The life and afterlife of Harry Houdini / Joe Posnanski.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Posnanski, Joe, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Houdini, Harry, 1874-1926.

Houdini, Harry.

Houdini, Harry, 1874-1926--Influence--History.

Posnanski, Joe--Travel.

Posnanski, Joe.

Travel.

History.

Genre:

Biographies.

Travel writing.

Physical Description:

xv, 316 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm

Edition:

First Avid Reader Press hardcover edition.

Place of Publication:

New York : Avid Reader Press, 2019.

Summary:

Joe Posnanski explores Harry Houdini's impact on global culture and the reasons his legacy endures to this day.

Harry Houdini. Say his name and a number of things come to mind. Escapes. Illusions. Magic. Chains. Safes. Live burials. Close to a century after his death, nearly every person in America knows his name from a young age, capturing their imaginations with his death-defying stunts and daring acts. He inspired countless people, from all walks of life, to find something magical within themselves. This is a book about a man and his extraordinary life, but it is also about the people who he has inspired in death. As Joe Posnanski delves into the deepest corners of Houdini-land, visiting museums (one owned by David Copperfield), attractions, and private archives, he encounters a cast of unforgettable and fascinating characters: a woman who runs away from home to chase her dream of becoming a magician; an Italian who revives Houdini's most famous illusion every night; a performer at the Magic Castle in Los Angeles who calls himself Houdini's Ghost; a young boy in Australia who, one day, sees an old poster and feels his life change; and a man in Los Angeles whose sole mission is life has been to keep the legend's name alive. Both a personal obsession and an odyssey of discovery, Posnanski draws inspiration from his lifelong passion for and obsession with magic, blending biography, memoir, and first-person reporting to examine Harry Houdini's life and legacy. This is the ultimate journey to uncover why this magic man endures, and what he still has to teach the world about wonder.

Contents:

Los Angeles, November 30, 1915

The truest believer

Childhood. Lies and illusions ; The origin story ; The Silverman boxes ; The runaway child ; Bahl Yahn, the strong man

Metamorphosis. Torrini ; The name ; The early days ; Acid on the dress ; Sideshow ; King of cards ; Magic made easy

Escape. Beck ; Naked ambition ; Scotland yard ; Not a love match ; The fight of Cologne

Mirrors. The mirror cuffs ; How he did it (theory one) ; How he did it (theory two) ; How he did it (theories galore) ; My guess

Miracles. The needles ; The challenges ; Straitjackets ; The bells of the Kremlin ; Life and death

Copperfield. Epic rap battle I ; Korby's clothing store ; Elephants and statues ; Epic rap battle II

Torture. Nothing supernatural ; Houdini upside down ; The empathy of escape ; The secret

Inescapable death. The dutiful son ; Spirits of the night ; The punch ; The end

The afterlife. There is no death ; The grim game ; The unmasking ; Afterword: Houdini's ghost.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 313-316).

ISBN:

9781501137235

1501137239

OCLC:

1022616600