Making of America's First Superhero

  1. 604 pages
  2. English
  3. ePUB (mobile friendly)
  4. Available on iOS & Android
eBook - ePub

The Secret Life of Houdini

The Making of America's First Superhero

About this book

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.

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Information

Publisher
Atria Books
Year
2006
Print ISBN
9780743272087
eBook ISBN
9780743298506

Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. Half Title Page
  3. Title Page
  4. Copyright
  5. Dedication
  6. Contents
  7. Foreword
  8. Introduction
  9. 1. THE OATH
  10. 2. STARVING FOR A LIVING
  11. 3. THE CELEBRATED CLAIRVOYANTS
  12. 4. QUID PRO QUO
  13. 5. THE KING OF HANDCUFFS
  14. 6. M
  15. 7. POLICE STATE
  16. 8. TAMING THE BEAR
  17. 9. THE CHALLENGE OF THE MIRROR
  18. 10. LEAP OF FAITH
  19. 11. KILL THY FATHER
  20. 12. DEATH VISITS THE STAGE
  21. 13. ABOVE THE DOWN UNDER
  22. 14. THE EMPEROR OF SYMPATHY-ENLISTERS
  23. 15. CHINESE WATER TORTURE
  24. 16. FORGIVE
  25. 17. FIGHTING OUR WAY TO THE GRAVE
  26. 18. DEATH BY MISADVENTURE
  27. 19. ART IMITATES LIFE
  28. 20. SAUL AMONG THE PROPHETS
  29. 21. LITTLE SISTER WILL DO EXACTLY AS BIG BROTHER SAYS
  30. 22. MARGERY’S BOX
  31. 23. MY OWN SECRET SERVICE
  32. 24. I…AM A FAKE
  33. 25. AN EYE FOR AN EYE
  34. 26. THERE IS NO DEATH
  35. Epilogue
  36. Acknowledgments
  37. Index
  38. About the Authors
  39. The Secret Life of Houdini

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