Harry Houdini (DK Biography)

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:

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.

Average customer rating:

Richard Reti's Best Games
Harry Gm Golombek
Manufacturer: International Chess Enterprises
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Book Description

A new edition of Golombek's in-depth look at the chess of one of the most influential chess theoreticians of the twentieth century. The original text has been changed to the modern algebraic notation by Grandmaster John Nunn. Richard Reti was one of the leading Hypermoderns - the group of players who revolutionized chess thinking in the 1920's. These are the most instructive games of one of the most original chess players of all time. Algebraic Notation, 208 pages.

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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.

Amazon.com

Harry Blackstone Jr. shares the history of modern magic, largely as seen through the eyes of his family. His father was the original Great Blackstone and Blackstone has carried on the tradition. This is not a merely anecdotal history, however. It's Blackstone's personal reflections on the art and game of magic--not just how it works but why it works as entertainment. It's about the psychological showmanship as well as the craft. Included are lessons in how to perform tricks that go beyond the mere technical details to show how to make a simple trick a piece of true theater.

Book Description

The complete Blackstone story and the history of magic from the 1920's to today. Includes profiles of the greatest stage magicians, sleight-of-hand entertainers, and mentalists. Separate chapters deal with the psychology of magic, the 10 basic magic effects, and complete, illustrated instructions for performing 20 classic routines and special tricks. 250 photos, appendices, bibliography, index.

Customer Reviews:

Secrets of illusion revealed by one of the OLD MASTERS!.......1998-10-31

As a Conjurer I have studied the classic works of many of the great old conjurers. Of all of them Blackstone is one of the most well known. This book provides clear and simple explanations of some of the greatest tricks and illusions known to Magic. Great for the beginning or advanced conjuror.

Average customer rating:

Harry Houdini: Escape Artist (Level 2)
Patricia Lakin
Manufacturer: Aladdin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0689848153

Book Description

Level 2: Reading Independently

• More complex stories

• Varied sentence structure

• Paragraphs and short chapters

Find out how a little boy named Ehrich Weiss became Harry Houdini -- the greatest magician the world has ever known!

Book Description

This is the story of the world and magic shows of Harry Blackstone (1885-1965), who entertained theatre-goers for over 50 seasons. Gifted with an electric presence, a magnificent voice and a master magician's mentality and skills, he played everything from showboats to vaudeville to television. Blackstone's extravagant productions advertised "1001 wonders" and "an enchanting array of beautiful girls." Waldron's vivid and thoroughly researched narrative, enhanced with first-hand accounts by those who worked on the Blackstone show, presents an unforgettable portrait of a unique showman. Illustrated throughout with photographs.

Customer Reviews:

Best magician biography in a long while.......1999-11-07

Unlike many magical biographies, this one has texture. That's probably because much of its content is derived from actual interviews with a great many members of Blackstone's travelling troupe, key among them being Blackstone's brother Pete and first wife Inez. For this reason, the perspective of Blackstone rendered here isn't from the vantage point of an audience member who watched him in the theatre, but rather a view from those who accompanied him on the road -- and that's refreshing. Vaudeville comes suprisingly alive with small details here, and Waldron does an unusually fine job of historical contextualization. Probably the best magical biography since Bamberg's Illusion Show.

Harry Houdini: Master Magician (Book Report Biographies)

Average customer rating:

A lively biography

Harry Houdini: Master Magician (Book Report Biographies)
Dana Meachen Rau
Manufacturer: Franklin Watts
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 053115551X

Customer Reviews:

A lively biography.......2001-06-08

A little over a hundred pages complete with index charts the story of escape artist Harry Houdini, a child of immigrant parents who entered the circus world early and became a noted magician. Black and white photos pepper Harry Houdini: Master Magician, a lively biography which explores Harry Houdini's background and achievements.

Average customer rating:

A Wonderful Book
Houdini: Master of Illsusion
houdini
Great Book!
This book shocked me

Houdini: Master of Illusion
Clinton Cox
Manufacturer: Scholastic
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0590949608

Book Description

Houdini was an illusionist and escape artist who drew colossal crowds and awed them. His incredible feats seemed impossible, yet no one was ever able to debunk him. How did he escape from locked jail cells? How did he emerge after diving into stormy rivers with chains locked around his body? Although Clinton Cox exposes the secrets behind many of Houdini's tricks, readers will learn it was Houdini's brilliancy, his physical dexterity, and his wild imagination that made him a true master of illusion.

Customer Reviews:

A Wonderful Book .......2006-12-15

Houdini:
Master of Illusion

"IT HAS NOW BEEN POSITIVELY PROVEN BEYOND ANY CONTRADICTION THAT HOUDI IS THE HARDEST WORKING ARTIST THAT HAS EVER TRODDEN THE VAUDEVILLE STAGE," said an ad that was praising Houdini, the man who defies prison. In Houdini: Master of Illusion, the author tells about Ehrich Weiss A.K.A. Harry Houdini's life growing up in poverty and dying a rich man. "Harry" became fascinated with Robert Houdin, the father of modern magic, and named himself Houdini, or like Houdin. Ehrich married a woman named Wilhelmina Beatrice Rahner, who he called "Bess", and she performed and traveled with him for the rest of his life. I liked this book because it told about all of Houdini's death defying tricks.

One reason I liked Houdini: Master of Illusion was because Houdini thought of himself as "supernatural" and that he wasn't able to get hurt. That example teaches a lesson. On October 19, about a week before he died, a boy asked if he could endure blows to the stomach. The boy began to hit him in the stomach very hard and after a few hits Houdini said that he could stop. The next day at his show he had a fever and his stomach was aching, but he didn't let the pain show. He later fainted and was told to go to the hospital, and after much arguing he decided to go. He died a little more than a week later.

Another reason I liked Houdini is because of his passion for magic. In his life - time he had procured many books on magic for his personal library. If he was trying to learn a trick like breaking out of a straight jacket, walking through walls, or even making an elephant "disappear" he practiced and practiced until it was perfect. Houdini was also interested in spiritualism. As its popularity began growing he studied it and even tried to contact his dead mother. He spent a lot of his life trying to foil all of the frauds that claimed to be mediums.

Also, I liked this biography because Houdini never let his lack of further education slow him down. He wrote booklets that told some of his secrets, and he printed a magazine (spelling mistakes and all), and a book, A Magician Among the spirits, in the spring of 1924. Houdini often told about his lack of education in the speeches he wrote and in conversations. Houdini was proud of where he came from for the most part. Even though he was born in Budapest, Hungary, he claimed he was born in Appleton, Wisconsin. He probably told this lie because of his love to exaggerate the truth.

This book was interesting because Houdini showed people that you could do anything you set your mind to. In this book, it was said that Houdini's father never came to see him on stage, but he didn't let that discourage him because he knew his parents were proud. Houdini survived the police officers' verbal attacks saying that he was a fraud because he could always prove them wrong. He survived the hecklers in audiences saying that he didn't know what he was doing without addressing them at all, which took self - control. I liked this book because it showed us to be Houdini-i, which means to be like Houdini, who showed self - control and that was like Houdin.

S.Moore

Houdini: Master of Illsusion.......2006-12-15

Escaping cells, unlocking the world's strongest handcuffs, freeing himself from impossible positions, Ehrich Wiess, better known as Houdini, had an exciting life full of lies and deceiving. The book Houdini: Master of Illusion tells you all about the real Houdini.
It all began Ehrich Wiess making a promise to his father on his deathbed. He promised to provide for the family and treat his mother like a queen. He started as a photography assistant to his brother. They learned magic tricks in their spare time together and they gradually began performing together. They started out performing at any place that they could. 'Houdini' started out at a teen with clothes made with medals and buttons. He did card tricks and a version of "Metamorphoses", or where people magically change places in less than three seconds. Houdini is actually a combination of his nickname, "Ehrie", and his role model's name, Robert Houdin. By using his nickname as the first name of his 'nom de plume' and Houdini (meaning like Houdin) as his last, he created one of the world's most known name. He had a very depressing life and he never did get over his mother's death. A very unknown fact about Houdini to today's population is that he did act in movies for some time. Also he busted false physics after one lied about contacting his mother and father. He deceived many about his tricks and stunts, but to his mother he was always Ehric. He died after a young man, named Whitehead, asked to see how many blows Houdini could take. Houdini stood and took the blows and simply told him that was enough. It is believed something ruptured internally. Even when he had a 104 degree temperature, he refused medical attention. He died a few hours later. I would recommend this book, but there are a few reasons I like it that may make other people dislike it.
I like this book because it states his life before he was Houdini and what he was like. For example, the promise to his father that inspired his legacy. He promised riches to his family, which was at that time poor. Also it tells about his real name, and more importantly how he made it.
I also like this book because it was happy in some parts and it showed how Houdini fulfilled his promise. At one of his shows in England he had his mother sit on a throne to watch the show and she was treated 'like the queen.'
Another reason for recommendation is the secret ways he preformed his tricks. It stated he had naturally bowed legs, so when they tied him up he was wider in the leg region. When he straightened them the ropes 'magically' feel to the ground. He hid keys in his throat in order to get out of the hand cuffs. He even had a specially made box for him to be thrown into the sea while 'locked inside' made out of boards meant for the Titanic with false nails.
The best reason to read this book is because of the personal stories. On his final trip before his mother died he was asked to bring back size six slippers for his mother. He had gotten the news that his mother had died of an illness. He still bought the slippers and laid them by her side. Overall this is a very personal biography with wondrous stories about the real Houdini. This book is a definite must read.

