The Last Greatest Magician in the World: Howard Thurston Vs. Houdini

Description: "The Last Greatest Magician in the World: Howard Thurston versus Houdini & the Battles of the American Wizards" by Jim Steinmeyer - 1st EDITION 1st PRINT Softcover (6" x 9") - Published in 2012 by Jeremy P. Tarcher - 378 pages (with 8 pages of great black & white photos) - NEAR MINT condition. Here is the seminal biography of the magician's magician, Howard Thurston, a man who surpassed Houdini in the eyes of showmen and fans and set the standard for how to stage magic is performed today. Everyone knows Houdini, but who was Thurston? In this rich, vivid biography of the "greatest magician in the world," celebrated historian of stage magic Jim Steinmeyer captures the career and controversies of the wonder-worker extraordinaire, Howard Thurston. The public's fickleness over magicians has left Thurston all but forgotten today. Yet Steinmeyer shows how his story is one of the most remarkable in show business. During his life, from 1869 to 1936, Thurston successfully navigated the most dramatic changes in entertainment-from street performances to sideshows to wagon tours through America's still-wild West to stage magic amid the glitter of grand theaters. Thurston became one of America's most renowned vaudeville stars, boldly performing an act with just a handful of playing cards, and then had the foresight to leave vaudeville, expanding his show into an extravaganza with more than forty tons of apparatus and costumes. His touring production was an American institution for nearly thirty years, and Thurston earned a brand name equal to Ziegfeld or Ringling Brothers. Steinmeyer explores the stage and psychological rivalry between Thurston and Houdini during the first decades of the twentieth century, a contest that Thurston won. He won with a bigger show, a more successful reputation, and the title of America's greatest magician. In The Last Greatest Magician in the World, Thurston's magic show is revealed as the one that animates our collective memories. Again, this book is in NEAR MINT condition. No collection of books on vintage magicians and escape artists is complete without this one. Check out the scan for the great artwork on the cover. You won't be disappointed. Don't get left out; this book is long out of print! All previous buyers of my books on magicians and escape artists have been completely satisfied. I have many others available; please check my listings. The book will be sent via Media mail shipping in the USA. I will combine shipping to reduce charges for multiple items. If you purchase more than one item or lot, please request an invoice for the appropriate combined shipping discount. See my auctions and my eBay store for hundreds of books and a wide variety of sports and non-sports collectibles. All items are packed with care to insure safe delivery. Please contact me if you have any questions. 5-7-23 -- 14.8

Price: 16.99 USD

Location: Santa Ana, California

End Time: 2024-11-08T10:08:08.000Z

Shipping Cost: 5.93 USD