Houdini Popular Books

Houdini Biography & Facts

Erik Weisz (March 24, 1874 – October 31, 1926), known as Harry Houdini ( hoo-DEE-nee), was a Hungarian-American escape artist, illusionist, and stunt performer, noted for his escape acts.Houdini first attracted notice in vaudeville in the United States and then as Harry 'Handcuff' Houdini on a tour of Europe, where he challenged police forces to keep him locked up. Soon he extended his repertoire to include chains, ropes slung from skyscrapers, straitjackets under water, and having to escape from and hold his breath inside a sealed milk can with water in it. In 1904, thousands watched as Houdini tried to escape from special handcuffs commissioned by London's Daily Mirror, keeping them in suspense for an hour. Another stunt saw him buried alive and only just able to claw himself to the surface, emerging in a state of near-breakdown. While many suspected that these escapes were faked, Houdini presented himself as the scourge of fake spiritualists, pursuing a personal crusade to expose their fraudulent methods. As president of the Society of American Magicians, he was keen to uphold professional standards and expose fraudulent artists. He was also quick to sue anyone who imitated his escape stunts. Houdini made several movies but quit acting when it failed to bring in money. He was also a keen aviator and aimed to become the first man to fly a powered aircraft in Australia. Early life Erik Weisz was born in Budapest, Kingdom of Hungary to a Jewish family. His parents were Rabbi Mayer Sámuel Weisz (1829–1892) and Cecília Steiner (1841–1913). Houdini was one of seven children: Herman M. (1863–1885), who was Houdini's half-brother by Rabbi Weisz's first marriage; Nathan J. (1870–1927); Gottfried William (1872–1925); Theodore (1876–1945); Leopold D. (1879–1962); and Carrie Gladys (1882–1959), who was left almost blind after a childhood accident.Weisz arrived in the United States on July 3, 1878, on the SS Frisia with his mother (who was pregnant) and his four brothers. The family changed their name to the German spelling Weiss, and Erik became Ehrich. The family lived in Appleton, Wisconsin, where his father served as rabbi of the Zion Reform Jewish Congregation. According to the 1880 census, the family lived on Appleton Street in an area that is now known as Houdini Plaza. On June 6, 1882, Rabbi Weiss became an American citizen. Losing his job at Zion in 1882, Rabbi Weiss and family moved to Milwaukee and fell into dire poverty. In 1887, Rabbi Weiss moved with Erik to New York City, where they lived in a boarding house on East 79th Street. He was joined by the rest of the family once Rabbi Weiss found permanent housing. As a child, Erik Weiss took several jobs, making his public début as a nine-year-old trapeze artist, calling himself "Ehrich, the Prince of the Air". He was also a champion cross country runner in his youth. Magic career When Weiss became a professional magician he began calling himself "Harry Houdini", after the French magician Jean-Eugène Robert-Houdin, after reading Robert-Houdin's autobiography in 1890. Weiss incorrectly believed that an i at the end of a name meant "like" in French. However, "i" at the end of the name means "belong to" in Hungarian. In later life, Houdini claimed that the first part of his new name, Harry, was an homage to American magician Harry Kellar, who he also admired, though it was likely adapted from "Ehri", a nickname for "Ehrich", which is how he was known to his family.When he was a teenager, Houdini was coached by the magician Joseph Rinn at the Pastime Athletic Club. Houdini began his magic career in 1891, but had little success. He appeared in a tent act with strongman Emil Jarrow. He performed in dime museums and sideshows, and even doubled as "The Wild Man" at a circus. Houdini focused initially on traditional card tricks. At one point, he billed himself as the "King of Cards". Some – but not all – professional magicians would come to regard Houdini as a competent but not particularly skilled sleight-of-hand artist, lacking the grace and finesse required to achieve excellence in that craft. He soon began experimenting with escape acts. In the early 1890s, Houdini was performing with his brother "Dash" (Theodore) as "The Brothers Houdini".: 160  The brothers performed at the Chicago World's Fair in 1893 before returning to New York City and working at Huber's Dime Museum for "near-starvation wages".: 160  In 1894, Houdini met a fellow performer, Wilhelmina Beatrice "Bess" Rahner. Bess was initially courted by Dash, but she and Houdini married, with Bess replacing Dash in the act, which became known as "The Houdinis". For the rest of Houdini's performing career, Bess worked as his stage assistant. Houdini's big break came in 1899 when he met manager Martin Beck in St. Paul, Minnesota. Impressed by Houdini's handcuffs act, Beck advised him to concentrate on escape acts and booked him on the Orpheum vaudeville circuit. Within months, he was performing at the top vaudeville houses in the country. In 1900, Beck arranged for Houdini to tour Europe. After some days of unsuccessful interviews in London, Houdini's British agent Harry Day helped him to get an interview with C. Dundas Slater, then manager of the Alhambra Theatre. He was introduced to William Melville and gave a demonstration of escape from handcuffs at Scotland Yard. He succeeded in baffling the police so effectively that he was booked at the Alhambra for six months. His show was an immediate hit and his salary rose to $300 a week (equivalent to $10,553 in 2022). Between 1900 and 1920 he appeared in theatres all over Great Britain performing escape acts, illusions, card tricks and outdoor stunts, becoming one of the world's highest paid entertainers. He also toured the Netherlands, Germany, France, and Russia and became widely known as "The Handcuff King". In each city, Houdini challenged local police to restrain him with shackles and lock him in their jails. In many of these challenge escapes, he was first stripped nude and searched. In Moscow, he escaped from a Siberian prison transport van,: 163  claiming that, had he been unable to free himself, he would have had to travel to Siberia, where the only key was kept. In Cologne, Houdini sued a police officer, Werner Graff, who alleged that he made his escapes via bribery. Houdini won the case when he opened the judge's safe (he later said the judge had forgotten to lock it). With his new-found wealth, Houdini purchased a dress said to have been made for Queen Victoria. He then arranged a grand reception where he presented his mother in the dress to all their relatives. Houdini said it was the happiest day of his life. In 1904, Houdini returned to the U.S. and purchased a house for $25,000 (equivalent to $814,259 in 2022), a brownstone at 278 W. 113th Street in Harlem, New York City.While on tour in Europe in 1902, Houdini visited Blois with the aim of meeting the widow of Emile Houdin, the son of Jean-Eugène.... Discover the Houdini popular books. Find the top 100 most popular Houdini books.

