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

Book Description

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 best-selling 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.

After years of struggling on the dime museum circuit, Harry Houdini got a break that put him on the front page of a Chicago newspaper. He never looked back. Soon Houdini was performing for royalty, commanding vast sums, and exploring the new power of Hollywood to expand on his legend.

At a time when spy agencies frequently co-opted amateurs, Houdini went to London and developed a relationship with a man who would run MI-5. For the next several years, the world's most famous magician traveled to Germany and Russia and routinely reported his findings.

After World War I was successfully concluded, Houdini embarked on a battle of his own. He created a group of disguised field operatives to infiltrate the seamy world of fake spirit mediums. In doing so, Houdini triggered the wrath of fanatical Spiritualists, led by the esteemed British author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Death threats became an everyday occurrence, but the group would pose an even greater danger to Houdini's legacy.

Rigorously researched, and as exciting as a good thriller, The Secret Life of Houdini traces the arc of the master magician's life from desperate poverty to worldwide legend, initiating the reader along the way into the arcane world of professional magic. In this remarkable book, Kalush and Sloman decode a life based on deception, providing an intimate and riveting portrayal of Houdini, the man and the legend.

Customer Reviews:

Really 4.75 Stars - Fabulous Book.......2007-10-04

This book is fantastic on so many levels. One doesn't even have to like magic to appreciate this book, but it sure helps. The authors have done a wonderful job of painting the social scene, class hierarchy and the world at large during this time period. In the true style of a Houdini dichotomy, while there's not much new we learn, we learn so much that's new.

The book heavily follows Houdini's involvement with the spiritualist movement, in particular, a Boston spiritualist named Margery.

I can not recommend this book highly enough.

Harry Houdini : The Man, The Myth, The Spy, The Secret Service Agent.......2007-05-18

Harry Houdini : The Man, The Myth, The Spy, The Secret Service Agent

A lot of people love reading about Harry Houdini the magician, the Handcuff King the escape artist but did you know that he was a spy & a Secret Service agent? I can prove it with one book & a few well versed words here. The book I am talking about is one I am just over half way through & it is entitled "The Secret Life of Houdini : The Making of a Superhero."

This book is awesome & I encourage everyone to read it and enjoy the story of Harry Houdini from beginning to end. It tells about the man, the myth, the spy, the Secret Service agent who was a performer who made the world love him & his shows & continually conquered his every demon, including his own self loathing while continually re-creating himself for the world at large.

Yes this book still fits into this world of the wide web that is the internet. The book is all about how all of Harry Houdini's having been a major instigator in World War I in the propaganda & success of America while Harry Houdini, or some may know him better as Ehrich Weiss, a Jewish man who changed his identity to fit better into the world and to better sell himself to the world as an entertainer at large for War World I in the rise of Germany the first time it came to power.

The fact that the book is from archival data and letters both from & to Harry Houdini is what makes this book so intriguing. Please feel free to enjoy the book & I would love to hear anyone else's opinion & thoughts on this subject. A lot of people do not know that the Secret Service was a spy agency at one time and was connected to the spy world like the C.I.A., N.S.A., D.I.A. & the rest of the alphabet Intelligent Agencies.

Harry Houdini taught our American Dough Boys how to escape from handcuffs, being tied in ropes, & how to escape from torpedoed ships by being on stage in an ampitheater & having actually being a teacher of the American military.

spooky.......2007-04-26

Good book but Harry was given something to drink by a woman that slowly killed him.

Comprehensive and Fascinating.......2007-04-18

What a fascinating and readable story. The addition of conjectured dialogue, authentic letters, and numerous thoughtfully placed photographs gives this mammoth biography the feel of both a novel and an A&E special.

It is near impossible to condense this book into a review, but I will say what beguiled me the most was the concept of how the extent and grandeur of Houdini's worldwide fame--in his own lifetime--was conceived and flawlessly executed by his own will and brilliance in an age of no television and no Internet.

