The life and many deaths of Harry Houdini
Brandon, Ruth, 1943-200108UU
Books, Manuscripts
Find it!
Explains secrets of Houdini's most celebrated escapes. This work asks, 'What was Houdini really trying to escape from?' - and, searching for the answer, reveals a man far more extraordinary. It provides an account of shamanism, celebrity and magic. It offers a picture of this complicated and charismatic character. This is a reissue of Ruth Brandon's definitive biography of Houdini. When Harry Houdini died in 1926, he was one of the most famous men in the world. Having started out as a vaudeville magician, he soon began to specialise in the escapes for which his name remains a byword. In this classic biography, Ruth Brandon explains in detail the secrets of Houdini's most celebrated escapes, but more importantly she asks, 'What was Houdini really trying to escape from?' - and, searching for the answer, reveals a man far more extraordinary than any of his audience could have imagined. "A ripping account of shamanism, celebrity and magic" - "Sunday Times". "Brandon paints a fascinating picture of this complicated and charismatic character, and also of turn-of-the-century America" - "The Times".Review: 'A ripping account of shamanism, celebrity and magic' Sunday Times 'Brandon paints a fascinating picture of this complicated and charismatic character, and also of turn-of-the-century America' The Times 'Brandon has chosen a fascinating subject and written a book that rises to it superbly... A compelling account of a peculiar life' Sunday Times.
Main title:
The life and many deaths of Harry Houdini / Ruth Brandon.
Author:
Edition:
New ed.
Imprint:
London : Pan Books, 2001.
Collation:
348 p. : 16 b&w, halftones ; 20x13x2 cm.
Notes:
Paperback.
Biography/History:
Ruth Brandon is a highly praised biographer and historian. Her other books include a history of the sewing machine, 'Sarah Bernhardt', 'The New Women and the Old Men' and 'Surreal Lives: The Surrealists 1917-1945'. She has also written crime fiction and two literary novels.
ISBN:
9780330487801 (pbk)0330487809 (pbk)
Language:
English
Subject:
Bookmark link:
More Information: