Harry Houdini Books

An unbelievable account of two brothers in the greatest profession on earth! The relationship and "banter" of these two is at times comical and frustrating. Houdini has never become more real and human and the love and comraderie of Houdini and his brother has never before seemed so vivid. Congratulations Mr. Stashower! Excellent! Excellent!!

Mr. Stashower has written an exceptional mystery which is not only engrossing, but realistically captures the essence of Houdini as the main character.

Houdini appears not only as an exceptional escape artist and magician, but also as a somewhat inept detective as he tries to emulate his hero, Sherlock Holmes. The effect is not only occasionally humorous, but very engaging!

Read this book! You won't be able to put it down (even if you can pick handcuffs).

Sometimes it is just fun to read a really good mystery, one that mixes humor and intrigue in an historical setting. The Dime Museum Murders is a good old-fashioned whodunit which stars Harry Houdini along with his more sensible brother Dash, each offering up his own particular set of talents to help crack the case. It gets right to the crime, offers a variety of suspects and an ingenious ending. What more could one ask for? I bought this book with the Floating Lady Murder and the Houdini Specter and can't wait for more. Bring them on!!!

This was a great read. Not only is it a well-constructed, fast-paced mystery, but Stashower gives us a wonderfully fresh look at the "Great Houdini" before he was famous. The vivid details of the time period are exceptional, as are the unforgettable characters of Houdini and his brother Dash. I only hope there will be more Houdini mysteries forthcoming!

The Dime Museum Murders is a now-you-see-it-now- you-don't mystery that baffles the reader as its hero, the famous Houdini, stuns and amazes his audiences. Houdini as detective is a teriffic idea, and the book is well written by Daniel Stashower, himself a magician. The period's ambiance is perfectly done and the characters are teriffic. Houdini's brother Dash is the teller of this tale as Watson was the teller of Sherlock Holmes' exploits. This is one of the best mysteries I've ever read.

I've read all the books in this series and enjoyed them tremendously. They're charming, compelling, and full of wit. The characters are well-drawn and the period well-researched. I agree with the other reviewers, they deserve hardcover editions.

Why as classy and graceful a writer (and series) as this, is relegated to paperback originals is a mystery in and of itself. But, why look a gift horse in the mouth? Lucky readers not only get to enjoy a truly unique story, they get to do so at a bargain price. Stashower's second novel in the series (a follow-up to "The Dime Museum Murders") features an intriguing mystery, a charming set of characters based, loosely to be sure, in reality, and a world-class amateur's knowledge of backstage at the magic show. If there is any fault at all with the book, it's the minor annoyance of a totally unnecessary framing narrative which, while pleasant, seems to be a bit contrived as opposed to the narrative itself which is conjoured by a master.

There has been a lot of Houdini fiction done over the years -- most mixing Harry with the likes of Sherlock Holmes or Sir Arthur Conan Doyle -- but for my money these new Daniel Stashower "Harry Houdini Mystery's" are by far the best Houdini fiction yet produced. I think the secret is that Stashower uses Harry's brother, Dash Hardeen, as the narrator and primary character of the story. This works much in the same way as telling a Sherlock Holmes story from the point of view of Dr. Watson. The reader relates to the relatively "normal" character of Dash, allowing the character of Houdini to be his wildly eccentric, semi-superhuman self. We share in Dash's amazement at his brother's abilities (and galloping ego), and remaining outside the head of Harry Houdini preserves the mystery of the man. I also like how Stashower sets these books before the turn-of-the (last) century, which gives us a Houdini before he became "the world famous self-liberator." The books are spiced wi!th little bits of ironic Houdini lore, such as having Harry meet and defend his future chief assistant Jim Collins from murder in FLOATING LADY. This is Stashower's second book in the series, and it's just as good as his first; The Dime Museum Murders. I HOPE HE CONTINUES. One complaint; would it kill the publisher to put these out in hardcover editions?

