In the early 20th century, in the English-speaking world, Arthur Conan Doyle and
Harry Houdini were two of the most feted and famous men alive. And their relati
onship is extraordinary: As strange as it may seem Arthur Conan Doyle, the creat
or of the ultra-rational detective Sherlock Holmes, was a believer in Spirituali
sm. He came to his belief, that one could communicate with the dead, after his s
on was killed in World War I, and became an expert in the field.
Harry Houdin
i, the world's foremost magician, was a friend of Conan Doyle's, but was sceptic
al of his belief in the supernatural. Houdini took every opportunity to use his
knowledge of illusion to expose psychics who he thought were fakes, particularly
incensed by their exploitation of grief and insecurity. Based on original resea
rch, this sensational dual biography of two popular geniuses conjures up the ear
ly 20th century and the fame, personality and competing beliefs.
