Escaping Obscurity - The Travel Diary of Harry Houdini, 1897-1899

Author: John Cox
9 by 12 inches
373 pages printed in full color on art matte paper
260 photographs
Printed end-sheets

Yes, there are scores of books on the life of Houdini but I can assure you that none of them tell this amazing story.

The journal begins with 24-year-old Harry presenting a standard magic act in dime museums, circuses, small-time vaudeville, and spiritualist chambers. He and Bess are barely eking out a living. Each of their tiny successes and all of their dramatic failures were dutifully recorded in a small travel diary. The end of this hard-scrabble story reads like a movie script. Houdini received a telegram from Martin Beck, the head of the Orpheum vaudeville circuit, telling him to drop the magic tricks and concentrate on his escapes. Houdini took Beck's advice and one year later he was a bona fide superstar on both sides of the Atlantic.

Escaping Obscurity reproduces Beck's telegram that changed the course of Houdini's career and the magic world forever. The great Houdini historian, John Cox, has deciphered and annotated the text found on each and every page. The magic collecting world stepped up with an unbelievable array of suitable photographs, many of which have never appeared in print. And graphic designer extraordinaire, Michael Albright assembled this complicated jig-saw puzzle into a beautiful, full-color book that is nothing short of breathtaking.

"It's a masterpiece."
- David Copperfield

"Caveney and his team have outdone themselves with this one. Absolute stunner of a book!"
- Josh Miller

"Hearing Houdini's voice through his own words is spellbinding, and the production quality is next level. Stunning."
- Allan Taylor

"The book is a thing of beauty and a must have by all. The unbelievable array of rare photographs alone is worth the investment."
- Joe Notaro

"I am absolutely THRILLED with this delightful book! EVERY Magic lover should have this in their library!"
- Mark Booth

"Get this book. It is incredible."
- Jessica Jane

Escaping Obscurity - The Travel Diary of Harry Houdini 1897-1899