The second novel in Stashower's historical series featuring Harry Houdini is even better than his first. It is 1898, and Houdini is trying to find not his niche-Houdini would not be satisfied with a mere niche-but recognition of his genius. Since Houdini is still far from his goal, he, his wife, and his brother, Dash Hardeen, take employment with Kellar, at the time the dean of American magicians. The brothers' role primarily will be to investigate what would appear to be sabotage of the Kellar show, but they also are instrumental in the final development of Kellar's long-time dream-the floating-lady illusion. It is this illusion that leads to an impossible crime. While the act is being performed, the lady falls about 72 feet, with the usual unfortunate results. Yet her death was caused not by the abrupt end of the fall but by drowning. (This information appears in the blurb, so I am giving nothing away.) Plot, characterization, the picture of the times, the show-business and theater aspect, and the humor are all handled flawlessly. And the impossible crime is an intriguing one, with a most satisfactory explanation.

My first spin through this story was very quick. In barely 80 pages (many without any dialog) the authors tell the story of one of Harry Houdini's famous escapes -- a seemingly ordinary handcuff-and-leg iron escape from the frozen waters of Boston's Charles River. But in telling the tale, the authors have incorporated many elements that ground the story in its time period and the characters that inhabited it. There are references to Houdini's loyal entourage, his protectiveness about his reputation and legacy, his adoration of his wife Bess, antisemitism, purity norms, technology, attack journalism, clothing styles (hats were *not* optional!) and the Harvard-Yale college rivalry. But most of all, the authors let the reader in on the secret of this escape, which involved a thorough understanding of locks, hard physical training, shameless showmanship, utterly loyal friends, and the distracting sight of public kissing.

It's easy to miss much of this on a quick pass. But the authors included a 5-page explanatory section at the end of the story that provides more details about why, for instance, a police officer would think Harry might have horns on his head. A 3-page introduction by author (and illusionism fan) Glen David Gold, provides more background material about Houdini and his times.

"Houdini, The Handcuff King" is a fun and informative exploration of an extraordinary individual whose work in establishing his own fame continues to pay dividends. Accessible for readers 9 and up.

This amazing little book will give you great insight into the life (and wife) of Houdini, and actually has a page-turning plot. I have a 10-year-old grandson who loves magic, seemed familiar with Houdini ... and what I appreciate most is the fact that we can sit down and enjoy the book together because it contains no offensive language as "adult" theme comic books so often do. BTW, you can judge this book by its wonderful cover.

This is the first book in a proposed series of graphic-novel biographies for young readers published by the Center for Cartoon Studies in conjunction with Hyperion Press. It is meant to give just a snapshot of one moment in the life of Harry Houdini, and it delivers on its promise. By selecting one specific incident in the life of the famous magician/showman, the authors give readers a tantalizing glimpse of Houdini's life and accomplishments. In an original graphic novel style, Houdini is shown preparing for and then executing one of his most famous stunts, a death-defying jump off of the Harvard Bridge while handcuffed. His wife, Bess, is accurately depicted as an able accomplice, and readers get a glimpse into the secrets behind Houdini's success. Houdini loved a crowd, and the authors show how he worked his fans into a frenzy of fearful excitement. Large panels, which sometimes cross to the opposite page, along with bold illustrations showing close attention to facial expressions, add plenty of drama to the page.
Houdini's Jewish identity is mentioned only briefly when a Boston policeman wonders aloud if it is true that the showman has horns. As he is being inspected before the stunt, Houdini rebukes the policeman by saying, "mind the horns." A series of panel discussions round out the volume, and one of these explains Houdini's Jewish background and the anti-Semitism that was prevalent at the time.
Fans of the graphic novel format will delight in this creative and suspenseful book, and since there have been a glut of recent books about Houdini, for both children and adults, curious readers who want a more in-depth biography will have an ample selection from which to choose. For ages 10 and up.

Reviewed by Wendy Wasman.

I just can't help but wonder," the magician Harry Houdini wonders at the end of "Houdini: The Handcuff King," a graphic novel by Jason Lutes and Nick Pertozzi, "will anyone even remember me a hundred years from now?"

Who can tell, awash as we are in the flood of current events, movies, books, comic books and other forms of entertainment? He certainly deserves to be, if only as a historical figure, a stage magician who built his reputation by being the best magician and escape artist there ever was, and by making sure everyone knew it.

"Houdini" tells this story by focusing on the events of a single day -- May 1, 1908 -- and a single publicity stunt, in which Houdini leapt into the near-frozen Charles River in Cambridge, Mass., wearing only a bathing suit and shackled at the wrists and ankles. Writer Jason Lutes follows the magician as he works at his craft, is interviewed by the press (and, like modern athletes, showing that he's capable of making them laugh, but also bringing out the claws to defend his reputation) and working with the police while rehearsing his stunt. And even though we know what to expect, he still pulls several surprises, working the reader as well as the audience.

