Houdini never explicitly revealed the methods he used to accomplish his feats. After his death, it was too tempting to cash in on revealing his methods. This book can certainly be called informed since J.C. Cannell was a close friend of Will Goldston who in turn was a personal friend of Harry Houdini. A good amount of biographical information is included which makes this ebook a fascinating read for anybody who would like to know more about Houdini and his remarkable career.
CHAPTER I:
Harry Houdini, His Life-Story - Famous Spiritualist Leader Who Became His Friend - Accident Which Brought Him A Life-Partner - Early Struggles - Ultimate Triumph And Premature Death
CHAPTER II:
Houdini's Spectacular Escapes - His Remarkable Failure At The Magicians' Club - Escape From Banksafe - Iron Boiler - Paper Bag - Mail-Bag - Walking Through A Brick Wall - Buried Alive - Escape From Iron Box - Sack - Packing-Case Under Water - The Vanishing Horseman - Box And Sack Illusion - The Needles And Thread - The Vanishing Elephant - The Mystery Of The Milk-Can
CHAPTER III:
Houdini's Spiritualist Activities: "Ghosts" From The Vasty Deep - Secrets Of The Locked Box - Mental Evidence - Mystifying Passengers In A Liner - "Spirit" Writing On Sealed Slates - Mediums "Controlled" - The Sun Worshippers - Table Lifting - "Spirits" Defy Bonds - Messages In Blood - Personal Séance-Experiences
CHAPTER IV:
Fakir Wonders - "Miracles" Which Houdini Exposed - My Researches - Stopping The Pulse At Will - Walking On Fire And Broken Glass - Thoughtreading - Houdini As Clairvoyant - The Indian Rope Trick - The Boy In The Basket - The Mystery Of The Mango Tree - Sand And Water - Nailing A Fakir To Wooden Blocks
CHAPTER V:
Houdini As Handcuff King - How He Baffled The Police Forces Of The World - A Russian Prison On Wheels - Impudent Rival Put To Flight - The Cleverness Of Simplicity
CHAPTER VI:
Rope-Ties And How To Escape From Them - The Jacoby Tie - The Thumb Tie - Bow Tied In A Second - Magic Knots - Imitation "Tomfool" Knot - More About Spirits - A Trick Done Backwards - The Girl Escapes - Spirit Knots - The Kellar Tie - Ropes And Rings - Mystery String
CHAPTER VII:
Miscellaneous Magic - The Ring And The Dove - The Disappearing Glass Of Wine - The Ivory Pillars - Cut String Restored - The Coin-Finder - The Bowl Of Ink - The Watch And The Loaf - The Pierced Hand - Vanishing From A Box And Cabinet - The Mystery Of The Crystal
CHAPTER VIII:
Illusions And Disillusion - Disappearing Man - The Veiled Woman - An Escape In Mid-Air - The Caged Woman - The Girl And The Dominoes - Fire And Water - Illusions With Mirrors - The Country Girl - The Hammock - The Arbour
CHAPTER IX:
Card Tricks - Examples Of Thought-Reading - A Code - The Jumping Cards - Magnetic Aces - The Change Over - A Feat Of Strength - The Boomerang Card - Cutting The Cards - The Torn Card - Vanishing Cards By Pistol - The Four Aces - The Herschell Card-Stabbing Trick
1st edition 1931, 279 pages; PDF 192 pages.
word count: 91901 which is equivalent to 367 standard pages of text