The thoroughness of the book is what makes it impressive. It's also what makes it hard to finish. For the length of the book, I can't see how the authors could have made it more exciting, but I can't help thinking that some of the details could have been cut out for the sanity of the reader. I would liken it to the most interesting textbook I've ever read.

Serious and complete.......2007-04-15

This is a very serious and complete biography. I bought this expecting something more for the masses, lots of rumor and sensationalism. In fact, it's a very thoughtful book, with lots of detail and very little speculation, presenting many of the lesser known aspects of Houdini's life, including his campaign against spiritualism and fraudulent mediums, and his extraordinary physical prowess. Not everything was a trick. Many things he accomplished by sheer force of will. Houdini was clearly much more multidimensional than portrayed in movies and popular references. The book also includes many details on the culture and other celebrities of the time; the extensive information on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was especially interesting. I give it 4 stars only for the fact that there are no footnotes or references. I understand that the authors chose to put those on their Web site, but they're much less useful separated from the book they document.

Average customer rating:

My non-reader loved it!
Loved the book as a kid, love it now
Lukewarm fiction
Rebirth of Passion
Gre Houdini Book

The Houdini Box

Manufacturer: Aladdin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0689844514

Book Description

Victor is forever trying to escape from locked trunks, walk through walls, and perform any number of Houdini's astonishing magic tricks...without success. Then -- amazingly -- he actually meets his idol, and begs Houdini to explain himself. A mysterious locked box is the magician's only answer, and Victor is left to wonder: Does the box contain the secrets to the most famous magic tricks ever performed?

Customer Reviews:

My non-reader loved it!.......2007-06-29

My son is 9 and dislikes reading but he read this book in about a half hour and liked it! The Houdini Box has many pages with great pictures and also many pages with a few short paragraphs. A child who dislikes reading becomes overwhelmed when faced with page after page of WORDS and this was not like that. It kept him turning the pages! Also the story was interesting and to the point- no unnecessary babbling on and on to discourage a child with a short attention span. I thank the author for seeming to understand how to grab the attention of the tough to grab!

Loved the book as a kid, love it now.......2007-05-13

I was read this book when I was in 2nd grade. I absolutely loved it and checked it out from the library repeatedly. Now that I'm about to become a mom, I wanted my little boy to have it. But, I couldn't remember the name, just that it was about Houdini and a little boy. After about 4 months of searching, I finally found what seemed like it was the right book on amazon. I wasn't positive, but I bought it anyway. When I got it, I was so happy. It's the exact book, and is still as entertaining today as it was when I was 8.

Lukewarm fiction.......2001-08-23

This book is barely based in fact, and the author notes this at the end. I didn't find the story particularly satisfying -- as fan of Houdini OR as an avid reader of children's literature -- but the artwork is wonderful, particularly the renderings of Houdini himself. I will treasure my copy of the book for the artwork alone.

Rebirth of Passion.......2000-08-08

When I opened my desk drawer at 7:30 one summer morning to find an annonomously placed copy of "The Houdini Box," I'd no idea that I was connecting with my muse. I sat in the serene silence before the stirring of a workday and read through this children's book about the loss and regaining of a dream. As a children's book, it's delightfully written and beautifully illustrated. I know several children who've enjoyed the tale. For adults, Brian Selznick's book is a parable about the obstacles that turn us from our passions and the serendipitous moments that call us back on track.

Gre Houdini Book.......1998-05-08

This book was great book even though it is fiction.I think it is for ages 6-100.

Average customer rating:

Houdini: A Pictorial Life
Milbourne Christopher
Manufacturer: Ty Crowell Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0690011520

Average customer rating:

ok book but wrong
A MUST for the serious Houdini scholar
A personal look into the past.

