Download or read book The Secret Life of Houdini written by William Kalush and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2008-09-04 with total page 998 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Using exclusive access to newly uncovered archives, Kalush and Sloman reveal the clandestine agreements in which the British and Americans recruited Houdini to be an active secret agent. In exchange for his cooperation, the governments of these two countries facilitated his rise to the top of the world stage. The authors give thrilling accounts of his assignments, such as his participation in early aerial surveillance and his use of his own magic magazine to communicate espionage-related information. After the war, Houdini embarked upon what became his most dangerous mission when he took on the Spiritualist movement. Convinced that Spiritualist mediums were frauds, he became obsessed with exposing them. But the Spiritualists were a powerful adversary. An organized network of fanatics, led by Sherlock Holmes creator Arthur Conan Doyle, worked relentlessly to orchestrate a campaign that would silence Houdini forever. Grounded in solid research, but as exciting and dramatic as a good thriller, THE SECRET LIFE OF HOUDINI traces the magician's long and circuitous route from struggling vaudevillian to worldwide legend.
Download or read book The Secret Life of Houdini written by William Kalush and published by . This book was released on 2007-01-01 with total page 333 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this groundbreaking book, renowned magic expert Kalush and bestselling writer Sloman team up to expose Harry Houdinis secret life as a spy, and the stunning plot to murder the magician and destroy his legacy. Photos throughout.
Download or read book The Life and Afterlife of Harry Houdini written by Joe Posnanski and published by Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster. This book was released on 2020-10-13 with total page 336 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Joe Posnanski enters the colorful world of Harry Houdini and his legions of devoted fans to explore the illusionist’s impact on global culture—and why his legacy endures to this day. Nearly a century after Harry Houdini died on Halloween in 1926, he feels as modern and alive as ever. The name Houdini still leaps to mind whenever we witness a daring escape. The baby who frees herself from her crib? Houdini. The dog who vanishes and reappears in the neighbor’s garden? Houdini. Every generation produces new disciples of the magician, from household names in magic like David Copperfield and David Blaine to countless other followers whose lives have been transformed by the power of Houdini. In rural Pennsylvania, a thirteen-year-old girl finds the courage to leave a violent home after learning that Houdini ran away to join the circus; she eventually becomes the first female magician to saw a man in half on television. In Australia, an eight-year-old boy with a learning impediment feels worthless until he sees an old poster of Houdini advertising “Nothing on earth can hold Houdini prisoner,” and begins his path to becoming that nation’s most popular magician. In California, an actor and Vietnam War veteran finds purpose in his life by uncovering the secrets of his hero. But the unique phenomenon of Houdini was always more than his death-defying stunts or his ability to escape handcuffs and straitjackets. It is also about the power of imagination and self-invention. His incredible transformation from Ehrich Weiss, humble Hungarian immigrant and rabbi’s son, into the self-named Harry Houdini has won him a slice of immortality. No one has withstood the test of time quite like Houdini. Fueled by Posnanski’s personal obsession with the magician—and magic itself—The Life and Afterlife of Harry Houdini is a poignant odyssey of discovery, blending biography, memoir, and first-person reporting to trace Houdini’s metamorphosis into an iconic figure who has inspired millions.
Download or read book The Secret of the Great Houdini written by Robert Burleigh and published by Atheneum Books. This book was released on 2002 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As Sam and Uncle Ezra watch, the Great Houdini escapes from a trunk at the bottom of the river. Includes factual information about Houdini and his career as a magician and escape artist.
Download or read book Harry Houdini for Kids written by Laurie Carlson and published by Chicago Review Press. This book was released on 2009-02-01 with total page 146 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: &&LDIV&&R&&LDIV&&R&&LP style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"&&RIllusionist, escape artist, movie star, aviator, and spy—Harry Houdini was all these and an international celebrity and the world’s most famous magician. This fascinating biography looks at all the facets of Houdini’s amazing life and includes 21 magic tricks and illusions for a hands-on learning experience. Children will be inspired by this Jewish immigrant who grew up in poverty and, through perseverance and hard work, went on to become one of the most popular and successful entertainers of all time. Houdini was an artist who created his acts carefully, practicing them for years in some cases. He performed such seemingly impossible stunts as escaping several sets of handcuffs and ropes after jumping off a bridge into a flowing river. &&L/P&&R&&LP style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"&&R &&L/P&&R&&LP style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"&&RKids will learn how he devised his most legendary stunts and will also learn the science and logic behind many of Houdini’s acts including his famous milk can escape. Kids can amaze their family and friends with these simple, entertaining, and fun tricks and illusions: &&L/P&&R Stepping through an index card Performing an odd number trick Making a coin appear Mind reading with a secret code Making a magic box Lifting a person with one hand Making a talking board And much more &&LP style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"&&R &&L/P&&R&&L/DIV&&R&&L/DIV&&R
Download or read book I Am Harry Houdini written by Brooke Vitale and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2020-04-14 with total page 24 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An 8x8 based on an episode from the PBS KIDS animated television series Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum starring Harry Houdini. Based on the children's book series Ordinary People Change the World by New York Times bestselling author Brad Meltzer and illustrator Christopher Eliopoulos, the series will introduce kids to inspiring historical figures and the character virtues that helped them succeed. Brad is too scared to spend a full night in the museum's nature exhibit so the Secret Museum sends him and his friends to meet Harry Houdini! This episode-based 8x8 will focus on the traits that made our heroes great--the traits that kids can aspire to in order to live heroically themselves.
Download or read book The Secret Life of Mrs London written by Rebecca Rosenberg and published by . This book was released on 2018 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: San Francisco, 1915. As America teeters on the brink of world war, Charmian and her husband, famed novelist Jack London, wrestle with genius and desire, politics and marital competitiveness. Charmian longs to be viewed as an equal partner who put her own career on hold to support her husband, but Jack doesn't see it that way...until Charmian is pulled from the audience during a magic show by escape artist Harry Houdini, a man enmeshed in his own complicated marriage. Suddenly, charmed by the attention Houdini pays her and entranced by his sexual magnetism, Charmian's eyes open to a world of possibilities that could be her escape. As Charmian grapples with her urge to explore the forbidden, Jack's increasingly reckless behavior threatens her dedication. Now torn between two of history's most mysterious and charismatic figures, she must find the courage to forge her own path, even as she fears the loss of everything she holds dear.
Download or read book Houdini on Magic written by Walter Brown Gibson and published by Courier Corporation. This book was released on 1953 with total page 337 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Written by the master magician himself, this fascinating work reveals the secrets behind how Houdini escaped numerous death-defying stunts and exposed a variety of fake spiritualists. He also gives instructions for 44 eye-catching stage tricks, as well as other fascinating material. 155 illustrations.
Download or read book Houdini written by Charlotte Montague and published by Chartwell Books. This book was released on 2019-08-13 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Based on contemporary reports and diaries, with historic photographs and period posters, Houdini is an intriguing biography of the world’s greatest magician and escape artist. Ninety years after his death, this book from the Oxford People series brings both the man and his magic back to life again for one last performance. In the early 1900s, Houdini’s handcuff show was a huge sensation that toured the best venues in the USA and Europe, and when audiences demanded more, he introduced straight-jackets, water-filled tanks, and nailed shut packing crates. His outdoor spectaculars became increasingly elaborate. In the early winter of 1906, he leaped manacled from the MacArthur Bridge in Detroit, Michigan, freeing himself from two pairs of handcuffs beneath the icy waters. Houdini's mega-star status allowed him to fly airplanes, star in his own movies, write and publish his own books, and even become president of the Society of American Magicians. This biography is an authoritative view from accomplished biographer Charlotte Montague, and belongs on the shelf of any lover of magic, escape artistry, and enigmatic figures.
Download or read book The Secrets Of Houdini written by J. C. Cannell and published by Read Books Ltd. This book was released on 2013-04-16 with total page 308 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Originally published 1930's. A well illustrated compendium of the famous Harry Houdini's magic tricks and illusions. All explained in detail.Many of the earliest magic books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing many of these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.
Download or read book Fooling Houdini written by Alex Stone and published by Bond Street Books. This book was released on 2012-06-19 with total page 263 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An exploration of the world of magic that teaches the reader many tricks--including how better to understand the real world. Alex Stone--journalist and part-time conjurer--is here to amaze you. But first he had to amaze his fellow magicians. Fooling Houdini is his fascinating, revealing, and nailbiting account of his attempt to win the 23rd World Championships of Magic, the "Magic Olympics," the largest and most prestigious competition of its kind. Alex Stone managed to qualify for entry and began preparing to astonish people who astonish others for a living. It didn't help his nerves that he was placed on the bill straight after Canadian magician Shawn Farquhar, winner of more magic competitions than anyone in history. Stone's preparations and participation provide his readers with in-depth exploration of the world of magic, and magic's meaning. He spills many professional secrets, arguing that what is important is to ask questions about what lies behind the tricks: how the mind perceives the world and parses everyday experience, about how the mind works--and why sometimes it doesn't, about why people need to believe. As we become more attuned to the limits of our own perception, we become better at distinguishing reality from illusion, at reading the angles and decoding the fine print, he says. We gain intuition and understanding into how people behave. We even learn ways to influence this behavior. This makes us less susceptible to all manner of deception. It is to gain and maintain this sixth sense that Alex Stone--a schoolboy prestidigitator--has continued performing magic well into adulthood. In Fooling Houdini he takes us into that other world, populated by truly astounding characters, and leaves us with a heightened sense of awareness about the supposedly real world.
