The Unmasking of Robert Houdin

If you are looking for an interesting book to add to your magic book collection, Houdini’s exposé of Robert Houdin is certainly a strong contender. Houdini seems to go to great lengths tracing the true inventors of the tricks Robert Houdin took credit for in his ‘Memoirs’. It features historic photos, newspaper clippings and diagrams throughout, and the annotated version adds something extra to the mix. I did occasionally find his handwriting hard to read, but that could well just be me. I’d say it is a rather niche book, but one I found throughly enjoyable and educational.

I love collecting books like this. While it is at times hard to read because of the handwriting etc it nevertheless gives us a glimpse into the past and into the mindset of Houdini. His determination with detective-like rigor on exposing Houdin is akin to obsession and while I don’t quite know the true reasons behind his preoccupation with Houdin it is nevertheless is a brilliant historical document story. Littered through in equal measure with photos and other time period pieces gives us a link to the past and the time of the great magicians.