Escaping Obscurity - The Travel Diary of Harry Houdini, 1897-1899
Author: John Cox
Dimensions: 9 by 12 inches
373 pages of vibrant colour printed on lovely art matte paper
260 intriguing photographs
Printed end-sheets for that extra touch of class
Sure, there are countless biographies on Houdini, but trust me, none capture this extraordinary tale quite like this one.
The journal kicks off with a 24-year-old Harry performing a standard magic act at dime museums, circuses, and the kind of vaudeville that makes you cringe (but in a good way). He and Bess are scraping by, living the glamorous life of a struggling artist. Every minuscule triumph and spectacular flop was dutifully chronicled in his trusty little travel diary. The finale of this gritty saga reads like a blockbuster script. Houdini gets a telegram from Martin Beck, the big cheese of the Orpheum vaudeville circuit, telling him to ditch the magic tricks and focus on his escapes. Houdini takes the advice, and voilà — one year later, he’s a bona fide superstar on both sides of the pond!
Escaping Obscurity features that telegram — the one that changed Houdini's life and the magic world forever. Houdini historian extraordinaire, John Cox, has meticulously deciphered and annotated the text on every single page. The magic community chipped in with a jaw-dropping collection of photographs, many of which have never seen the light of day. And graphic designer whizz, Michael Albright, has stitched this visual feast together into a stunning full-colour masterpiece that’ll knock your socks off.
"It's a masterpiece." - David Copperfield
"Caveney and his team have outdone themselves with this one. Absolute stunner of a book!" - Josh Miller
"Hearing Houdini's voice through his own words is spellbinding, and the production quality is next level. Stunning." - Allan Taylor
"The book is a thing of beauty and a must have by all. The unbelievable array of rare photographs alone is worth the investment." - Joe Notaro
"I am absolutely THRILLED with this delightful book! EVERY Magic lover should have this in their library!" - Mark Booth
