Listen free for 30 days

Listen with offer

  • Houdini

  • The Elusive American
  • By: Adam Begley
  • Narrated by: Barry Abrams
  • Length: 6 hrs and 15 mins
  • 3.5 out of 5 stars (6 ratings)
Get this deal Try for £0.00
Offer ends May 1st, 2024 11:59PM GMT. Terms and conditions apply.
£7.99/month after 3 months. Renews automatically.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Houdini cover art

Houdini

By: Adam Begley
Narrated by: Barry Abrams
Get this deal Try for £0.00

Pay £99p/month. After 3 months pay £7.99/month. Renews automatically. See terms for eligibility.

£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically.

Buy Now for £15.99

Buy Now for £15.99

Pay using card ending in
Switch payment method
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Please see our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-based Ads Notice.

Listeners also enjoyed...

 The Entire Life Story of Harry Houdini: A Brilliant Showman cover art
Ben Hecht cover art
The Curse of Beauty cover art
Ghosts of Gone with the Wind cover art
Based on a True Story cover art
Rebel Souls cover art
Out of the Shadows cover art
My Thoughts Be Bloody cover art
The Rose Man of Sing Sing cover art
A Curious Man cover art
Escape Artist cover art
The Sun and Her Stars cover art
1922: Scenes from a Turbulent Year cover art
Goldwyn cover art
"The Rest of Us" cover art
Knight: Yorkshireman, Storyteller, Spy cover art

Summary

From the prize-winning Jewish Lives series, an exuberant biography of the world's greatest escape artist.

In 1916, the war in Europe having prevented a tour abroad, Harry Houdini wrote a film treatment for a rollicking motion picture. Though the movie was never made, its title, The Marvelous Adventures of Houdini: The Justly Celebrated Elusive American, provides a succinct summary of the Master Mystifier's life.

Born Erik Weisz in Budapest in 1874, Houdini grew up an impoverished Jewish immigrant in the Midwest and became world-famous thanks to talent, industry, and ferocious determination. He concealed as a matter of temperament and professional ethics the secrets of his sensational success. 

Nobody knows how Houdini performed some of his dazzling, death-defying tricks, and nobody knows, finally, why he felt compelled to punish and imprison himself over and over again. Tracking the restless Houdini's wide-ranging exploits, acclaimed biographer Adam Begley tells the story of a mystifying man's astonishing career.
©2020 Adam Begley (P)2020 Tantor
Entertainment & Celebrities Biographies & Memoirs
Show More Show Less

What listeners say about Houdini

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 3.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    0
  • 4 Stars
    4
  • 3 Stars
    1
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    0
Performance
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    0
  • 4 Stars
    5
  • 3 Stars
    1
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    3
  • 4 Stars
    2
  • 3 Stars
    1
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Audible.co.uk reviews

Amazon reviews
Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Graham Makin

ok

some chapters long and a little slow especially when reaching the spiritualist chapters early part best

Report this

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for p.leddy

Houdini life story

Great read ,very interesting and well read. Absolutely would recommend to anyone looking for a true story.

Report this

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for HEB

informative but not enjoyable

Although this book does contain a lot of information it is not enjoyable as neither the author or narrator seem to like the subject and never miss an opportunity to mock him.

Report this

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful