The Last Greatest Magician in the World: Howard Thurston Versus Houdini & the Battles of the American Wizards

by Jim Steinmeyer

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 fro how 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 apparatusand 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.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Biography, Magic, Biography Memoir, Historical

386 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 3, 2011

About the author

Jim Steinmeyer was born and raised just outside of Chicago, Illinois, and graduated in 1980 from Loyola University of Chicago, with a major in communications. He is literally the man behind the magicians having invented impossibilities for four Doug Henning television specials, six touring shows, two Henning Broadway shows, and numerous television and Las Vegas appearances.For one of David Copperfield's television specials, Jim proposed the scenario and secret by which the Statue of Liberty could "disappear." Jim has also served as a consultant for Siegfried and Roy, David Copperfield and Lance Burton. He developed magic for Orson Welles, Harry Blackstone, and the Pendragons and many, many others.

In addition to his books and many accomplishments on stage and screen, Jim currently holds four U.S. patents in the field of illusion apparatus, and has also served as an expert witness in this field.

He currently lives in Los Angeles, California with his wife Frankie Glass, an independent television producer who has worked extensively in Great Britain and the U.S.

Reviews

[Audrey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jim Steinmeyer knows magic, and he knows magicians, and he knows how to write about them. Put those three things together, and what you get in The Last Greatest Magician is one of the most intriguing and exciting biographies I've ever read.

To be honest, before reading this book, it had been AGES since I last read a biography. It's not that I'm not interested - reading about the lives of interesting or well-known (or sometimes not well-known) people has always fascinated me, but I've often found biographies to be somewhat dry. I've therefore always preferred fiction books laced with fact. In the Last Greatest Magician in the World, though, Steinmeryer has, for the most part, managed to avoid the dry stigma attached to biographies. There are definitely some parts that are dry (let's face it, when you're telling the life story of someone, that's just going to happen), but the majority of the time I actually forgot that I was reading a biography. It was exciting and intense and filled with good guys and bad guys and crazy plots of madness and revenge.

Steinmeyer takes subject matter that is, even at its core, exciting, and turns it into an utterly readable, magnificent story. I wanted to like Thurston, and it seems obvious to me that the author has a great respect for Thurston, but he approached the material in such an objective way that, even through the author's obvious bias, there were times when I hated him, when I desperately wanted Houdini to one-up him. Even now, after having finished, I can't decide if I liked him or hated him. One thing is clear, though, in the Last Greatest Magician in the World, Steinmeyer pulls you so completely into the world of Thurston that there is no grey - either you love him or you hate him.

Steinmeyer writes with knowledge, grace, and intelligence. As someone who has been interested in magic from a very young age (haven't we all?), I was thrilled to read the story of Thurston and his interactions with his wives and children and, especially, other well-known magicians such as Houdini and Thurston. If you have ever had an interest in magic, this book is definitely for you. Steinmeyer has turned Thurston's story into the story of all magician's, and it will satisfy your curiosity on all counts. Even if you're not a huge fan of biographies, I would recommend giving this book a try. (and plus, Neil Patrick Harris says it's awesome!)

[Josh Steiner · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story of the now-forgotten World's Greatest Magician Howard Thurston was both entertaining and frustrating, a dichotomy that Thurston seemed to experience with each new day of his career.

Steinmeyer works quickly to deconstruct two illusions for his audience. First is the strange case of the magician's struggle with his own identity. In one hand was Thurston's lifelong dedication to the character he created for the public. He was the personification of serenity and fair play, a cultured gentleman who was creative, generous, and kind to those who gave their time and money to his show. The other hand, the one hidden from the public, concealed the con-artist, thief, and cold, impatient family man.

Secondly, Steinmeyer shows us that the behind-the-curtain world of magic was a place rife with intellectual theft and egotism, where fortunes and loyalties could change with a handshake, newspaper article, or an omission of gratitude. Neither Thurston nor his chief rival Houdini were immune from the graft that permeated the business, and yet they were somehow able to maintain a begrudging respect for one another.

My only complaints about the book are technical ones. Steinmeyer occasionally shifted gears, and the prose got a bit choppy and disjointed. Lastly, the descriptions of some of Thurston's more successful illusions were difficult to conceptualize. Overall, however, I enjoyed the book and would recommend it to anyone with even a passing interest in the history of magic.

[Charles Moore · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoy a good magic show. Lots of fun being entertained and mystified. Steinmeyer's biography of Howard Thurston, a name you probably never heard of, is well written, very well researched, and really interesting about a man and times we don't think too much about.

Thurston lived and lived and entertained in the early 1900s. He is accordingly given more respect as an illusionist opposed to the fame of Houdini, an escape artist. There is a distinction that Steinmeyer makes often and helps form the fine points of vaudeville and the entertainments of the time. We can see his progression from a card-shark kid to a world-class entertainer and then to his death and dismissal of his life's work. It wasn't easy and he wasn't alone but it was a hard life. It seems that for every success there were two failures and the landscape was full of crooks, cons, and uncertainty.

For all the fleeting fame there was always a hope and a chance that the next show will pull everything together. Thurston's arena was the world. The US was still eastern and full of shows and delights. We don't tend to know much about what it takes to become famous whether we're talking Bill Gates or George Clooney. The road for Thurston was really hard but he seems to have learned as he went along and he never gave up. In those days, giving up probably put a person on the streets.

