"Final
Séance": The Strange Friendship Between Houdini and
Conan Doyle
This
is the story of the unusual friendship between two of the most intriguing
individuals of the early twentieth century — the renowned illusionist
and escape artist Harry Houdini and the celebrated mystery writer
and creator of Sherlock Holmes, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Both men
were fascinated by the occult practice of Spiritualism, Houdini as
an ardent skeptic and Conan Doyle as a true believer who was convinced
that the dead could and did communicate with the living. While there
are many biographies of both men, this is the first book to detail
the years of their friendship and their battles over the veracity
of Spiritualism.
During their five-year friendship, Houdini and Conan Doyle exchanged views
about Spiritualism; conducted investigations of notable mediums of their day,
such as Mina “Margery” Crandon; and even enjoyed vacationing together
at Atlantic City.
Based on original correspondence, photographs, and his own extensive research,
noted science writer Massimo Polidoro reconstructs the relationship between
the believer and the skeptic, which weathered mediums, séances, public
debunkings, and hurt feelings. He also discusses in detail the final séance
that ended the friendship between these two strong-willed men. After this séance,
Houdini declared that “there is nothing that Sir Arthur will believe
that surprises me,” and called his ex-friend “a bit senile... and
therefore easily bamboozled.” Conan Doyle, in turn, accused Houdini of
being biased, a publicity-seeker, and a victim of a syndrome he called “Houdinitis,” meaning
the belief “that manual dexterity bears some relation to brain capacity.”
Fans of Conan Doyle, Houdini, magic, and the historical roots of the “New
Age” will be delighted by this amazing story.
“An exhaustive, mostly entertaining history of this improbable
friendship. Polidoro's book is shrewd and engaging."
Times Literary Supplement
“(A) fascinating clash of mammoths and a delightful excursion
into a just-past era… (Massimo Polidoro) is a disciplined
scholar, and maintains a keen balance… Polidoro has written
well – a saga of two Titans that is also a remarkable exploration
of both superstition and obsession”.
Baltimore Sun