The Secret Life of Houdini Audiobook By William Kalush, Larry Sloman cover art

The Secret Life of Houdini

The Making of America's First Superhero

 Preview
Get this deal Try for $0.00
Offer ends December 1, 2025 11:59pm PT.
Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible? Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Join Audible for only $0.99 a month for the first 3 months, and get a bonus $20 credit for Audible.com. Bonus credit notification will be received via email.
1 audiobook per month of your choice from our unparalleled catalog.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, podcasts, and Originals.
Auto-renews at $14.95/mo after 3 months. Cancel anytime.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

The Secret Life of Houdini

By: William Kalush, Larry Sloman
Narrated by: Adam Grupper
Get this deal Try for $0.00

$14.95/mo after 3 months. Cancel anytime. Offers ends December 1, 2025 11:59pm PT.

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $14.99

Buy for $14.99

Get 3 months for $0.99 a month + $20 Audible credit
Handcuff King. Escape Artist. International Superstar.

Since his death eighty-eight years ago, Harry Houdini’s life has been chronicled in books, in film, and on television. Now, in this groundbreaking biography, renowned magic expert William Kalush and bestselling writer Larry Sloman team up to find the man behind the myth. Drawing from millions of pages of research, they describe in vivid detail the passions that drove Houdini to perform ever-more-dangerous feats, his secret life as a spy, and a pernicious plot to subvert his legacy.

The Secret Life of Houdini traces the arc of the master magician’s life from desperate poverty to worldwide fame—his legacy later threatened by a group of fanatical Spiritualists led by esteemed British author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Initiating the reader along the way into the arcane world of professional magic, Kalush and Sloman decode a life based on deception, providing an intimate and riveting portrayal of Houdini, the man and the legend.©2006 Light and Heavy, Inc. All rights reserved; (P)2006 Simon and Schuster Inc. All rights reserved. AUDIOWORKS is an imprint of Simon and Schuster Audio Division, Simon and Schuster Inc. Biographies & Memoirs Entertainment & Celebrities Historical Celebrity Biography

Critic reviews

"Kalush and Sloman appear to have raked through every known Houdini archive to produce the most comprehensive and controversial biography ever written about the man, with its contention that he was a spy who may have been murdered by a cult." -- Tony Barrell, London Sunday Times
Fascinating Revelations • Thorough Research • Engaging Content • Renewed Interest • Interesting Details

Highly rated for:

All stars
Most relevant

Any additional comments?

I really enjoyed this book. I learned a lot about Houdini that I didn't know. But this was an abridged book and I felt there were some things left out or overly summarized. I'll check out the unabridged version from the library.

Very good, but wanted more.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
A great book. I could not put it down. Just when I thought I knew the whole story, this book comes around, and now I have a renewed interest . I am also full of questions. Just what every book should do. Bravo...

JUST WHEN YOU THOGHT YOU KNEW THE STORY>>>

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
A friend of mine recommended this book to me and it turned out to be awesome. especially the part about Sir Arthur Conan Doyle the author of Sherlock Holmes towards the end there certainly some sides of your day of the Houdini story probably never heard

Absolutely Captivating

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
This story had enough detail about his life to keep you interested but not so much that it became boring. It was really interesting and kept me listening to the whole book on one long road trip.

Great listen

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
This is a well laid out 10,000 feet look at Houdini’s life. It is enjoyable and has good information and production. Like all abridgments, it is somewhat choppy in the storyline and does not give you much detail. It was an average, enjoyable book nonetheless

Good Story. Just general overview

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Greatly insightful look into the life of a master magician and psychic revealer. It is clear the authors did their homework right.

Magical

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

Would you listen to The Secret Life of Houdini again? Why?

Really interesting. So much I didn't know about him

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Secret Life of Houdini?

His battle with Sir Conan Dooyle

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

His story about flying a plane in Australia

Any additional comments?

highly recommend

Awesome !

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Cbcbdb chdbdbdhdbxbjendbjsbjxb h brush dud due did cud did did did did dud dud dud

Houdini

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I really enjoyed learning about Houdini and what he stood for. He had many talents and was extremely smart.

It was a great listen

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I knew the gist of Houdini's life from documentaries, but was still surprised by how much he did, and struggled, that I didn't know about. There are also some scenes (like the opening one) which are deliver more dramatically and less like an accounting of fact which are very gripping.

great story about an amazing man

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews