The Secret Life of Houdini: The Making of America's First SuperheroHandcuff King. Escape Artist. International Superstar. 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 professional magic, Kalush and Sloman decode a life based on deception, providing an intimate and riveting portrayal of Houdini, the man and the legend. |
Contents
| 25 | |
the celebrated clairvoyants | 47 |
quid pro quo | 65 |
police state | 109 |
taming the bear | 131 |
leap of faith | 171 |
kill thy father | 199 |
death visits the stage | 215 |
forgive | 293 |
fighting our way to the grave | 311 |
death by misadventure | 331 |
art imitates life | 349 |
saul among the prophets | 375 |
little sister will do exactly as big brother says | 405 |
margerys box | 427 |
my own secret service | 451 |
above the down under | 239 |
the emperor of sympathyenlisters | 259 |
chinese water torture | 279 |
an eye for an eye | 517 |
there is no death | 537 |
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Common terms and phrases
Arthur Conan Doyle Arthur Ford audience Bess Bess’s Billy Robinson Boston Brassac brother Bruce Averbook cabinet called cell challenge Chung Ling Soo collection of Dr committee Conan Doyle couldn’t Crandon crowd cuffs curtain death diary didn’t dini dini’s Doyle’s Ehrich England escape artist feet film Ford German hand Handcuff King handcuffs Hardeen Harry Houdini Harry Kellar Houdini told Houdini wrote Kellar Lady Doyle later letter lock London looked magic magician manager Margery Margery’s medium mediumship Melville minutes mother mystery named never newspaper night onstage performance Pheneas play police psychic pulled reporter Ricky Jay Robert-Houdin Rohan rope Scotland Yard séance séance room Secret Service seemed Sir Arthur sitting spirit Spiritualist stage story straitjacket stunt tell theater thing took tour trick turned vaudeville walked wasn’t week Weiss wife Wilkie York young