Best Seller Houdini Books of 2024

  • Fooling Houdini synopsis, comments

    Fooling Houdini

    Alex Stone

    From the back rooms of New York City’s ageold magic societies to cuttingedge psychology labs, threecard monte games on Canal Street to glossy Las Vegas casinos, Fooling Houdini rec...

  • The Witch of Lime Street synopsis, comments

    The Witch of Lime Street

    David Jaher

    History comes alive in this textured account of the rivalry between Harry Houdini and the socalled Witch of Lime Street, whose iconic lives intersected at a time when science was o...

  • Houdini the Hamster synopsis, comments

    Houdini the Hamster

    Jimmy

    House hold Hamster get magic powers, and get together to kick out some sneaky mice out of house

  • Hole In The Wall Gang synopsis, comments

    Hole In The Wall Gang

    Frank Cullotta

    Hole in the Wall Gang is an extraordinary look into the life of a career criminal. Frank Cullotta lays out the details of nearly thirty years as a master thief, Chicago Outfit asso...

  • High Time for Heroes synopsis, comments

    High Time for Heroes

    Mary Pope Osborne & Sal Murdocca

    Magic Tree House #51: High Time for Heroes features Jack and Annie back in Egypt, still seeking the secrets of greatness for Merlin. This time they will meet the great nurse, Flore...

  • The Unmasking of Robert-Houdini synopsis, comments

    The Unmasking of Robert-Houdini

    Harry Houdini

    THIS book is the natural result of the moulding, dominating influence which the spirit and writings of RobertHoudin have exerted over my professional career. My interest in conjuri...

  • Ragtime synopsis, comments

    Ragtime

    E.L. Doctorow

    Selected by the Modern Library as one of the 100 best novels of all timePublished in 1975, Ragtime changed our very concept of what a novel could be. An extraordinary tapestry, Ra...

