Books with title Escape!: The Story of the Great Houdini

Who was this man who could walk through brick walls and, with a snap of his fingers, vanish elephants? In these pages you will meet the astonishing Houdini—magician, ghost chaser, daredevil, pioneer aviator, and king of escape artists. No jail cell or straitjacket could hold him! He shucked off handcuffs as easily as gloves. In this fresh, witty biography of the most famous bamboozler since Merlin, Sid Fleischman, a former professional magician, enriches his warm homage with insider information and unmaskings. Did Houdini really pick the jailhouse lock to let a fellow circus performer escape? Were his secrets really buried with him? Was he a bum magician, as some rivals claimed? How did he manage to be born in two cities, in two countries, on two continents at the same instant? Here are the stories of how a knockabout kid named Ehrich Weiss, the son of an impoverished rabbi, presto-changoed himself into the legendary Harry Houdini. Here, too, are rare photographs never before seen by the general reader!

[Children's Nonfiction (Ages 8-12)] [Read by Taylor Mali and *the author - Sid Fleischman - who reads the preface and last chapter] Harry Houdini, born Ehrich Weiss, never did anything by half measure. Once he decided to become a magician, he became the King of Cards, the Prince of Air, the Genius of Escape, and Professor H. Houdini. And why not? He could walk through walls, defeat any lock, make elephants disappear with the snap of his fingers, and pick up needles with his eyelids! Or could he? Fact or fiction? Legend or liar? We will never know for sure. But here in all its riveting glory is Sid Fleischman's witty and insightful biography of magic's greatest showman, daredevil, and escape artist ever -- the Great Houdini!

[Library Edition Audiobook CD format in sturdy Vinyl case.] [*Read by Taylor Mali and Sid Fleischman] Harry Houdini, born Ehrich Weiss, never did anything by half measure. Once he decided to become a magician, he became the King of Cards, the Prince of Air, the Genius of Escape, and Prof. H. Houdini. And why not? He could walk through walls, defeat any lock, make elephants disappear with the snap of his fingers, and pick up needles with his eyelids! -- Or could he? Fact or fiction? Legend or liar? We will never know for sure. But here in all its riveting glory is Sid Fleischman's witty and insightful biography of magic's greatest showman, daredevil, and escape artist ever -- the Great Houdini!

Who was this man who could walk through brick walls and, with a snap of his fingers, vanish elephants? In these pages you will meet the astonishing Houdini—magician, ghost chaser, daredevil, pioneer aviator, and king of escape artists. No jail cell or straitjacket could hold him! He shucked off handcuffs as easily as gloves. In this fresh, witty biography of the most famous bamboozler since Merlin, Sid Fleischman, a former professional magician, enriches his warm homage with insider information and unmaskings. Did Houdini really pick the jailhouse lock to let a fellow circus performer escape? Were his secrets really buried with him? Was he a bum magician, as some rivals claimed? How did he manage to be born in two cities, in two countries, on two continents at the same instant? Here are the stories of how a knockabout kid named Ehrich Weiss, the son of an impoverished rabbi, presto-changoed himself into the legendary Harry Houdini. Here, too, are rare photographs never before seen by the general reader!

[Children's Nonfiction (Ages 8-12)] [Read by Taylor Mali and *the author - Sid Fleischman - who reads the preface and last chapter] Harry Houdini, born Ehrich Weiss, never did anything by half measure. Once he decided to become a magician, he became the King of Cards, the Prince of Air, the Genius of Escape, and Professor H. Houdini. And why not? He could walk through walls, defeat any lock, make elephants disappear with the snap of his fingers, and pick up needles with his eyelids! Or could he? Fact or fiction? Legend or liar? We will never know for sure. But here in all its riveting glory is Sid Fleischman's witty and insightful biography of magic's greatest showman, daredevil, and escape artist ever -- the Great Houdini!

Nothing could hold him! Harry Houdini, born Ehrich Weiss, never did anything by half measure. Once he decided to become a magician, he became the King of Cards, the Prince of Air, the Genius of Escape and Professor H. Houdini. And why not? He could walk through walls, defeat any lock, make elephants disappear with the snap of his fingers and pick up needles with his eyelids! Or could he...? Fact or Fiction? Legend or liar? We will never know for sure. But here in all its riveting glory is Sid Fleischman's witty and insightful biography of magic's greatest showman, daredevil and escape artist ever -- The Great Houdini! Now in his ninth decade, Newberry Medalist Sid Fleischman got hooked on magic when he was just a kid, and came to know Harry Houdini's widow, Bes, when he was a teenager in Southern California. This is a personal story as well, and this recording features the author narrating the preface and conclusion of his book, handing over the bulk of the job to the award-winning voice of Taylor Mali.