The Secret Life of Houdini: The Making of America's First Superhero | List Price: $17.00
Discount Price: $3.21
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Binding: Paperback
A good biography once you skip the hype [Posted on 2008-08-27]
The subtitle "The making of America's first superhero" really doesn't hold up very well. I would say George Washington or Daniel Boone fit that bill long before Houdini was born and a few others probably could be named as well. The authors also pursue a questionable line of research when they try to put Houdini in the position of master spy with very little research to back it up; mainly supposition and conjecture derived from a few sources. I guess they were trying to add a bit more spice to a figure who has had more than a few biographies written about him, but I didn't find all the "bells and whistles" necessary to enjoy this well-written look at one of the few individuals whose name has become part of our lexicon. Houdini's life is a marvelous combination of hard work and ego; in his quest to be famous he achieved a kind of immortality, his life filled with all the human failings of hubris and weakness, but he was always supplemented by a tremendous will to overcome whatever he was confronted with. .The later chapters, dealing with Houdini's battles with spiritualists, like Margery, are particularly telling. These attacks on spiritualists, who seemed to have really earned his enmity by having the temerity to try to trick the master of deception, are fascinating examples of how Houdini was able to combine his personal feelings with commerce as he was able to tour and lecture on their fraudulent practices. These chapters are truly the most intriguing, as the gradual decay of Houdini's friendship with Arthur Conan Doyle is mixed with Houdini's valiant attempt to enlighten people to the deceit of the spiritualist movement. Once again the author's attempt to "gild the lily" by suggesting Houdini was killed as a payback from the "spiritualist movement" with little evidence. It's not that I don't believe the possibilities of this "assassination" or the book's earlier contentions of Houdini's "spying" but I would expect them to be better supported by evidence before giving them as much credence as this book does. Despite these attempts to add another dimension to Houdini's biography, the book still stands as a valiant effort to bring Houdini's life and legend to a new generation.
This biography lays out a scenario where Houdini was an international spy [Posted on 2008-11-02]
William Kalush, founder of the Conjuring Arts Research Center in New York City and co-executive producer of the television magician David Blaine, along with writer Larry Sloman explore the controversy surrounding Houdini's life in their new book: The Secret Life of Houdini: The Making of America's First Superhero, released on Halloween -- the 80th anniversary of Houdini's untimely death.(A macabre sidebar!) The book begins by laying out a scenario where Harry Houdini traveled across the globe collecting information for law enforcement.(A spy!) This claim revolves around one William Melville -- an English spy who recruited Houdini and asked him to provide information on activities of the governments he visited in his worldwide tours performing his memorable escapes. The most famous of which were, the Water Torture Cell, the Milk Can Escape and Buried Alive.
But if you thought Houdini as a spy is interesting, William Kalush goes on to discuss the spiritualists of the early 20th century. Kalush says, "He really put together his own Secret Service to go after the spiritualists and there was a titanic struggle between the Arthur Conan Doyle camp and the Houdini camp." It wasn't until the death of Houdini's mother that Houdini focused his attention on the thriving business of spiritualism. Now, whether Houdini was genuinely outraged at the victimization of the bereaved, or whether he simply saw an opportunity to capitalize on public interest is unknown. Houdini did spend the last 10 years of his life in highly publicized battles with the spiritualists. Using his knowledge of illusion, Houdini was able to duplicate the ghostly apparitions, noises and mysterious levitations produced by the working mediums and their "spirits". His exposures became so popular with his audiences that they took up more than a third of his regular program -- and, in a way, he became the most famous spiritualist of all.
This leads to Kalush's most interesting claim: Houdini was asked on three occasions to become an advisor to Czar Nicholas's court in pre-revolution Russia. Kalush claims that Houdini was contacted by the czar's court officials to come to Russia and depose Rasputin as a faker. Houdini considered making the trip but never did. While these claims are fascinating and make for a good read, the truth is Houdini was a unique, talented and motivated magician. He was a terrific showman and self-promoter which made him the most famous magician in history. His name is synonymous with escapes; his ability to get out of seemingly impossible situations -- and his knack for publicizing these events made him a legend in his own time. He would spend days on end practicing his trade, autographing and meeting with eager magic fans. And spent his nights with Bess Rahner, the woman who became Houdini's partner both in the act and in his life.
This biography lays out a scenario where Houdini was an international spy [Posted on 2008-11-02]
William Kalush, founder of the Conjuring Arts Research Center in New York City and co-executive producer of the television magician David Blaine, along with writer Larry Sloman explore the controversy surrounding Houdini's life in their new book: The Secret Life of Houdini: The Making of America's First Superhero, released on Halloween -- the 80th anniversary of Houdini's untimely death.(A macabre sidebar!) The book begins by laying out a scenario where Harry Houdini traveled across the globe collecting information for law enforcement.(A spy!) This claim revolves around one William Melville -- an English spy who recruited Houdini and asked him to provide information on activities of the governments he visited in his worldwide tours performing his memorable escapes. The most famous of which were, the Water Torture Cell, the Milk Can Escape and Buried Alive.
But if you thought Houdini as a spy is interesting, William Kalush goes on to discuss the spiritualists of the early 20th century. Kalush says, "He really put together his own Secret Service to go after the spiritualists and there was a titanic struggle between the Arthur Conan Doyle camp and the Houdini camp." It wasn't until the death of Houdini's mother that Houdini focused his attention on the thriving business of spiritualism. Now, whether Houdini was genuinely outraged at the victimization of the bereaved, or whether he simply saw an opportunity to capitalize on public interest is unknown. Houdini did spend the last 10 years of his life in highly publicized battles with the spiritualists. Using his knowledge of illusion, Houdini was able to duplicate the ghostly apparitions, noises and mysterious levitations produced by the working mediums and their "spirits". His exposures became so popular with his audiences that they took up more than a third of his regular program -- and, in a way, he became the most famous spiritualist of all.
This leads to Kalush's most interesting claim: Houdini was asked on three occasions to become an advisor to Czar Nicholas's court in pre-revolution Russia. Kalush claims that Houdini was contacted by the czar's court officials to come to Russia and depose Rasputin as a faker. Houdini considered making the trip but never did. While these claims are fascinating and make for a good read, the truth is Houdini was a unique, talented and motivated magician. He was a terrific showman and self-promoter which made him the most famous magician in history. His name is synonymous with escapes; his ability to get out of seemingly impossible situations -- and his knack for publicizing these events made him a legend in his own time. He would spend days on end practicing his trade, autographing and meeting with eager magic fans. And spent his nights with Bess Rahner, the woman who became Houdini's partner both in the act and in his life.
A Man and Myth [Posted on 2008-11-07]
I stumbled upon this book at a local bookstore and having just finished Chabon's 'Kavalier and Clay' was intrigued by the title. After five minutes of reading and skimming I was hooked and ordered it immediately from Amazon. The most amazing part of Houdini's story is the story itself! I will leave the rest to the readers!
The title says it all [Posted on 2008-11-24]
This book is very well researched and written, by far the most informative and enjoyable to read. The authors have taken the time and care to present to the world our first true Superhero.
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