Historical figures do not operate in a vacuum, and neither did Houdini. While watching him work, we're also made aware of the support network he built around him, starting with his loving wife, Bess, who he relied on for emotional support off-stage and as an assistant on-stage. Houdini also needed someone to promote his shows, and to protect him from unscrupulous rivals. It's a measure of the respect he engendered that he took to the grave the secrets of his most spectacular stunts.

"Houdini" also manages to give us a peek into life as it was lived a hundred years ago, before the Internet, before cable television, before VHF and UHF and even before radio and the movies. It was a time when everyone who could turned out to see a great man, even if it was only to see him walk down the street. When, if you wanted to be remembered, you had to be prepared to risk everything, because in person, you couldn't fake it. Houdini didn't fake it, and that's why we still remember him.

Although I believe this book is marketed for teens and younger, I found it an engaging read, but I have an interest in magic and Houdini's life in particular.

This is a great book. You should definitely get it for anyone who is interested in magic. I am 6 years old and I liked finding out what happened to Harry Houdini.

This is a book aimed at children, but as an adult fascinated by the legend of Houdini--I enjoyed the story and the artwork very much. It is told from the point of view of a young boy and his uncle who are in the audience of one of Houdini's underwater escapes. It really gives the feel of what it must have been like to watch one of these legendary performances. The artwork is very beautiful too.
The book captures the excitement and impenetrable mystery that Houdini as an artist was able to create. And has a nice little message about finding our own secret inside ourselves and escaping any bonds that try to hold us back from it. Any kid into magic or an adult interested in Houdini should love this book.

This is a great book. You should definitely get it for anyone who is interested in magic. I am 6 years old and I liked finding out what happened to Harry Houdini.

The figure of Houdini, so prominently referenced in Michael Chabon's, "The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay," gets the mythic treatment in this beautifully illustrated, ambitious book by Robert Burleigh and Leonid Gore. It features alluring, poetic prose from six different voices: The third person narrator ("The crowd is so still that even from far off the lock's tiny click can be heard as it snaps shut"), young Sam ("Is he afraid?"), his wise uncle Ezra(Everyone's afraid sometimes....The Great Houdini goes where he has to go"), a Greek chorus of other Houdini watchers ("He won't make it out!"), a man narrating Houdini's attempt to escape (while bound in chains) from a submerged, locked box, and the real or imagined words of Houdini, questioning the readers' beliefs:

I am Houdini.
I escape the hold of all things.
I free myself.
Do you believe me?"

Sam wonders and worries about Houdini's safety, but his uncle offers him reassuring metaphors"
"Sam looks at his own thin wrists. `Handcuffs?' Uncle Ezra Looks out of the corner of his eye. `Handcuffs are paper bracelets to the great Houdini.'" As Sam and the other spectators wait 30 seconds, I minutes, 2 minutes for Houdini to emerge from the river, Uncle Ezra recalls some of Houdini's prior feats, all of which will amaze young readers. Burleigh's vivid text brings you into Sam's anxious thoughts and over-identification with Houdini: "Locked in a trunk. Oh, locked in a trunk! Sam remembers the little click. He feels terrified fingers trying to pick and claw and force the lock."

The man yells, "Two Minutes at the Bottom of the River. Two. I repeat: Two Minutes. THE GREAT HOUDINI." Sam again imagines himself as Houdini; the crowd calls for an ambulance, but we "hear" Houdini again (in bolded italics, to differentiate it from the rest of the text):

I am Houdini.
I confound the sleeper.
I amaze the unwilling-to -believe.
I mystify the all-too-sure.

Leonid Gore's soft-focus blend of pastel and ink is equally adept in capturing the youthful emotions of Sam, and the mystery of Houdini beneath the waters. The first pictures show Houdini as Greek god, but when Houdini finally escapes, he looks unexpectedly tired and very human: "[He] awkwardly climbs the rope ladder." Houdini's current and past exploits are astounding, but Uncle Ezra reminds Sam that Houdini calls them "secrets," not tricks. IN the book's thematic close, Sam asks his Uncle what the secret is. Ezra explains, "It's a mix of many things. It's bravery and hard work and practice...," but then says" But maybe you shouldn't wonder so much about his secret... What's really important is finding your secret--something that becomes like a seed inside you--that will grow as you grow up." While one reviewer thought this "prim," and another, "unneccesary," it's consistent with the figure of Uncle Ezra and will get at least some (slightly older) kids thinking about their potential. It's slightly more concrete and not nearly as false-sounding as a few anachronistic New Ageisms that are not easily understood. Here's one example, a "quote" in the voice of Houdini:

"Mysterious is the water I move through,
(deeper than all of my doubters)
as a fish swims in the sea.
Do you believe?

