Table Of Content

Cover Page: iii Title Page Page: iii Dedication Page: v Epigraph Page: vii Los Angeles, November 30, 1915 Page: x The Truest Believer Page: xvi Part I: Childhood Page: 8 Chapter 1: Lies and Illusions Page: 10 Chapter 2: The Origin Story Page: 14 Chapter 3: The Silverman Boxes Page: 18 Chapter 4: The Runaway Child Page: 27 Chapter 5: Bahl Yahn, the Strong Man Page: 36 Part II: Metamorphosis Page: 44 Chapter 6: Torrini Page: 47 Chapter 7: The Name Page: 53 Chapter 8: The Early Days Page: 64 Chapter 9: Acid on the Dress Page: 72 Chapter 10: Sideshow Page: 77 Chapter 11: King of Cards Page: 85 Chapter 12: Magic Made Easy Page: 96 Part III: Escape Page: 100 Chapter 13: Beck Page: 103 Chapter 14: Naked Ambition Page: 107 Chapter 15: Scotland Yard Page: 115 Chapter 16: Not a Love Match Page: 120 Chapter 17: The Fight of Cologne Page: 128 Part IV: Mirrors Page: 133 Chapter 18: The Mirror Cuffs Page: 136 Chapter 19: How He Did It (Theory One) Page: 143 Chapter 20: How He Did It (Theory Two) Page: 147 Chapter 21: How He Did It (Theories Galore) Page: 150 Chapter 22: My Guess Page: 157 Part V: Miracles Page: 159 Chapter 23: The Needles Page: 162 Chapter 24: The Challenges Page: 167 Chapter 25: Straitjackets Page: 173 Chapter 26: The Bells of the Kremlin Page: 181 Chapter 27: Life and Death Page: 188 Part VI: Copperfield Page: 202 Chapter 28: Korby’s Clothing Store Page: 205 Chapter 29: Elephants and Statues Page: 211 Chapter 30: Epic Rap Battle II Page: 224 Part VII: Torture Page: 228 Chapter 31: Houdini Upside Down Page: 231 Chapter 32: The Empathy of Escape Page: 237 Chapter 33: The Secret Page: 245 Part VIII: Inescapable Death Page: 249 Chapter 34: The Dutiful Son Page: 250 Chapter 35: Spirits of the Night Page: 255 Chapter 36: The Punch Page: 262 Chapter 37: The End Page: 270 Part IX: The Afterlife Page: 274 Chapter 38: There Is No Death Page: 278 Chapter 39: The Grim Game Page: 285 Chapter 40: The Unmasking Page: 293 Afterword: Houdini’s Ghost Page: 298 Acknowledgments Page: 309 About the Author Page: 317 A Selected Bibliography Page: 317 Photo Credits Page: 318 Copyright Page: 318

Description:

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.