The Man Who Killed Houdini
Don Bell
Manufacturer: Vehicule Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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The Man From Beyond

ASIN: 1550651870

Book Description

More than two decades of research provide the basis for this true-life detective story of the mysterious man who stepped into Harry Houdini's dressing room on an October night in 1926, delivered one fatal sucker punch, and then vanished from the public eye completely. Nine days after the incident, Houdini was dead, the victim of a ruptured appendix, and his killer, a Montreal student named J. Gordon Whitehead, was nowhere to be found. Up to now, this tale of a mistimed punch and an untimely death had become myth, with many questions still unanswered: What happened to the man who threw the fatal punch? Who were the two witnesses and how much did they know? Was Houdini's death truly an accident? Interviews, affidavits, eyewitness reports of the night, and the only known photograph of Whitehead ever published all shed new light on an enduring mystery. Written with flair and wit, this tale of true crime gradually builds a riveting profile of the life of this intriguing but unknown historical figure, finding and then following Houdini's killer.

Customer Reviews:

ok book but wrong.......2007-04-26

A woman gave Harry something to drink and it killed him slowly.

A MUST for the serious Houdini scholar.......2005-05-16

This is a definitive investigation into the events that occurred in Harry Houdini's dressing room on Oct 22, 1926, and the man at the center of the fatal "attack," J. Gordon Whitehead. It's a remarkable work that will blow the minds of Houdini scholars.

Within the first few chapters, author Bell rewrites Houdini history by discovering that the magician was attacked (or at least "tested") three separate times during that fateful week in Montr?al. A native of Montr?al, Bell finds independent eyewitnesses to each of these other, non-lethal "punches" who readily corroborate the facts. It's a stunning discovery.

Unfortunately, Bell doesn't investigate these other incidents in detail, but remains focusing in the final and most infamous dressing room attack by J. Gordon Whitehead. Bell's hypothesis is that Whitehead may have been acting as an agent for spiritualists. Considering Houdini's vehement anti-spiritualist crusade, this is not a far-fetched theory. Trouble is, absolutely nothing is known about J. Gordan Whitehead (and some have even questioned whether or not he even existed).

It's Bell's search for the phantom Whitehead (which takes up a good middle of the book) that presents my only criticism with the book. Bell describes in detail every step of his 20 year investigation, including his many false leads. Okay, dramatizing a few false lead is entertaining and adds to the detective story (not to mention makes the eventual discoveries all that more exciting), but Bell relates EVERY false lead, devoting whole chapters to lines of inquiry that never pan out. This does becomes a bit tiresome after a while.

However, when Bell finally gets on the right scent and starts uncovering the life and death of "the man who killed Houdini", the book again becomes fascinating. I won't spoil it, but somehow J. Gordon Whitehead turns out to be both a complete surprise and exactly what we would expect. Bell also tracks down the elusive witnesses to the dressing room incident, Jack Price and Sam Smiley. Thanks goodness Bell did this investigation when he did, as most of these key players are now deceased (including the author himself).

In the end, Bell is never able to pin a conspiracy on spiritualists, nor link Whitehead to the movement. There is also a nagging feeling that there is still something untold in all this. But in this age of sensationalized conspiracy theories as entertainment, it's refreshing to finally get book that admits the truth of its own findings (even though this tends to relegate them to smaller publishers, as is the case here). But this honesty also legitimizes this book as a real investigation by a real investigator. And what Bell delivers in The Man Who Killed Houdini is far more interesting than any conspiracy, and of much greater value to the serious scholar of Houdini and magic history. This book is a must.

A personal look into the past........2004-11-01

This was a detective story with real people and events involvled. A true story. Well written and well researched.The author was dedicated, and it is sad that he did not see the fruit of his labor.

Average customer rating:

Wow!
A Classic
good tutorials!
An excellent resource for Neophyte Experts like me
Best book on Houdini ever

The Magic of Houdini
William Michael Cunningham
Manufacturer: Course Technology PTR
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1598630822

Book Description

Houdini has long been a dominant tool used in the creation of some of the most awe-inspiring animation and cinematic effects ever made. It is preferred by numerous studios for their most demanding challenges. If you go to the theater and see something that blows your mind, it is a good bet that Houdini had a hand in it. Now you can conquer the amazing technology of Houdini with confidence. With this book, you will learn how to apply each of Houdini's breathtaking features to your projects as you take on modeling, character animation, particle effects animation, dynamic simulation animation, shading, digital asset creation, and rendering. The Magic of Houdini is full of exercises, tips, and illustrations to help you tackle each new skill. Get ready to experience the mystery, the majesty, the magic of Houdini!

Customer Reviews:

Wow!.......2007-08-27

Guys this book is really something nice to get your hands on .... Will cunningham has done a very nice job, explaining the complexities of the software in a very jolly and entertaining manner..

thank you Will

A Classic.......2007-03-30

If there is such a thing as a classic software instruction book, this is it. In my efforts to learn Houdini I have watched the Gnomon DVDs, done all the tutorials that come with the software, and taken a class at Gnomon. Then I got this book. Of all these resources, this book has been the most fun (not that the class and the DVDs aren't great too). I wish I had started with this book. The book is extremely well-written and fun to read. If you are starting out with Houdini, start with this book first. It will give you a solid grasp the basics of Houdini plus a lot more and you'll enjoy reading it!

good tutorials!.......2006-11-11

I am working out of this book right now and am enjoying it. The projects are fun, and the author manages to explain Houdini clearly without being dry. So far, I have been able to complete the lessons with the Houdini Apprentice Versions (a free downloadable version of the package). However, I don't think this book is for beginners to 3D CGI because a lot of information is tossed at the reader. Sometimes I felt that I was taking a drink from a firehose! A little knowledge of Unix and scripting will help the reader understand expressions. Overall, the book is good value for your money.

An excellent resource for Neophyte Experts like me.......2006-04-16

Houdini is vast, but easily knowable. I know a chunk of Houdini's capacity, having used it and its predecessor, PRISMS professionally for fifteen years or so. The richness of Houdini always allows for one's eyes to be freshly opened to its potential, however. (Jebus, I *wish* my dog would stop farting! - Man, that's foul!) Sorry... What was I saying? Oh yeah... I left my copy of the book at work, and now I'm trying to find some of its content here at Amazon, so I thought I'd take a moment to say that *this* old FX god finds Will Cunningham's book, "The Magic of Houdini" to be accessibly written, chock full of useful stuff, and right now, inconveniently indespensible. [UPDATE] I went to work just to get the book, and it told me what I needed to know, and now I can model that metacarpal like nobody's business! Yay Will!

Best book on Houdini ever.......2006-03-22

Well, the only book on Houdini, but coincidently, this book is an excellent resource for all levels interested in Houdini. Information is clear and the examples are well constructed and useful. It does really scratch the surface of the program, but Houdini would be impossible to teach in one volume.
You should also buy this book if you are interested in Derivative's Touch Designer, since many of the concepts apply.
Hopefully the sales of this book will encourage other authors and publishers that there is a market for Houdini materials

Average customer rating:

The life of Harry Houdini, the world famous "master mystifier"

Harry Houdini (DK Biography)
Vicki Cobb
Manufacturer: DK CHILDREN
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0756612454

Book Description

DK¹s acclaimed DK Biography series tackles two of history¹s most colorful figures in Harry Houdini and Albert Einstein. Perfect for book reports or summer reading, the DK Biography series brings a new clarity and narrative voice to history¹s most colorful figures.

Customer Reviews:

The life of Harry Houdini, the world famous "master mystifier".......2006-07-02

This DK Biography of Harry Houdini is described as "A photographic story of a life," but I can tell you up front that it is not a collection of photographs with captions but an illustrated biography that is comparable to other volumes put out by this company. That means you will find over 100 photographs, artwork and artifacts, including photograph of his famous escapes, posters from throughout his career, and a look at things like his collection of handcuffs. For somebody like me who knows most of what they know about Houdini from the movie with Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh (and whatever television documentaries I might stumble across from time to time), this book is quite educational. Vicki Cobb tells about the life of Harry Houdini so it reads like an American success story. Born Ehrich Weiss, the kid who will become Harry Houdini leaves home at the age of 12, gets bored working in a factory, and starts practicing coin trips in his spare time. Eventually the son of poor immigrants would be selling out the theaters of Europe as the greatest magician and escape artist in the world.

