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 career of magic and entertainment
and he chose a name that paid homage to one of the legendary magicians
of all time: Robert Houdin. His illusions and escapes were more
astonishing and more challenging than anyone had ever done before and he
eclipsed the names of all other magicians as his fame reached around the
world, made him famous and made him the most famous illusionist ever.
Houdini disappeared through brick walls. He escaped from straitjackets
and then straitjackets immersed in water. He performed escapes in public
places and from jail cells in major cities--and the crowds flocked to
his performances. Tom Lalicki tells Houdini's story with a fascinating
mix of text and images, revealing the facts and juxtaposing them with
startling images of a master entertainer performing masterfully and
mysteriously, mesmerizing his audiences and mystifying experts with his
skill and his invention. A real-life Bruce Wayne, Houdini was the first
American superhero. The world's greatest entertainer was a secretive
philanthropist who used his nearly supernatural physical and mental
powers to unmask villainy and capture criminals. Enjoyed equally by
adults and kids, Houdini: The Ultimate Spellbinder plunged Tom Lalicki
so deeply into Houdiniana, he followed up the award-winning biography
with three Houdini & Nate mystery/crime novels. They are: DANGER IN THE
DARK, SHOTS AT SEAS, and FRAME-UP ON THE BOWERY, also available as
e-books.
