The Secret Life of Houdini: The Making of America's First Superhero

If you've ever been fascinated by Houdini and his life, this is a book you will definitely want to read. Beginning with his early family life, the book takes you through his childhood, living in poverty, and how even at a young age, he took advantage of and created opportunities to succeed. His success was phenomenal for the time he lived in. The reader realizes how complex a person he was, how driven, how willing he was to go to great lengths to be better than anyone. Its interesting to see how close his ties were with those in government, both in the US and abroad. This book only adds to his mystique and makes a person question exactly what happened to cause his death. The huge amount of effort put into researching Houdini's life is evident. There are some wonderful photographs that add to the book's content.

As an adult I have become more interested and fascinated with magicians and illusions. This biography of Houdini is fantastic! The book presents Houdini not only as one of the greatest illusionists but you see him as a person and what really motivated him. There are lots of great pictures and much insight as to who Houdini really was.

There have been a slew of biographies of Houdini from Harold Kellock's 1928 book that was written "from the documents and recollections of Beatrice Houdini" to this most recent one by magic authority Bill Kalush and "Reefer Madness" author Ratso Slocum. I have read them all and can say without reservation that this is my favorite. I understand the frustration of some readers who complain that the book contains no notes or substantiation of the facts as presented. Like the biography "Houdini, the Career of Ehrich Weiss" by Kenneth Silverman, the research was so voluminous, the notes so extensive, that they require another book to contain them. I very much look forward to this forthcoming book of notes, but, the lack of footnoting in this book doesn't bother me. What was it John Barrymore said to describe his dislike of footnotes? (He felt that footnotes got in the way of a good read). I think he said, "It's like having to run downstairs to answer the doorbell on one's wedding night." The research that the authors did in preparation for this book was simply enormous. When the book of notes comes out, that will become clear. Still, I commiserate with readers who would like the biography and the notes to be contained in a single volume but, believe me, that would be one thick book. There are several examples of "invented" dialogue that has bothered some Houdini authorities. I can state that even these will have some substantiation in the mountain of documents that will be contained in the next volume. I wonder how many of the "Houdini experts" who question the veracity of this book have ever heard of the Hungarian escape artist called Hanelo? Or one named Steen? Or Rex Palmer Gordon? Well, I hadn't until I read this book and this is Culliton speaking. Any mistakes? Well, a photo of Houdini's leading lady Ann Forrest is misidentified as Gloria Swanson which should be corrected before the paperback comes out, but, while there are other points of view on some matters discussed in the book, the authors have done their homework and there is background for their assertions. Then there are Houdini insiders I knew about but that most of the other biographers missed: Dr. Waite, for one example. Or Montraville Wood for another. It cheered my heart when these guys picked up on them, and many, many others. Gertude Hills, John Hanauer, Ormer Locklear. . . I could go on and on. Is the book 100% accurate? Probably not, due to its subject. As Silverman pointed out in an interview, (I'm probably paraphrasing slightly) "In most life histories there are three different versions of any event. In Houdini's life, there are at least ten." It has become every Houdini biographer's task to choose which story rings truest. As to the book's contention that Houdini did secret work for at least two governments, I believe it, and I believe the first two passport applications Houdini made (as discussed in the book) constitute the smoking gun. Is this book the last word on Houdini?

This extraordinary book has piqued my interest not only on the subject of Houdini, but also with the many historical figures with whom he has encounters throughout his life. Utterly absorbing, this is a must-read for both readers familiar with and those new to the material. This book is as enjoyable as it is educational; the obvious product of painstaking research done by the authors.

This is simply put a remarkable and groundbreaking historical book on Harry Houdini: world renown magician, mischievous scoundrel, and clever spy. Reading like the best of intriguing novels, authors William Kalush and Larry Sloman have created a masterpiece worthy of every person's library in `The Secret Life of Houdini: The Making of America's First Superhero'. This is one of the finest historical prose I have ever read. I can't recommend `The Secret Life of Houdini: The Making of America's First Superhero' enough. It will be `The' gift I give during the holiday season. Why am I doing cartwheels? First off, the extraordinary research put into this work was incredible. The execution and presentation of the material easy to understand and intriguing on its own, yet, the more fact presented, the more material I needed to have. Additionally, by collecting what I take was nearly everything ever written or presented previously on Houdini and viewing it carefully as a whole, Kalush and Sloman actually present to the public the full picture on Harry Houdini: Master of Deception! And what a life it was! From a humble beginning in Chicago, to entertaining the most prominent individuals in society across the globe, to clearly participating in a spy network, to in his own way, being a pre-Nadar watchdog by going after con-artists pretending to be connected to the supernatural world, Harry Houdini's life was extraordinary . . . and so to was the footprint he made on society, as evident of his acclaim 90 years later. Was Houdini murdered by a cult? What was he getting close to? What threats did he hold? Overall, this is a brilliant book, and I tip my hat to authors William Kalush and Larry Sloman: superior storytelling readers everywhere will enjoy.