This faux-Zen comment is too artful and forced, and puts the attention on the author rather than on Houdini or Sam. Similarly, Uncle Ezra's metaphors get a bit tired after a while; it begins to feel like you're hearing a loop of David Carradine lines in "Kung Fu." However, the otherwise well-written text, the building suspense, the interwoven biography of Houdini (there's also an afterward with a brief bio), illustrator Gore's atmospheric portrayal of mood and emotion, and the slightly ambiguous, thought-provoking conclusion make up for these few false steps. Note: Sam's vivid imagination of the terrors of Houdini's escape and the crowd's fear may scare some toddlers and others--use your judgment.

If you want to know the truth about charlatan mediums and card readers and there methods this and the other houdini books on the subject are for you,the colection on the subject is:

1.- THE RIGHT WAY TO DO WRONG (1906)

2.-MIRACLE WORKERS AND THERE METHODS (1920)

3.- A MAGICIAN AMONG THE SPIRITS (1924)

PLEASE BUY THEM AND SHARE THEM AND LETS PUT THIS THIEVES OUT OF BUSINESS.

Houdini spent a long time and much anguish trying to contact the spirit of a dead family member. Mediums were very popular in his time. This book is his exposure of them as frauds. Great anecdotes, interesting methods described, amusing and fascinating. Highlights include his role in the Scientific American investigative committee, and the many interactions with Sir Arthur Conan-Doyle. Easy reading.

Even though Houdini's book refers to spiritualism tricks,the book could be a must read for the many gulliable people out there more than ready and willing to part with their money for a chance to talk to their deceased loved ones.In today's "psychic" world we are bombarded with cold readers without any aids other than there rapid talk and generalistic "messages from the other side" yet Houndini's book is a warning of sorts and we could use his help in today's world with these so called "psychics". Houndini's work is not complete since we need other talented and honest individuals such as he to face off with the charletans we have now a days.I'll say that Houndini's work is extremely valuable and I highly respect him for giving of his time to investigate fraud.

What a great book for a kid. My third grader loved it. With houdini in the news again, and the recent movies about magicians out, it's something kids are becoming interested in again.

If the picture on the cover is any indication, Harry Houdini is Sean Penn (there's a striking resemblance). This is an interesting book in the "Who Was" series, detailing Houdini's impoverished boyhood in America (after emigrating from Hungary), his early interest in magic, and a turning point, his discovery of a book about Jean-Eugene Robert-Houdin, the "father of modern magic."

Author Sutherland divided the book into 12 chapters, each beginning with "So you want to be a (Magician, Pilot, Hero, Detective, etc.), detailing Houdini's feats in many areas. Several of the escape illusions are briefly explained (including Houdini's great illusion making an elephant disappear!), and there's a humorous bent as the author admits that it's difficult to tell which of Houdini's many statements about himself are true! Houdini traveled from town to town, and it wasn't until he Martin Beck, head of the Orpheum Circuit's (a string of vaudeville houses), discovered Houdini that he earned international acclaim, staying five years in Europe. The book does a good job at showing how Houdini worked hard at his illusions, and how this practice (and a penchant for self-promotion) catapulted him to fame. It also emphasizes the real dangers and near disasters that Houdini faced, a far cry from today's televised illusionists.

Sutherland does a great job of providing relatively unknown information about Houdini: He was the first person to fly an airplane in Australia, his wife played an important part in his stage act, he was in five movies, and he and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (the author of the Sherlock Holmes series) debated the validity of Spiritualism (Houdini thought it was an exploitative sham). Sidebars about, for example, airplanes, movies, WWI add a historical context, During WW1, Houdini raised money for American troops, did shows for the wounded, and even taught soldiers how to escape from German handcuffs!

