Houdini on Magic (Dover Magic Books) [Paperback]

Harry Houdini (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 1953 | Series: Dover Magic Books

Written by the master magician himself, this fascinating work reveals the secrets behind how Houdini escaped numerous death-defying stunts and exposed a variety of fake spiritualists. He also gives instructions for 44 eye-catching stage tricks, as well as other fascinating material. 155 illustrations.

Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Dover Publications; Repirnt edition (June 1, 1953)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0486203840
• ISBN-13: 978-0486203843
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #518,146 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Secrets Revealed, December 19, 1999

By 

Rick Bloom (Long Beach, Ca.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Houdini on Magic (Dover Magic Books) (Paperback)

Everything Houdini is revealed in this book. Secrets you would have thought died with Houdini are simply here for your enjoyment. This book was written after the great magician's demise but apparently with his blessings. He had already made preperations for a series of books on magic and his escapes. All his notes and basis for the book were in his wife's possession for the writer to ressurrect in "Houdini on Magic". It's explained in detail to any aspiring escape artists, how to extricate ones self from a straight jacket. How he escaped from various kinds of locks and hand cuffs (some rigged.) The best and worst kinds of rope and knots to be bound by to guarantee an escape. It appears the most difficult escape he made was when the audience further wrapped the already tied Houdini in wet bed sheets. Surprisingly, Houdini did not honor any code of silence. As soon as copy-cat performers began using his material, he would publish the secrets. Houdini was always improving his act and staying ahead of any so called rivals. There's some great black and white photos including one of Houdini with his beloved airplane. Amazingly, he was the first person to fly an airplane in Australia. An assortment of tricks and illussions are described. As well as his crusade to unmask fraudulent spritualists preying on the recently bereived. There's a great bit of irony regarding Houdini's own death and the casket he was buried in. It's about the man and his craft, enjoy.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A book about all of Houdini's writings., January 27, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Houdini on Magic (Dover Magic Books) (Paperback)

This book is simply fantastic. It contains a large amount of Houdini's writings from articles, books, etc. It contains Houdini's famous "Margery the Medium" pamplet where he exposes her false methods, explains in Houdini's words how he escapes from a straitjacket, and also tells about an illusion that Houdini was thinking about performing, but never did. A wonderful book with many pictures and illustrations.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Classic Magic Tricks, July 3, 2001

By 

Yeaton Clifton (Greenville, NC United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Houdini on Magic (Dover Magic Books) (Paperback)

It is commonly said that you should never read a book on magic tricks unless you are willing to learn a trick and show it to your friends and not tell the secret. Disclaimers aside, this book has material useful for beginners, and for those who wish to make complex apparatus and only a few of the tricks might pose a risk to your life. The material on fraud commit by mediums is very interesting. It can further be said that Houdini was a very good writer.