Houdini book release dates

Determining the exact release dates of Houdini books can be challenging. I typically have to estimate the date based on when reviews begin to appear. However, in some cases, I have been able to nail down a specific date. Here are a few:

• June 7, 1928: Houdini: His Life Story by Harold Kellock.
• Aug 3, 1959: Houdini: The Man Who Walked Through Walls by William Lindsay Gresham.
• March 21, 1969: Houdini: The Untold Story by Milbourne Christopher.
• Dec 1, 1977: Houdini: His Legend and His Magic by Doug Henning and Charles Reynolds.
• Oct 31, 2006: The Secret Life of Houdini by William Kalush and Larry Sloman.
• Oct 31, 2010: Houdini The Key by Patrick Culliton.

No Silverman? Nope. I have never been able to find an exact release date for my favorite Houdini biography. But I know it was sometime in October 1996.

Regarding my own book, Escaping Obscurity: The Travel Diary of Harry Houdini, 1897-1899, I'm happy to firmly establish the release date as June 25, 2025. That is the day publisher Mike Caveney picked the books up from the shipper, the day it first went live on his website, and the day of the first sales. June 25. Locked!

So what other Houdini events happened on June 25? Here's a list:

• 1894: The Brothers Houdini begin their second week at Vacca's West End Casino in Coney Island.
• 1896: Houdini escapes handcuffs at a police station in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
• 1898: The Welsh Bros. Circus plays Hamburg, Pennsylvania.
• 1906: Harry Thaw shoots Stanford White at the Madison Square Garden rooftop theater. (Not Houdini related, but HH was in NYC at the time and would have been following the news of this famous crime and scandal.)
• 1919: Houdini makes a personal appearance at Clune's in Los Angeles during the 9:30 showing of The Master Mystery.
• 1920: Houdini attends séance with ectoplasmic medium Eva C. at 20 Hanover Square in London.
• 1953: Paramount's Houdini premieres at the Des Moines Theater in Iowa.

I'm offering a copy of Escaping Obscurity, signed on June 25, on eBay. This is the first author-signed edition, and the only one signed on the day of its release. If you're interested, the auction can be viewed HERE. It ends on Wednesday, July 16.

You can purchase Escaping Obscurity: The Travel Diary of Harry Houdini, 1897-1899 from Mike Caveney's Magic Words.

Related:

• ESCAPING OBSCURITY: Reviews & Reactions
• ESCAPING OBSCURITY: Discoveries & Corrections
• YOU CAN NOW OWN HOUDINI'S FIRST DIARY

S.A.M. will honor Houdini in Appleton next year

I don't need to tell you that 2026 is going to be a big year for Houdini. Here's the first big event to be announced. The Society of American Magicians (SAM) will hold its annual convention in Appleton, honoring Houdini. Dates are July 1-4, 2026.

You're invited to return to where the magic began.

Join The Society of American Magicians in Appleton, WI, Houdini's childhood home, for a once in a century gathering to honor the world's most legendary magician.

Celebrate Houdini's life, artistry, and enduring impact on the art of magic, 100 years after his passing. 

July 1-4, 2026 

HOUDINI 100 Years Later: Honoring the Legacy

Registration and information: magicsam.com/page/appleton

This one sounds irresistible!

Related:

• 40th anniversary of Houdini Plaza in Appleton
• New Houdini Plaza bust revealed
• Houdini's history with the S.A.M. told in new book

Meet the Nudos

The book is out, but the discoveries continue!

In Escaping Obscurity: The Travel Diary of Harry Houdini 1897-1899, we did our best to decipher Houdini's frequently indecipherable handwriting. But we couldn't get it all. For instance, on page 43, you'll find this:

In the book, I speculated that Houdini could be referring to a trapeze accident, and the illegible word was likely the name of the act. Now, magician and all-around good guy Richard Hatch has puzzled out that the illegible word here is "Nudos." 

The 3 Nudos were trapeze artists Marie, Richard, and Beth. Happily, this was not a fatal accident, as The 3 Nudos continued to perform into the 1900s.

You know, my initial temptation with this entry was to interpret "traps" as a reference to a magic trick. Thank goodness I didn't write that! I just wish I had discovered "The 3 Nudos" myself before publication, as that [illegible] is going to drive me nuts now.

I have launched a page where I will track Escaping Obscurity Discoveries & Corrections. If you believe you've cracked some of these illegible words, feel free to send them my way.

Purchase Escaping Obscurity: The Travel Diary of Harry Houdini, 1897-1899 exclusively at Mike Caveney's Magic Words.

Thank you Richard!

Related:

• ESCAPING OBSCURITY: Discoveries & Corrections
• ESCAPING OBSCURITY: Reviews & Reactions
• Coney Island: Where Harry met Bessie

Lucky Charm with Louise Casemore

A new immersive play, Lucky Charm, written and performed by Louise Casemore, will be part of Edmonton’s Found Festival, July 10-20, 2025. Below is the poster and details.

