Magical Rope Ties and Escapes was originally published in the UK by Will Goldston in 1921. It was never released in the U.S. The only other reprint I'm aware of was a paperback by Houdini's Magic Shop in 2011. Of all Houdini's books, this is the one that contains the most photos of him.
Thank you, Philip!
UPDATE: Excited to have my copy in hand. It's every bit as good as advertised. The quality of the illustrations and photos match the original exactly. (This is certainly not the case with the 2011 reprint.) Originals are scarce and expensive, so if you don't have this book or want a reading copy, this is the one to get!
Wasn't this the one that Burling Hull said that was copied from his book on rope escapes?
ReplyDeleteDon't know that story, but the Hull book did precede this. But the illustrations are all drawn from photos of Houdini. But maybe that's why it was never published in the US?
DeleteI don't have the Hull book at hand, but looking at the table of contents HERE, it appears to have a chapter at the start called "Houdini Did Not Steal This Book!" I'd like to read that.
DeleteMr. Joe Fox provided me with that chapter, which Hull appears to have added to the 1947 edition. Essentially, Houdini's book did use a great deal of Hull's book, much to Houdini's horror. He met with Hull and explained he did not write the book, it was a Will Goldston publication, he just allowed his name to be used. He paid Hull $500 (over $8500 today), and Hull was satisfied with the matter. Oh, and this is why the book was never published in the U.S.
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