-LL

houdini.......2006-06-03

The book I read is Houdini Master of Illusion. The most remarkable thing I read was how he escaped from all those handcuffs. My subject is important because it teaches you to keep trying. Other people who would like to read this book are amateur magicians.
The book I read was organized in a special way. The cover has the title, author's name, and a picture of Hudini's eyes. You can easily notice italics when they state a specific item or place. The book flap tells you a brief summery. And the text pretty much tells the whole story.

Great Book! .......2006-01-26

Harry Houdini was a master magician, escape artist, and is as popular today as he was back in the early 1900's. But still, much of his life remains a mystery. Fact or fiction? Houdini told many lies about himself, and this is the book that uncovers what really happened.
Houdini: Master of Illusion is about the life of Harry Houdini, the great magician and escape artist. It takes us through his humble beginnings and Houdini's deathbed promise to his father that he someday pour golden coins onto his mother's lap. After learning magic working as a photographer's assistant with his brother, they performed together for a short period of time before setting out on their own. Harry thrived on his own, reaching fame through vaudeville performances and European shows. In every city that Harry visited, he went to jails, broke free from cells, and escaped from handcuffs. Harry worked almost all of the time and soon lost physical ability. He looked at least ten years older than he really was. After he was through with vaudeville, due to movies, Houdini did a lot of work with mediums. After Houdini was convinced that they were phony, he spent tons of time and money trying to let the public know about this phoniness. Harry spent much of his private time grieving over his lost mother and visiting graveyards. Finally, after many years of doing countless escapes and feats, Houdini died. He died on Halloween, 1926, at 1:26 PM, of a ruptured appendix, for it flooded his stomach with advanced peritonitis. Houdini is just as popular today as he was back then, so in a way, he still lives on. This is a great book because it has happiness, sadness, and was interesting.
This book is happy, because it is about a success story of a poor boy. It was happy when Houdini made the first flight ever in Australia, when Harry and Bess finally buy a house, and when Harry made an elephant vanish, a feat that made everyone want to head out to see Houdini.
Houdini had many sad things happen to him in his life. One was growing up in poverty, also when he was getting too old and tired to perform, something very sad for a performer. But, the saddest thing of all for Houdini was when his mother died. He had always had a bit of an obsession for her, but it truly showed when she died. Houdini grieved for her the rest of his life.
Finally, this book was interesting. It was interesting to learn that Houdini told many lies about growing up, where he learned magic, and his education. It was almost like he was trying to change who he was. It was also interesting to find out that when Houdini performed his great milk can escape, he had fake chains on the milk can. All Houdini had to do to get out was get out of handcuffs while squeezed inside of the milk can and push up. Another interesting part of Houdini's life was that he almost instantly lost fame when movies came along. Vaudeville houses were becoming less and less popular. Houdini decided to get into the movie business, but didn't do that great because other actors could do the stunts that Houdini did without risking their lives. That meant that Houdini wasn't as unique as he had been.
Houdini: Master of Illusion was a great book because it had happy parts, sad parts, and above all, was interesting and was hard to put down.

This book shocked me .......2005-11-23

This book was not bad but it did have some slow parts. I really liked the way Harry Houdini does all of his great tricks. To the way he hangs upside down in a strait jacket then gets out to the way hegets hung by his feet inside a tank filled with water with hand cuffs on and then gets out. Through out the book ge does many tricks but my favorite trick is when he gets out of a "burglar proof" room. But it was a pretty good book.

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