 

“Harry Houdini has died. Nevertheless, his wife would like a word…”

Join us for the world premiere of Louise Casemore’s immersive new play, Lucky Charm. A Defiance Theatre production produced as part of Edmonton’s Found Festival, in partnership with Theatre YES.

From 1894 to 1926, Bess was married to the most famous magician in the world. That is, until he died under mysterious circumstances. Now, you’re invited to step on up! Satisfy your curiosity, don’t be disappointed! 

“For the price of a personal token, you’ll be permitted to venture inside the home where Mrs. Houdini sleeps, eats, and does her damndest every single week to make contact with her dearly departed. Watch from the gallery, or have a seat at the séance table. Treat yourself to a spectacular display of grace, grief, and with any luck: a little terror and delight of the paranormal. Behold as we explore one of the greatest mysteries from the four corners of the earth: the palpitating possibility of LIFE AFTER DEATH.”

Inspired by the seances held by Bess Houdini following her husband’s death, Lucky Charm is an immersive exploration of grief and the magical possibilities in the unknown.

All performances are sold out, but you can sign up to receive updates on standby tickets and news about future performances at Common Ground Arts.

Related:

• Houdini plays
• Beatrice Houdini
• 'Bess - The Other Houdini' is coming to the UK

LINK: Joe Notaro reviews Escaping Obscurity

The first review of Escaping Obscurity: The Travel Diary of Harry Houdini, 1897-1899, is up on Joe Notaro's excellent blog Harry Houdini Circumstantial Evidence. Just click the headline above to read.

Joe has published several very important Houdini books himself. You can check those out in the related links below.

If you post a review of Escaping Obscurity on your website, please send it my way and I will share it here. Even the bad ones! (Well, not too bad.)

Thank you, Joe.

Related:

• Houdini Adaptations by Joe M. Notaro
• Joe Notaro publishes 'Houdini's Schooldays'
• Joe Notaro presents Houdini's Jorkins & Co
• ESCAPING OBSCURITY: Reactions & Reviews

Speaking of diaries

Here's a curiosity I just stumbled across in the December 11, 1951, issue of the Toledo Blade.

Toledo Blade, December 11, 1951.

I believe this could be a reference to Houdini's 1916 diary (one diary), which somehow escaped the others. The "Hollywood lad" is likely Ray Muse, who wrote in the October 1950 Genii that he had received the diary as a "recent gift." Did he ever show it to Houdini (1953) producer George Pal? That I don't know, but I'd like to think that he did.

The diary was eventually acquired by Manny Weltman, who owned it for decades. (I got a look at it in 1980.) After Manny's death, it was auctioned by Swann Galleries in 2002. Today it resides in The Averbook Magic Art Museum and Library. Yes, Dr. Bruce Averbook owns two Houdini diaries!

While this 1916 diary is still under wraps, Houdini's precious first diary is now published as Escaping Obscurity: The Travel Diary of Harry Houdini 1897-1899, available exclusively from Mike Caveney's Magic Words.

Related:

• YOU CAN NOW OWN HOUDINI'S FIRST DIARY
• Opening up 'Houdini's Lost Diaries'
• Manny and Me

Escape to Patreon with 50% off new memberships

To celebrate the release of Escaping Obscurity: The Travel Diary of Harry Houdini, 1897-1899, I'm offering 50% off new Patreon memberships in July. This applies to the first month and is open to new members only. Just use promo code DIARY.

On my Patreon, you'll find a wealth of exclusive Houdini content, receive special monthly rewards, and get the scoop on my next book. And if we reach 100 members (only 9 members away), you'll hear something truly wild.

You'll also be supporting all the work I do here at WILD ABOUT HARRY and the creation of books like Escaping Obscurity. So why not join us (at 50% off) and go wild!

Related:

• YOU CAN NOW OWN HOUDINI'S FIRST DIARY
• Announcing WILD ABOUT HARRY on Patreon
• Want to hear unreleased Houdini voice?

Escaping Obscurity with Scott Wells (2024)

This is an on-the-spot interview I did with Scott Wells of The Magic Word Podcast during last year's MAGIC Live in Las Vegas, where I gave a preview of Escaping Obscurity: The Travel Diary of Harry Houdini, 1897-1899. Now that the book is out, I've reposted this on my Patreon and made it public so everyone can listen and get a taste of what this book is all about.

Purchase Escaping Obscurity: The Travel Diary of Harry Houdini, 1897-1899 exclusively at Mike Caveney's Magic Words.

Related:

• YOU CAN NOW OWN HOUDINI'S FIRST DIARY
• Revealing Houdini's diary at MAGIC Live!

