- Paperback: 321 pages
- Publisher: Berkley Publishing Corporation,U.S. (31 Dec 1998)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 042513296X
- ISBN-13: 978-0425132968
- Product Dimensions: 16.5 x 10.7 x 2.8 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 2,531,445 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
Product Description
Two extraordinary men--Harry Houdini, a master of illusion who regarded his cr aft as the clever workings of the mind, and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, beloved writer and firm believer in the occult--engage in a battle of wits to determine if there is life after death. Well-known actor William Shatner is the bestselling author of Teklords and Tekwar. Tobias penned Voice of the Planet.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I thoroughly enjoyed this book I felt that William Shatner had the characters down to a tee. I understand that the plan was to turn the book into a play staring William Shatner himself, and Leonard Nimoy.
It it pretty obvious who would have played the role of Harry Houdini and who would have played Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Unfortunately, the play didn't materialise, but never mind, the reader of the book can let their imagination run riot.
It it pretty obvious who would have played the role of Harry Houdini and who would have played Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Unfortunately, the play didn't materialise, but never mind, the reader of the book can let their imagination run riot.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
4 reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
interesting novel about a strange historical event
27 Oct 2005
Format:Paperback
The novel describes how the "Scientific American" in 1923 starts a special contest (to raise its sagging circulation): everyone who can give proof that there is life after death and you can get in contact with the spirits of the deceased, that one can divine the future, do something supernatural ... will win a price money of several thousand dollars. Spirtism was a great hype at this time. The "Scientific American" choses as judges Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (creator of Sherlock Holmes who in later years turned spiritist and believer in ghosts, divination, etc.) and Harry Houdini (rational magician who always worked to reveal self-proclaimed spiritists as fraudsters who are making money from people mourning for their lost ones).
The interesting and rather surprising fact about this storyline is: it is true! Of course the dialogues, several details and several supporting characters are more or less made up for the book, but the general background events really happened - so it makes the book a very interesting reading. You learn more about the lifes of Harry Houdini and Arthur Conan Doyle (everything seems to be well researched by the authors as far as I can say from looking some of it up in biographies). And the authors try to present Doyle's and Houdini's points of view without unfair prejudgement and give reasons and "proofs" for both views. But that's also the thing that might dissatisfy the reader most, especially if he does not believe in spiritism, like me, because some of those "proofs" for supernatural powers given in the novel are obviously made up for "artistical" reasons.
The interesting and rather surprising fact about this storyline is: it is true! Of course the dialogues, several details and several supporting characters are more or less made up for the book, but the general background events really happened - so it makes the book a very interesting reading. You learn more about the lifes of Harry Houdini and Arthur Conan Doyle (everything seems to be well researched by the authors as far as I can say from looking some of it up in biographies). And the authors try to present Doyle's and Houdini's points of view without unfair prejudgement and give reasons and "proofs" for both views. But that's also the thing that might dissatisfy the reader most, especially if he does not believe in spiritism, like me, because some of those "proofs" for supernatural powers given in the novel are obviously made up for "artistical" reasons.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Flawed by quite good
14 Jan 2005
Format:Paperback
This was by no means a master work. But I found it engaging as a yarn and insightful as a treatment of Houdini, and of his time battling to expose shadowy mediums and hucksters. I read it all in one big gulp and wanted more.
A GREAT HISTORICAL THRILLER!
2 Dec 2011
Format:Paperback
This collaboration between Michael Charles Tobias and William Shatner is an absolute hoot! Wonderful! A Thriller that is so much better than all the Sherlock Holmes movies. Why it has not been made into a major motion picture is beyond me. Tobias and Shatner are the perfect pair in this genre: great humor, Star Trek like thriller adventures, and an historical epic that Tobias is so great at writing....pure joy! A five star to the max!
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