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| The Life and Many Deaths of Harry Houdini |
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| New Papermac edition, MACMILLAN 2001 |
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| When Harry Houdini died in 1926, he was one
of the most famous men in the world. Starting out as a vaudeville magician,
he soon began to specialize in the escapes for which his name remains
a byword. This book reveals the secrets of Houdini's most celebrated escapes;
more importantly, it looks at the fascinating questions raised by Houdini's
life. Why should a person become a mythic figure just because he burst
out of handcuffs? What is the relation between stage magic and 'real'
magic? What, exactly, was Houdini trying to escape from? The answers reveal
a man far more extraordinary than any of his audience could have imagined. |
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| 'A ripping account of shamanism, celebrity
and magic … Brandon has chosen a fascinating subject and written
a book that rises to it superbly well … She is modestly emphatic
in describing her book as biography, but it is several other things besides.
It is a study of popular entertainment at a crucial moment in its history.
It is an enquiry into the mechanics of stardom and the complex relationship
between public and celebrity. It is an original piece of criticism of
a brand of entertainment that has seldom been accorded serious attention.
Above all … a compelling account of a peculiar life.' - Sunday Times |
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| 'Brandon is a shrewd and incisive biographer
- her book [is] superb.' - John Banville, Los Angeles Times |
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