This is a fascinating book that teaches a lot about Houdini and his times. Sutherland doesn't talk down to his readers, and both adults and kids will learn a great deal. The book may even begin or reinforce someone's ambition to perform magic tricks and illusions. John O'Brien's small black and white illustrations add an important measure of interest. 105 pages, with sidebars, two timelines, but no index.

I read this book aloud to my 7 year-old son, and once we started, he did not want to stop. I've tried to read other biographies to him and many I have found so boring and poorly written that I dreaded finishing them. Not so with this one! This was written so as to be interesting for both children and adults. The author weaves in discussion of various historical events and figures and provides just the right amount of detail and analysis at just the right level of sophistication for elementary aged children (e.g., World War I, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Spiritualism, The Wright Brothers' first flight, etc.). He doesn't avoid difficult subjects like death, war, and poverty but at the same time maintains a reassuring tone appropriate for children. The upshot was that we both learned a lot from this book and had a great time reading it. I've now ordered 8 more books in the series and am looking forward to reading them aloud to my son. I can imagine that in a year or so he'll be reading these books on his own and using them for school reports. As an educational psychologist, I will highly recommend this series for my "reluctant readers" who often complain that reading (particularly expository text) is "boring."

Plot: Magician Daniel Stashower claims he found this unpublished manuscript in the house of a magic expert who once knew Harry Houdini. It's accompanied by a letter from Dr. John H. Watson to Bess Houdini, dated shortly after her husband's death. The evidence starts of flimsy enough: Lestrade consults Holmes to find out if Houdini can reduce his body to ectoplasm- the matter spirits are made out of. He has already escaped from a Scotland Yard prison cell and even switched all the convicts around, and meanwhile, a signifagent, espionage-connected robbery has been pulled off were it appears the villian can walk through walls. Houdini is arrested for the crime, but he makes a dashing exit from gaol, and now he and the master detective must sleuth out who has framed "the ectoplasmic man".

Review: The cover draws the reader in: a brick wall, during night time. The title of the book appears above the wall, and below it, we see a looming shadow. In front of it stands Harry Houdini, his wrists and arms chained, a shadow across his face giving a mysterious look. But the shadow is not his. It is a man with a hawk-like profile, with a curved pipe in his mouth, a magnifying lens in his hand, and a deerstalker cap on his head. The plot is intriuging and hard to get away from, the suspense builds up to the point of nightmares, and the humour is side-splitting. Sure, it doesn't sound like Watson's voice, which Stashower tries to explain. And maybe it's a little irritating to us Holmes fans that it takes place in 1910 and claims Holmes is "nearing his retirement" (he packed up for beekeeping on the Sussex Downs in 1903), but it's not enough to take away a quarter of a star. I treasure this book more, knowing it's out of print. If you ever chance over it, BUY IT! For Holmes, Houdini and mystery fans!

In this book that is unfortunately out of print, Stashower leads the reader to believe that the manuscript is an actual story from John H. Watson. If you believe it or not, it is an excellently written Holmes story and seems to have captured the Doyle style very well. It is one of the best modern Holmes stories I've read. If you're a Holmes fan, you NEED to dig this one up.

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. "

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.

Born Ehrich Weiss in Budapest, Hugary 1874, Harry Houdini was the poor immigrant son of a rabbi.
Due to his "death defying stunts" which ranged from making an elephant disappear to his "Milk Can Escape"
and bigger than life theatrics, Houdini has gone down in history as the world's most famous magician. With
a legacy of amazing escapes and illusions and featured in six Hollywood films magicians today still ponder over his tricks. As a young boy of four Harry immigrated with his family to the United States. When the family moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Harry's father took him to see the gruesome entertainer, Dr. Lynn, whose final act was to dismember a man and then put him back together again. At age six, young Harry was hooked for life and devoted the rest of his life finding ways to amaze an audience in the art of illusion. In his own words, Houdini comments, " Never try to fool children. They expect nothing and therefore see everything." Harry was full of adventure and fun and was always young at heart; with this rule of thumb; he kept the mind of a child close at hand and his magic always remained a mystery as well as delightful entertainment for the
whole family. This tile, the seventh of the "Snapshot Biography series" presents an up-close, personalized view of the life of a great man who has changed the face of magic. Large, oversized illustrations, many black and white photographs, a detailed timeline, a great index, and a list of actual places to find out more about Houdini will engage youngsters and make this a sure winner. For ages 8-13.

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.