  • Houdini synopsis, comments

    Houdini

    Tom Lalicki

    Originally published as: SPELLBINDER: The Life of Harry Houdini.He was born Ehrich Weiss but, at an early age, he chose another name for himself. He wanted a name to suit his caree...

  • The Art Of The Houdini Scientist, And The Other Soulless Zombies Who Were Never Here. . . synopsis, comments

    The Art Of The Houdini Scientist, And The Other Soulless Zombies Who Were Never Here. . .

    TR Nowry

    Houdini Scientist: Noun.1) A young inventor that hides the secrets to her science behind elaborate misdirection and an illusion of incomprehensible complexity, like a magician woul...

  • The Lives and Loves of Daisy and Violet Hilton synopsis, comments

    The Lives and Loves of Daisy and Violet Hilton

    Dean Jensen

    The lives and loves of Daisy and Violet Hilton follows the poignant life story of twin sisters who were literally joined at the hip, set against the tumultuous backdrop of America ...

  • The Amazing Harry Houdini synopsis, comments

    The Amazing Harry Houdini

    Tanya Savory

    Harry Houdini escaped from prison cells, swallowed needles, and made elephants disappear. How did he do such amazing tricks? Some people believed he was actually a wizard with secr...

  • Confessions of a So-called Middle Child synopsis, comments

    Confessions of a So-called Middle Child

    Maria T. Lennon

    Fans of Harriet the Spy and Mean Girls will cheer when they meet Charlie C. Cooper, reformed bully, gifted hacker, slightly misguided fashionista, and socalled middle child!This de...

  • Carter Beats the Devil synopsis, comments

    Carter Beats the Devil

    Glen Gold

    A hypnotizing work of historical fiction that stars 1920s magician Charles the Great, a young master performer whose skill as an illusionist exceeds even that of the great Houdini....

  • Kingdom of the Cursed synopsis, comments

    Kingdom of the Cursed

    Kerri Maniscalco

    From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Stalking Jack the Ripper series comes the sizzling, sweepingly romantic sequel to Kingdom of the Wicked.One sister. T...

  • The Curse of Pietro Houdini synopsis, comments

    The Curse of Pietro Houdini

    Derek B. Miller

    From the Dagger Award–winning author of Norwegian by Night comes a vivid, thrilling, and moving World War II artheistadventure tale where enemies become heroes, allies become villa...

  • Capturing the Devil synopsis, comments

    Capturing the Devil

    Kerri Maniscalco

    In this shocking finale to the bestselling series that began with Stalking Jack the Ripper, Audrey Rose and Thomas are on the hunt for the depraved, elusive killer known as the Whi...

  • Magic Tricks from the Tree House synopsis, comments

    Magic Tricks from the Tree House

    Mary Pope Osborne, Natalie Pope Boyce, Sal Murdocca & Luiz Vilela

    It's a book of magic tricks perfect for chapter book readers! When Jack and Annie went back in time to meet Houdini, they learned that the most famous magician of all time didn'...

  • Hunting Prince Dracula synopsis, comments

    Hunting Prince Dracula

    Kerri Maniscalco

    In this New York Times bestselling sequel to Kerri Maniscalco's haunting #1 debut Stalking Jack the Ripper, bizarre murders are discovered in the castle of Prince Vlad the Impaler,...

  • The Right Way to Do Wrong synopsis, comments

    The Right Way to Do Wrong

    Harry Houdini & Teller

    One of the most intriguing and recognized figures of the twentieth century conducts a masterclass in subversion Originally published in 1906, The Right Way to Do Wrong wa...

  • Houdini synopsis, comments

    Houdini

    Jason Lutes & Nick Bertozzi

    "I have escaped out of more handcuffs, manacles, and leg shackles than any other human being living."  Harry Houdini mesmerized a generation of Americans when he was alive, an...

  • Mrs. Houdini synopsis, comments

    Mrs. Houdini

    Victoria Kelly

    “Richly lyrical and thoughtprovoking” (Publishers Weekly, starred review), this “stellar debut from a novelist to watch” (Geraldine Brooks, Pulitzer Prize winning author) explores ...