To set the stage for Houdini's life, Cobb begins with a prologue, "Failure Means a Drowning Death," that talks about his performance in St. Louis, Missouri, on January 27, 1908. Having escaped from the local police station the day before, Houdini performs his "Death-Defying Mystery: Escape from a galvanized iron can filled with water and secured by massive locks." By the time you get to the part where you wonder how he did it, Cobb has you interested in how Houdini became the greatest magician of all time. Then we get to the fact of his life, with the early chapter devoted to how the Weiss family came to America, what Show Business was like in the 1890s when Weiss got started, and how the young Houdini learned his trade as a magician and taking his name from Jean Eugene Robert-Houdin, his hero.

Cobb pays attention to how Houdini developed his career and you should pay attention to all of the posters that document his career: they start off with lots of text and hyperbole, but by the time he becomes famous as the "master mystifier" basically he just needed "HOUDINI" in large print. So Houdini goes from "Dime Museum Harry," to "The King of Handcuffs" and then the "Self-Liberator" who conquered Europe at the end of the century. Cobb highlights a quotation from Houdini: "The whole secret is getting the first hand free; after that it is all plain sailing." The glory days of Houdini cover him as a great self-promoter, but also pay attention to his family and his work as a scholar and author in the field of magic.

The final chapters looked at how Houdini started taking risks to come up with bigger thrills for his audiences by doing dangerous things like jumping into rivers and flying an airplane. This goes hand in hand with his great creativity (we get to the Water Torture Cell from the end of the movie "Houdini" at this point). The last stage of Houdini's career deals with not only his death defying feats, but also his debunking of mediums ("The Dead Don't Talk"), which became part of his legacy when he died on Halloween in 1926 from a ruptured appendix. Houdini had told his wife that if it were possible to speak to her from beyond the grave, he would do so, and for ten years his widow Bess attended seances on Halloween to hear the code they had agreed on as proof she was hearing from him. But it never came.

If you want to know how Houdini did it, then you will be happy to know several of his best-known tricks are explained (but not all of them) in this informative biography. Cobb emphasizes Houdini's showmanship as well as his creativity in being important to the act so young readers can better appreciate the career of somebody they will never see perform. The back of the book has a two-page timeline of key events in Houdini's life, a Bibliography of more than a dozen books, a Works Cited list, and six Webs ties that will provide more information about Houdini as well as a trio of documentaries about the master mystifier (he felt he was more than a magician and therefore favored this appellation).

Average customer rating:

Great for the bookcase
A sneak peek into the mind of Houdini!
Not by Harry houdini
Classic Magic Tricks
A book about all of Houdini's writings.

Houdini on Magic
Harry Houdini
Manufacturer: Dover Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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The Man From Beyond

ASIN: 0486203840

Book Description

How he escaped; exposes of fake spiritualists; instructions for eye-catching tricks; other fascinating material. 155 illustrations.

Customer Reviews:

Great for the bookcase.......2006-08-27

I would reccomend this buy for any magic enthusiast because it's history. No, it's not gone, but it contains the writings of Erich Weiss. I wouldn't say that I got a lot of trick ideas for my own act out of this book. However, it is just fascinating to read and to imagine Houdini as he created this compilation.

A sneak peek into the mind of Houdini!.......2005-09-08

It's well-known among Houdini buffs that much of Houdini's writing was ghostwritten for him. So what? This was part of his role as a master publicist. Nevertheless, this book is a great insight into Houdini's mind and methods, because it's certain that he had at least a hand in the production of all of the material in this book. There is no single book that gives a greater insight into the scope of Houdini's interests than this one.