YOU CAN NOW OWN HOUDINI'S FIRST DIARY

It's here! I'm super excited to announce the publication of Escaping Obscurity: The Travel Diary of Harry Houdini, 1897-1899. This book reproduces every page of Houdini's first travel diary from the collection of Dr. Bruce Averbook, which has never been made available to the public before.

I have annotated the diary so readers can easily follow all the wild ups and downs of Houdini's struggling days. When I was invited by publisher Mike Caveney to do this project, I had expected it to be a largely academic exercise. What I didn't expect to find was such an amazing story within this incredible artifact. That story is now yours.

Publisher Mike Caveney says:

Three things made me want to publish this nearly illegible diary. First, the great Houdini historian, John Cox, agreed to decipher and then annotate the text found on each and every page. Second, my friends in the magic collecting world stepped up with an unbelievable array of suitable photographs, many of which have never appeared in print. And lastly, my old friend and graphic designer extraordinaire, Michael Albright, agreed to assemble this complicated jigsaw puzzle into a beautiful, full-color book of 373 pages measuring 9 by 12 inches. The final result is nothing short of breathtaking.

The book is available exclusively from Mike Caveney's Magic Words in a Regular and Deluxe Edition. I hope you all love it.

UPDATE: The Deluxe Edition has already sold out, making it the fastest selling Deluxe Edition in Mike Caveney's Magic Words history. But there are still Regular Editions available. The print run is not huge, so it's possible the book could sell out entirely. Just saying.

Related:

• You will soon be able to read Houdini's first diary
• Michael Albright to design the Houdini diary book
• Cover reveal!

Get ready to ESCAPE

Houdini and Knievel

It was inevitable that I would one day stumble on an article linking Houdini and Evel Knievel. That happened today with a Houston Post piece from September 22, 1974, headlined "Evel Knievel latest of many daredevils." The article isn't really about Houdini and Knievel per se. It's more a list of famous daredevils of the past. But for the photo, they go with the two who matter the most!

I actually think Houdini and Knievel were very different in how they approached their life and art. I think the only real parallel is how they gripped their respective eras and have maintained a timeless hold in the public's imagination. There have been many motorcycle daredevils since Knievel who have jumped further and performed stunts far more breathtaking. Even his own son Robbie Knievel had a spectacular career. Yet, ask someone to name a motorcycle daredevil, and the only name that comes up is Knievel. He pioneered his unique art and owns it to this day. 

We can say the same about Houdini. Over the years, numerous escape artists have performed Houdini's escapes faster, higher, and with greater danger. Yet when we think of an escape artist, the only name that survives is Houdini.

If only Houdini did motorcycle jumps!

Here's a kids' book from 1978 by Robert Kraske that collects tales of daredevils. (Kraske also penned the book, Harry Houdini: Master of Magic.) This book has a nice section on Houdini with some terrific illustrations by Ivan Powell. But the guy who made the cover was Knievel. Hey, he was a hero to kids at this time.

Interestingly, this cover shows Knievel jumping a tank of sharks. This was a stunt he planned to do on live television in 1977, but he cancelled the jump after a crash during a practice run. Jumping a shark would be left to another icon of the 1970s.

Wait, Fonzie also did the Milk Can escape. And Houdini once planned to battle a live shark, but canceled the stunt, just like Knievel did. This is starting to get a little too tangled! Let's move on.

Need more? You can read the full Houston Post piece as a "Scholar" member of my Patreon.

Related:

• Wild about Fonzie
• Houdini's Fort Worth street feats
• Houdini's bizarre plan to fight a shark

Joanne Gilbert and Houdini (1953)

On April 16, actress Joanne Gilbert passed away at age 92 in her home in Los Angeles. I missed this news at the time, even though her Hollywood Reporter obituary notes that the actress made her debut in Houdini (1953). Really? 

I confess I had never heard of Joanne Gilbert. But then I stumbled on her and her Houdini connection in this clipping from The Trenton Evening Times.

Trenton Evening Times, Nov. 7, 1952.

Joanne's career took off at this point, leading to some speculation that her part in Houdini might be cut. Check out the below.

Trenton Evening Times, Jan. 26, 1953.

Fortunately, the kid stayed in the picture.

Trenton Evening Times, Feb. 3, 1953.

But where is Joanne in the movie? That information was not part of any article, and IMDb simply credits her role as "Girl." However, I am fairly certain she is one of Bess's fellow classmates at the very beginning of the film. It's fun to think that audiences of 1953 would have recognized her in this scene. 

Joanne went on to have a successful career in film and television, but never became a big movie star. So her familiarity would have faded with later generations, including my own. But now we know. That's Joanne Gilbert back there!

Related:

• Houdini '53 at 70: The competition
• Houdini hopefuls of 1952