The Secret Life of Houdini The Making of America's First Superhero

by Kalush, William; Sloman, Larry

• ISBN13: 9780743272087
• ISBN10: 0743272080
• Edition: Reprint
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2007-10-02
• Publisher: Atria Books

Summary

Handcuff King. Escape Artist. International Superstar. Since his death eighty 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 Houdinitraces 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.

Author Biography

William Kalush is the founder of the Conjuring Arts Research Center and publisher of Gibeciere

Table of Contents

Foreword	p. ix
Introduction	p. xi
The Oath	p. 1
Starving for a Living	p. 5
The Celebrated Clairvoyants	p. 47
Quid Pro Quo	p. 65
The King of Handcuffs	p. 77
M	p. 97
Police State	p. 109
Taming the Bear	p. 131
The Challenge of the Mirror	p. 143
Leap of Faith	p. 171
Kill Thy Father	p. 199
Death Visits the Stage	p. 215
Above the Down Under	p. 239
The Emperor of Sympathy-Enlisters	p. 259
Chinese Water Torture	p. 279
Forgive	p. 293
Fighting Our Way to the Grave	p. 311
Death by Misadventure	p. 331
Art Imitates Life	p. 349
Saul Among the Prophets	p. 375
Little Sister Will Do Exactly as Big Brother Says	p. 405
Margery's Box	p. 427
My Own Secret Service	p. 451
I...Am a Fake	p. 481
An Eye for an Eye	p. 517
There is No Death	p. 537
Epilogue	p. 551
Acknowledgments	p. 561
Index	p. 569
About the Authors	p. 592
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