  • The Great Houdini synopsis, comments

    The Great Houdini

    Derek Tait

    This fascinating biography “brings to life the excitement and thrills” of the master escape artist’s legendary turnofcentury tour in Great Britain (Lancashire Post).   Between...

  • Camera Man synopsis, comments

    Camera Man

    Dana Stevens

    Named a Best Book of 2022 by The New Yorker, Publishers Weekly, and NPRIn this genredefying work of cultural history, the chief film critic of Slate places comedy legend and acclai...

  • Midnight at the Houdini synopsis, comments

    Midnight at the Houdini

    Delilah S Dawson

    A girl discovers a surreal hotel where no one ever leaves. When the clock strikes midnight, she'll be trapped there forever unless she's able to break free from magic that in turn ...

  • Houdini Shots synopsis, comments

    Houdini Shots

    Martin Hall & Dave Allen

    One of Golf Digest's 10 Best Teachers in America (No. 7) helps you master the most difficult shortgame shots in golf, just the way Seve Ballesteros didHere's one golf book you shou...

  • Escaping From Houdini synopsis, comments

    Escaping From Houdini

    Kerri Maniscalco

    The #1 bestselling series that started with Stalking Jack the Ripper and Hunting Prince Dracula continues its streak in this third bloody installment . . . Audrey Rose and Thomas ...

  • Other Worlds synopsis, comments

    Other Worlds

    Barbara Michaels

    One foggy evening, the most famous crime specialists in the world meet in an exclusive club, their minds on murder. On the agenda: two tantalizing, unsolved cases of ghostly terror...

  • Mind-Blowing Magic Tricks for Everyone synopsis, comments

    Mind-Blowing Magic Tricks for Everyone

    Oscar Owen

    "The ultimate guide to mastering the art of magic." Business Insider"A musthave for any aspiring magician." Mashable Learn to perform 50 unbelievable magic tricks that wi...

  • The Haunting of America synopsis, comments

    The Haunting of America

    Joël Martin & William J. Birnes

    In the tradition of their Haunting of the Presidents, national bestselling authors Joel Martin and William J. Birnes write The Haunting of America: From The Salem Witch Trials to H...

  • The Last Greatest Magician in the World synopsis, comments

    The Last Greatest Magician in the World

    Jim Steinmeyer

    Here is the seminal biography of the magician's magician, Howard Thurston, a man who surpassed Houdini in the eyes of showmen and fans and set the standard fro how stage magic is p...

  • Born of Illusion synopsis, comments

    Born of Illusion

    Teri Brown

    For fans of Libba Bray and Anna Godbersen, this thrilling historical suspense novel is the story of a budding magician who has spent her life playing sidekick to her fauxmedium mot...

  • Lily Dale synopsis, comments

    Lily Dale

    Christine Wicker

    In Lily Dale, New York, the dead don't die. Instead, they flit among the elms and stroll along the streets. According to spiritualists who have ruled this community for five genera...

  • The Escape Artist synopsis, comments

    The Escape Artist

    Brad Meltzer

    Nola Brown, the U.S. Army's artistinresidencea painter and trained soldiersees something nobody was supposed to see and earns a dangerous enemy in this novel as powerful as "a laun...

  • The Secret Life of Houdini synopsis, comments

    The Secret Life of Houdini

    William Kalush

    Handcuff King. Escape Artist. International Superstar.Since his death eightyeight years ago, Harry Houdini’s life has been chronicled in books, in film, and on television. Now, in ...

  • Take Back Your Life synopsis, comments

    Take Back Your Life

    Levi Lusko

    Paralyzed by anxiety, fear, and uncertainty? In this 40day interactive journey, discover a stepbystep process that can break that cycle. Offering an action plan and journaling spac...

  • I, Houdini synopsis, comments

    I, Houdini

    Lynne Reid Banks

    One family’s household has been in a state of disarray because of one small furry problem. Meet Houdini, an extraordinarily brilliant escapologist. No, not that Houdini. This one i...