Download or read book Houdini and Me written by Dan Gutman and published by Holiday House. This book was released on 2021-03-02 with total page 224 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Harry has always admired the famous escape artist Houdini. And when Houdini asks for help in coming back to life, it seems like an amazing chance...or could it be Houdini's greatest trick of all? Eleven-year-old Harry Mancini is NOT Harry Houdini--the famous escape artist who died in 1926. But Harry DOES live in Houdini's old New York City home, and he definitely knows everything there is to know about Houdini's life. What is he supposed to do, then, when someone starts texting him claiming that they're Houdini, communicating from beyond the grave? Respond, of course. It's hard for Harry to believe that Houdini is really contacting him, but this Houdini texts the secrets to all of the escape tricks the dead Houdini used to do. What's more, Houdini's offering Harry a chance to go back in time and experience it for himself. Should Harry ignore what must be a hoax? Or should he give it a try and take Houdini up on this death-defying offer? Dan Gutman is the award-winning author of series including My Weird School, The Genius Files, and the baseball card series, including Honus & Me. He uses his writing powers for good once again in this exciting new middle grade novel. Named a New York State Great Read by the Empire State Center for the Book!
Download or read book The Houdini Box written by and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2008-10-07 with total page 82 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A chance encounter with Harry Houdini leaves a small boy in possession of a mysterious box--one that might hold the secrets to the greatest magic tricks ever performed.
Download or read book Houdini written by Adam Begley and published by Yale University Press. This book was released on 2020-03-17 with total page 253 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From the prizewinning Jewish Lives series, an exuberant biography of the world’s greatest escape artist In 1916, the war in Europe having prevented a tour abroad, Harry Houdini wrote a film treatment for a rollicking motion picture. Though the movie was never made, its title, “The Marvelous Adventures of Houdini: The Justly Celebrated Elusive American,” provides a succinct summary of the Master Mystifier’s life. Born Erik Weisz in Budapest in 1874, Houdini grew up an impoverished Jewish immigrant in the Midwest and became world-famous thanks to talent, industry, and ferocious determination. He concealed as a matter of temperament and professional ethics the secrets of his sensational success. Nobody knows how Houdini performed some of his dazzling, death-defying tricks, and nobody knows, finally, why he felt compelled to punish and imprison himself over and over again. Must a self-liberator also be a self-torturer? Tracking the restless Houdini’s wide-ranging exploits, acclaimed biographer Adam Begley asks the essential question: What kind of man was this?
Download or read book Houdini written by Jason Lutes and published by Disney-Hyperion. This book was released on 2008-07-08 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Harry Houdini mesmerized a generation of Americans when he was alive, and continues to do so eighty years after his death. This is a "snapshot" of Houdini's life, centering on one of his most famous jumps. As Houdini prepares for a death-defying leap into the icy Charles River in Boston, biographer Jason Lutes and artist Nick Bertozzi reveal Houdini's life and influence: from the anti-Semitism Houdini fought all his life, to the adulation of the American public; from his hounding by the press, to his loving relationship with his wife Bess; from his egoism to his insecurity; from his public persona -- to the secret behind his most amazing trick! And it's all in graphic form, so it's fresh, original, and unlike anything previously published about this most fascinating of American showmen.
Download or read book The Witch of Lime Street written by David Jaher and published by Crown. This book was released on 2015 with total page 450 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In 1924 the wife of a Boston surgeon came to embody the raging national debate over Spiritualism, a movement devoted to communication with the dead. Reporters dubbed her the blonde Witch of Lime Street, but she was known to her followers simply as Margery. Her most vocal advocate was Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, who believed so thoroughly in Margery's powers that he urged her to enter a controversial contest, sponsored by Scientific American. Her supernatural gifts beguiled four of the judges. There was only one left to convince ... the acclaimed escape artist, Harry Houdini. Jaher captures their electric public rivalry and the competition that brought them into each other's orbit.
Download or read book On the Unexplained written by Arthur Conan Doyle and published by Hesperus Press. This book was released on 2014-04-01 with total page 135 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A brand new selection of Arthur Conan Doyle's writings on all things supernatural, taken from Edge of the Unknown An account of séances, automatic writing, trips to haunted country houses, and in-depth philosophical analysis of the thinking behind the supernatural, this book is a must-have for the Conan Doyle enthusiast or the intrigued reader alike. Best known for the creation of Sherlock Holmes, Conan Doyle had many more strings to his bow. He was a political campaigner; he believed in the existence of fairies; and he played amateur sleuth, taking up closed cases to prove miscarriage of justice. Perhaps most intriguing of all though was the fact that, following the deaths of a number of his family, Conan Doyle began to take an interest in what was then termed "spiritualism" (trying to prove the existence of life beyond the grave), he became a member of the paranormal association The Ghost Sense Club, and he also joined the British Society of Psychical Research. Conan Doyle's famous spat with Houdini is represented here with a chapter eulogizing Houdini, apparently still not quite willing to let go the suspicion that the magician was blessed with special powers.
