Ruth Brandon.
RUTH BRANDON: HARRY HOUDINI BIOGRAPHY
THE LIFE AND MANY DEATHS OF HARRY HOUDINI (1994)
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Harry Houdini (born 1874 as Erik Wisz) was a celebrated escapologist whose father was a Jewish Rabbi living in Budapest. In 1878, when Harry was four, the family emigrated to the USA along with Harry and his four brothers. Houdini’s father lost his job in 1882, and the family fell into dire poverty. Houdini got employment in a circus as a nine year old trapeze artist. He began to experiment with escape acts, which became his vocation. His spectacular stunts, which attracted huge audiences, included escapes from straightjackets, sometimes suspended upside down from a crane, and escapes from locket canisters filled with water. Houdini died at the age of 52 after a stunt involving his being punched in the stomach. He was survived by his wife Bess, a former vaudeville performer who acted throughout his career as his stage assistant.
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Ruth Brandon started her career as a trainee producer with the BBC , where she worked on the Tonight current affairs programme. She then became a professional author, and has published numerous non-fiction and fiction books. Several are biographies, the subjects including the magician Henry Houdini the chef Alexis Soyer, and the sewing machine entrepreneur Isaac Singer.
