The Houdini Code Mystery by William Rauscher

Details: This book could well be called The Unmasking of Harry Houdini. Was Houdini, as the long-standing myth begs us to believe, truly the world’s greatest magician? Did he communicate a secret message to his wife through a famous spirit medium?

Today there exists a century’s worth of books, movies and television documentaries that contribute to these widely-held beliefs. In a sworn document, Beatrice Houdini testified that the message delivered to her by medium Arthur Ford was accurate and that Houdini had successfully communicated from the grave. If you give credence to either of these claims, prepare to have your beliefs shattered.

By bringing together the opinions of those who actually knew and worked with Houdini, author William V. Rauscher has painted a most accurate portrait of this American icon. Some will argue that Rauscher has tarnished Houdini’s polished image while others will hail it as the most honest account ever written. William Rauscher’s long friendship with Arthur Ford puts him in a unique position to finally reveal the truth behind one of the 20th century’s greatest mysteries. . . Do the Spirits Return? SPECIAL OFFER: Order now and receive a beautiful color postcard of the beautiful dustjacket. Supplies are limited so don’t delay.

Contents (Chapters from Book ToC):

13 Acknowledgments
15 Publisher’s Note: Mike Caveney
17 Foreword: Martin Ebon
21 Preface

23 Chapter 1: Houdini: Man and Myth

39 Chapter 2: How Others Saw Him
40 Walter B. Gibson
44 Will Goldston
45 John Mulholland
47 Milboume Christopher
48 William Lindsay Gresham
51 The Great Raymond
52 Guy Jarrett
54 Harry Blackstone Sr.
56 George Johnstone
58 Dante
62 David Bamberg
63 Servais Le Roy
64 Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
67 Dai Vernon
69 Dr. A. M. Wilson
69 Robert Nelson
70 Thomas C. Worthington
71 Fulton Oursler

73 Chapter 3: The Houdini Code Message: A Bit of Background
89 Chapter 4: The Plot Thickens
95 Chapter 5: The Spiritualism Crusade
111 Chapter 6: Crescendo
117 Chapter 7: Remember the Message
135 Chapter 8: Explosion of Publicity
151 Chapter 9: “Good Night, Harry”
165 Chapter 10: “Speak, Harry”
169 Chapter 11: The Houdini Message Mystery Solved!
177 Epilogue: Magic as I See It

180 Photo Credits
181 Bibliography
189 Index

• Publisher: Mike Caveney’s Magic Words
• Pages: 192
• Location: Pasadena, CA, USA
• Dimensions: 7″x10″
• Date: 2000
• Binding: hardbound

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