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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. Soon Houdini was performing for royalty, commanding vast sums, and exploring the new power of Hollywood. At a time when spy agencies frequently co-opted amateurs, Houdini developed a relationship with a man who would later 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, Houdini embarked on a battle of his own, creating a group of operatives to infiltrate the seamy world of fake spirit mediums. In doing so, he triggered the wrath of fanatical Spiritualists, led by 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.--From publisher description.… (more)
User reviews
Secondly, I'd like to note that it's also very possible that I now know more about
Overall, I'd have to say that I like the person Houdini was. What often comes across as arrogance is often superseded by charm. Although, if the medical diagnosis on record is correct regarding his death, I'd say it was ultimately his arrogance that did him in.
One of the most fascinating facts in the book, in my opinion, was that Houdini was the first person to pilot a plane over Australia. That's neat! The incident a couple pages over about knocking loose a submerged corpse was pretty interesting too!
I was amazed by Houdini's efforts to raise finances during the war. He truly was a go-getter and, the fact that this unstoppable attitude brought about a million dollars' worth of sold war bonds in just a year, blows my mind!
The authors devoted a lot of time to Houdini's debunking myths and exposing falsehoods. I liked this because it showed that he had a strong humanitarian side and that he spent his last days doing good for the sake of others. I was shocked, several times, by the gullibility of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. I was actually embarrassed for him when the authors discussed his surprise at the "removable thumb" trick. What a sad life he must have led---he was obviously possessed, insane, or both.
Unanswered questions include: what was the deal with Dr. Crandon and the boys? It would have been nice to have some follow up there---but perhaps that whole subject is still a mystery.
As a whole, I was really impressed with this biography of the Great Houdini. I will set this aside to release soon.
1. He was a spy for both the US Secret Service and England
2. He was the 25th person on earth to fly an airplane
3. He was the first person to achieve manned flight in Australia
4. He was savage to competitors and gracious to allies
5. His appendix was on
Well written and researched, at over 500 pages, this was a very comprehensive biography of one of the twentieth century's most famous people. His escape tricks and illusions are well known, as was his battle against spiritualists in his later life. But the book also explores parts of his life that are less known, such as his espionage work, his tumultuous relationship with his wife, and his darker moods. Well worth the effort to read.
The authors clearly respect Houdini, but I do not think that compromised their representation of him. For all of the wonder and amazing feats they describe, they also make it clear that he could have a vengefully temper, near superhuman stubbornness, and moments of incredible hypocrisy. It seems that one of the main arguments against this book is that Kalush and Sloman make some almost far fetched hypothesizes, including that Houdini served as a spy for both American and British intelligence in tours through Europe. I'm as sceptical as the next guy, but truth be told, it could almost be true. They do not try to make up evidence, they just find some rather telling coincidences and communications that could point to Harry having his hands in some pretty heavy stuff. Luckily, at least to my opinion, that did not hijack the book, but indeed increased some of the mystery and made me as the reader even more engrossed. There are a few more incidents they describe which have very little backup besides personal accounts told long after Houdini's death, but again, the added layers may enhance the story as opposed to disrupt it. Only later in the book do things seem to get a little over the top, but they cite sources in there online footnotes that seem reliable, and frankly, it is almost too outrageous to be invented.
By far, the only frustrating part about this book is that they only reveal the methods that Houdini used if the man reveled them himself in his lifetime. Every other trick, from the water-cell to some of his phony 'mind-reading' is left as a mystery. The authors often don't even acknowledge that we don't know what he did, they just take it as unknowable and move along. I suppose that that is just the nature of the magician, is it not?
All in all, this was a very engrossing and entertaining read, even if it sometimes got a little outlandish and a little full of minutiae. In many ways, it also forced me to ask more questions than it actually answered, but to that, we have to look at the subject. The true nature of Harry Houdini has been long lost. No one now alive was ever close to him, and most of the queries we have will never be answered. In a way, his entire life was one of his tricks: stunning and miraculous, but all of the solutions took place behind a curtain. We will never know if he was a spy, if he was murdered, if he really did have some sort of power beyond mortal ken (though he always denied it). These things and more will remain mysteries, and they rightly should do just that. Even in life, Houdini was more Myth than Man, and I do not think he would want it any other way.
Where to start? Firstly I love the short breaks in the chapters this allows me to read faster and with more interest. I must say that this book seems overwhelmingly well researched. Lots of interesting pictures. The difference with this bio from other works is that the authors
16-2007
Houdini the magician is only part of the man, however, and the authors dispense with him in the first half of the book, making a smooth transition after his mother's death to Houdini the enemy of Spiritualism. We learn about how in the beginning of his career Houdini would speak to pastors and grave diggers and gossips before putting on a show in a town so that he could "divine" truths about audience members during his shows, but he quickly put this behind him when it saw how it could affect people and make him seem extra-human. He spent the time after his mother's death battling the growing religious movement of Spiritualism, which was really just a series of clever con men and women that used parlor tricks to bilk money out of grieving individuals.
The authors make a compelling case for Houdini being assassinated by the Spiritualists, although they admit it is shrouded in a lack of information, so it could have also been a tragic accident.
Overall the book is filled with a huge amount of new information about the author, all of it well researched and presented in a format that slips in and out of a narrative voice, a technique that is effective and lends itself well to the material.