Memoirs of Robert Houdin King of Conjurers - Milnourne Christopher Used but new condition
The life and times of an expert clockwork automata maker, amateur electrical engineer, and world-travelling pioneer of stage magic turn out to be an entertaining adventure. Who could have guessed? Only odd in that he barely mentions his wife and children outside the context of performing magic or travelling with him Jean Eugène Robert-Houdin was a wonderful storyteller, and gives a marvelous account of his life. (He was the magician from whom Houdini got his name.) He invented the greatest automata that were ever built. I get the sense that he is an unreliable narrator, and that he may have exaggerated some events to enhance his story, but it's always entertaining. As he writes, "It is certainly a singular occupation for a man to whom frankness is natural, to be continually engaged in concealing his thoughts, and seeking the best way of making dupes. But may it not also be urged that dissimulation and falsehood become qualities or defects according to the purpose they are employed for?
336 pages
Product Code: MEM8RC7714