Not by Harry houdini.......2005-08-19

I was disapointed in this book because there is only a few pages written by Harry Houdini. There was also added material that had nothing to do with Houdini.
Not Recomended

Classic Magic Tricks.......2001-07-04

It is commonly said that you should never read a book on magic tricks unless you are willing to learn a trick and show it to your friends and not tell the secret. Disclaimers aside, this book has material useful for beginners, and for those who wish to make complex apparatus and only a few of the tricks might pose a risk to your life. The material on fraud commit by mediums is very interesting. It can further be said that Houdini was a very good writer.

A book about all of Houdini's writings........2000-01-28

This book is simply fantastic. It contains a large amount of Houdini's writings from articles, books, etc. It contains Houdini's famous "Margery the Medium" pamplet where he exposes her false methods, explains in Houdini's words how he escapes from a straitjacket, and also tells about an illusion that Houdini was thinking about performing, but never did. A wonderful book with many pictures and illustrations.

Average customer rating:

It was Great!
Outstanding biography

Spellbinder: The Life of Harry Houdini
Tom Lalicki
Manufacturer: Holiday House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 082341499X

Customer Reviews:

It was Great!.......2005-04-25

My son read this book and had this to say:
"I'm a fourth grader and I was reading this for a school project. I read the book because I had to write a biography. It was GREAT. All the stuff he did, it was just fantastic. It even tells what he was doing in his spare time, where he lived, who he cared for a lot, that sort of thing. And more than just magic feats. It was AWESOME. "

Outstanding biography.......2000-08-09

Houdini is a fascinating character, and he really comes alive in SPELLBINDER. The book is extremely accessible, with tons of photos and lively, fresh writing. Houdini's life and times--everything from child labor to the cataclysm that was World War I--are skillfully woven into the text. One of the most interesting themes is how Houdini worked to debunk fraudulent mediums and other tricksters. Following the text are a bibliography, a chronology, and an index, making the book an excellent resource for reports. But it is also just a great read.

Final Seance: The Strange Friendship Between Houdini and Conan Doyle

Average customer rating:

A Fascinating Subject, but Less Letter is Better
The Skeptic vs. the Believer
Fascinating book for more than just Houdini - Conan Doyle fans
Interesting but dry
Couldn't stay awake

Final Seance: The Strange Friendship Between Houdini and Conan Doyle
Massimo Polidoro
Manufacturer: Prometheus Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1573928968

Book Description

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle believed with the utmost sincerity in the validity of Spiritualism and became one of its most fervent propagandists. Harry Houdini was a skeptic and became, in Conan Doyle's words, "the greatest medium-baiter of modern times." FINAL SEANCE is the fascinating story of their five-year friendship, years that were filled with exciting adventures, paranormal investigations, and confrontations among the "spirits."

Customer Reviews:

A Fascinating Subject, but Less Letter is Better.......2007-08-15

The friendship between Houdini and Conan Doyle was truly a strange one. The first man made his living at deception, yet spear-headed a crusade to unmask other deceivers. The second man is famous for the logical-minded, methodical, and observant character he created, but as for himself, he must have been the most gullible man alive. Conan Doyle actually believed that Houdini had the power to dematerialize and was even fooled by the rather infantile finger trick -- by which a person "disconnects" the forefinger up to the first joint.

Although the topic is fascinating, sadly, the letters of Houdini and Conan Doyle are tedious and wordy. I found myself endlessly skimming them in order to return to the next seance or the next significant event.

Still, I found all the accounts of mediums and their spiritualistic shenanigans mysterious, in spite of Houdini's repeated attempts to discredit them. Some of the explanations presented by the author Polidoro are so complicated and unwieldy, it would be easier to believe in the spirits! Is it really possible to swallow a roll of gauze and regurgitate it later as "ectoplasm?" Could a man really surgically alter his wife so that she could smuggle items into a seance? (Shudder.)

Worth reading for those fascinated with the topic (like me), but we could wish that the two principal subjects had been a little less tedious in their correspondence -- or that Polidoro had just summarized more often!

Dianne K. Salerni
Author of High Spirits: A Tale of Ghostly Rapping and Romance
High Spirits: A Tale of Ghostly Rapping and Romance

The Skeptic vs. the Believer .......2005-11-23

Final Séance is a strange book about two strange individuals who strangely enough became involved in a strange friendship:

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle - Creator of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, internationally known author and believer in Spiritualism, who chose to believe in more or less any medium he encountered, as long as the messages received confirmed his preconceived ideas.

Harry Houdini - The world's greatest escapologist, acclaimed magician and illusionist who never said his performances had anything but natural explanations, and over the years one of the foremost debunkers of many alleged occult matters.

Or in other words, the skeptic vs. the believer. Could these two gentlemen really be friends? Absolutely, and good ones, too. Massimo Polidoro of the Italian Committee for the Investigation of the Paranormal has written a book where he tells the stories of how they met, why they met, how their friendship evolved over the years yet ultimately came to a tragic end.

Their friendship was quite unorthodox: Doyle the believer in everything and Houdini the believer in nothing (though he said himself if was willing to believe were solid evidence ever to be shown to him). Fine, but is it interesting to read a book about a friendship, unusual as it may have been, and furthermore, a book that is mostly based on surviving letters between the two? For sure, because Final Séance is more than just a book about their friendship. It's actually a whole lot more.

First of all, it offers a good description of how Spiritualism evolved in Great Britain and North America at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century. People everywhere became convinced that communication with the dead was indeed possible, and in dark rooms on both sides of the Atlantic different mediums claimed to be able to make contact with the ones who had passed on. The fact that mediums on a regularly basis were exposed as frauds never dampened the spirit (no pun intended), and that alone is an interesting cultural phenomenon well worth investigating.

Secondly, one cannot avoid being fascinated about the fact that two so very different people were able to ever be friends, when one of them believed wholeheartedly in what the other one rejected passionately. Humbleness and tolerance were the key ingredients, and the elegant use of the English language they both used in their letters truly is a joy to experience.

Furthermore, many of the ideas that evolved during these years are still with us today, and thus the book is useful to anyone interested in the historical background to what today is known as New Age.

However, the main focus is on the friendship, and because of this the book is merely complementary to the history of the New Age and the growth of Spiritualism. But if you're interested in reading about two fascinating human beings and at the same time have a reminder that different beliefs don't necessary equal discord, then Final Séance is well worth looking into.

Fascinating book for more than just Houdini - Conan Doyle fans.......2005-07-12

I was so fascinated by this book that I read it in one evening. In a narrow sense, the topic is the discussion/debate between Houdini and Conan Doyle about spiritualism that first made them friends and then opponents. In a larger sense, I think that it has a great deal to say about the human mind and deserves a wide audience. It is an excellent example of how hard it is to consider objectively such subjects in which people invest so much emotion. Conan Doyle was so determined to believe that Houdini was a psychic that nothing Houdini said could deter him.

I have thought for a long time about the issue of trust and credibility. If I would believe someone if they told me that they just saw the bus go by, why don't I necessarily believe them if they tell me that they spoke to a spirit, or god, etc. As this book illustrates, these are issues which have historically involved some much delusion and deception that it is important to proceed with caution. (Of course, it would help if all prophets said the same thing.) I know that I will be thinking about it and quoting it to people for quite a while.

Polidoro is clearly on the side of the skeptics, and makes his affiliations clear up front. He remains, however, sympathetic to Conan Doyle and clearly admires the latter's kindness, intelligence and generally amiable and honorable character. Although he sides intellectually with Houdini, he doesn't attempt to cover his arrogance and boasting.

Recommended to everyone, except perhaps, convinced spiritualists, although even they might find it a useful cautionary tale, if not a convincing argument.

Interesting but dry.......2005-02-23

This book was very interesting, but it made for dry reading. Certainly not a page-turner. If you can get through the first half of the book, it gets more interesting toward the end.

In addition, the author did not impress me as being an impartial source. It was clear that he agreed with Houdini from the start and he set out to make Conan Doyle look as ridiculous as possible. Perhaps Conan Doyle really was that foolish, but the author was too biased for me to take his word for it.

Couldn't stay awake.......2005-02-23

It was written in the style of Dracula with alot of correspondence. The auther was also very biased towards Houdini. It was not very objective.

Average customer rating:

Great for a fan!
The Secrets of Houdini
Another one for the bookshelf
The best book about "how he did it". Not so about himself.
What more could you ask for?

The Secrets of Houdini
J. C. Cannell
Manufacturer: Dover Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0486229130

Book Description

Classic study exposing closely-kept professional secrets and revealing, in general terms, the whole art of stage magic. 98 illustrations.

Customer Reviews:

Great for a fan!.......2007-06-08

The contents of the book were wonderful for anyone who is interested in the magic of Houdini. The book was shipped on time and in excellent condition!

The Secrets of Houdini.......2006-10-26

The Secrets of Houdini

I Read the book the Secrets of Houdini by J.C. Cannell. For the first twenty seven pages of the book it tells about how he as a child was able to pick the locks to the cupboards, and take out the cakes and other sweets that were hidden inside, then leave it locked and looking exactly the way it was before. The book talked about how he started with his best friend as the Houdini brothers (having taken the name from Houdini's favorite magician Robert Houdin). At no point did this book really grabbed my interest, but it did explain many of the incredible escapes of Houdini, and how he did them. I think one of the main reasons I did not very much enjoy this book is because when I read a Biography or an autobiography I am expecting that it will be facts and things that he did in his life, but around two hundred pages of this two hundred and seventy nine page book were his escapes, and the secrets of the mediums of Séance.
I was particularly shocked when I found out Ehrich Weiss (Houdini) was willing to tell all his secrets for twenty dollars once early in his career, but as there were no buyers he went on into his career where later they couldn't have been bought for one thousand times that amount. One of my particularly favorite escapes was his escape from a coffin. I liked it because everyone was looking for loose screws at the top of the coffin, when really he had lifted all but the bottom of the coffin up. Many of his escapes involved his masterful abilities as a lock picker (and being able to tamper with the machines before and after the performance). Houdini's career was nearly spotless of mistakes, except for two times in his entire life.

Another one for the bookshelf.......2006-08-27

Cannell has a goldmine in between the front and the back of this book. It was informative to read on the many escapes that Houdini performed, the medium frauds that he devoted his life to busting, and other misc. tricks that it covers.

I reccomend this one for your magic collection.

The best book about "how he did it". Not so about himself........2002-09-17

I am amazed that such a detailed and well written book came out so soon after Houdini's demise (the original text is dated 1931!), especially as it lists the inner working of dozens and dozens of tricks. They go from mentalism to table magic tricks, from seances to escapes, from large stage productions to the simplest rope trick - it would be difficult to find so much material within any contemporary book!

This is a very no-nonsense book, with only two minor negative aspects. First of all, it is somewhat light on the explanations of several tricks in the ending chapter, which is devoted to general (non Houdini-specific) stage magic, and I suppose dead wrong in a couple of instances.
Then, although it does not overly glamourize Houdini the magician, it is in fact very forgiving about Houdini the man. We know from many other sources that he was quite a difficult character (with himself as well with others), whereas here he comes off as a shining example of fun-loving gentleman.

And no, the Chinese Torture Water Cell is not described. But that Tony Curtis movie was very incorrect about it anyhow.

What more could you ask for?.......2000-03-27

This book is excellent for anyone interested in psychics, escapology or Houdini.

There are chapters on Houdini's life, details of ALL his famous escapes (except the water torture cell), chapters on tricks/rope ties you yourself could do, and chapters on his fight against fraudulent mediums.

Touroughly interesting andwell written, great for all ages.

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