It was quite a life. It is an interesting book.
###

[Jake Stains · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story of the great Howard Thurston is more than just the story of a magician. It is the story of a teenage delinquent, a con man and pickpocket on the streets on New York. It is the story of a drifter who risked his life and limbs hopping freight trains and traveling the country. It is the story of a wayward youth who joined the circus, and the bizarre world of freak shows and oddities he there encountered. It is the story of a pioneer, who loaded up his stagecoach wagon with magic tricks and toured the Wild West, performing his craft for cowboys in saloons. It's the story of an adventurer, who traveled to India to learn and perform jaw-dropping illusions. Most of all, it is the story of one of the greatest showmen and personalities in the history of American entertainment. Steinmeyer's portrait of Thurston is a great read for anyone interested in the history of magic, the vaudeville of early 20th century America, and what life was like at a unique time in our country's evolution.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love books about this time period. It's all about circuses, magic shows, and vaudeville. The seediness of the popular entertainment industry is just so fascinating.

Steinmeyer highlights the intense rivalry between magicians at the time, when they stole and backstabbed and engineered feats of amazement. Howard Thurston, whom most have never heard of, lends a strong center to the book. His escapades, questionable character, and powerful charisma drive the story, but every aspect is intriguing. I wanted to hear more of his battles with Houdini, wanted diagrams of magicians' contraptions, and would have liked a few more photographs to picture it all. The book conjures that "Water for Elephants" movie feel. Everything is run down, including the people, but in front of an audience, everything sparkles. It encapsulates that turn of the century feel and a must read for those who love magicians and/or confidence men. Well, they're pretty much the same, aren't they?

[Stefanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Closer to 2.5 stars. Howard Thurston was an interesting guy with an even more interesting magic show. What perplexed me about the book (and perplexed is probably too strong a word) is that human relationships were reported as matter-of-factly as the mechanics of magic tricks, and this worsened as the book went on. One of his brothers was murdered, but that's covered in a couple of paragraphs, then we and Thurston move on. As another example, his relationship with his third wife seems to be different than those with his previous two and subsequent one, but we never get a good look at her or their relationship--she's shoved to the background along with her addictions. The author and I apparently have different areas of interest, and I know one can't write a biography if the information is not available. It just seemed emotionally distant.

[Meghan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very interesting subject and very interesting man, but I was disappointed in the writing this time. The other Steinmeyer book I have read about Chung Ling Soo was much more engaging. This one seemed extremely disjointed- just paragraphs stuck together willy-nilly at times. Regardless, I read it and finished it and am glad I did.

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

So Ill admit I came into this book (a goodreads giveaway I won) expecting something like "The Prestige". No such luck, however I did get a fascinating look at the world of early 20thcentury magic something I didn't know much about. well written and fascinating but don't go looking for a thriller here.

[Leslie · Rating 2 out of 5]

**won in goodreads giveaway** Was looking for the prestige and got a dry bio. Good as a bio but if are looking for more thrill and show you will be disappointed. Other wise good.

[Mike · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too much information. Thurston was an interesting character, but this was like digging to the level of what he had for breakfast.

[Shawn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting book about an interesting man; however, it just didn't capture my attention that much.

[Ronnie Cramer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have almost no interest in magic or magicians, but this book was so well done that it held my interest and then some.

[Γιώργος Λιαδής · Rating 3 out of 5]

Για βιβλίο σχετικό με μάγους, του λείπει σίγουρα η μαγεία...
Ο κεντρικός χαρακτήρας είναι αντιπαθητικός, χωρίς όμως να παρουσιάζεται ως μία διάνοια - κάτι που μπορεί ως έναν βαθμό να γλυκάνει τις παραξενιές του. Το μόνο κομμάτι που τον κάνει να φαίνεται ανθρώπινος είναι η (σκληρή) παιδική του ηλικία, πριν φυσικά γίνει μάγος.
Ένα άλλο αρνητικό του βιβλίου είναι η αδικαιολόγητη εμμονή ενάντια στον Χουντίνι, ακόμα κι όταν παραδέχεται πως ο Χουντίνι είχε δίκιο! Μπορεί να είμαι προκατειλημμένος επειδή λατρεύω τον Χουντίνι, αλλά η αίσθηση που μου έδωσε το βιβλίο είναι πως χρησιμοποίησε έναν "κακό" Χουντίνι για να δικαιολογήσει τον κακό πρωταγωνιστή του (όλοι είναι κακοί άρα κανείς δεν είναι κακός).
Απ'όλο το βιβλίο οι πιο ζωντανοί και συμπαθητικοί χαρακτήρες είναι κάποιοι δευτερεύοντες. Για αυτούς αναρωτήθηκα στο τέλος τι απέγιναν...
Υπάρχουν πάρα πολλά ονόματα στο βιβλίο, κάτι που κάνει δύσκολη την ανάγνωση του. Ο τρόπος γραφής είναι αυτός του ιστορικού - κάτι λογικό αφού πρόκειται για αληθινή ιστορία , αλλά και κουραστικό. Δεδομένου του θέματος θα ήθελα λίγη φαντασία...
Δύο πράγματα μου μένουν από το βιβλίο. Οι γνώσεις που απέκτησα για την επιχείρηση του θεάματος το 1900 παγκοσμίως και κάποιες ιδιαίτερες αντιδράσεις ιδιαίτερων ανθρώπων που δεν αρκούν όμως για να προσθέσουν το χρώμα που θα ήθελα.
Το συνιστώ σε φανατικούς του είδους - θα σας δώσει αρκετές αφορμές να ψάξετε online για περισσότερες πληροφορίες.
Αλήθεια, πως λεγόταν ο κεντρικός χαρακτήρας;

[Clare · Rating 3 out of 5]

Before reading this book I had never heard of Howard Thurston but after finishing it I wish I had had a chance to see one of his performances. Picking himself up by the bootstraps and leaving behind teen years spent on the wrong side of the law, Thurston doggedly pursued his chosen profession of magic. He certainly paid his dues in order to eventually reach the top of the magic world. Starting off playing in some of the roughest places he slowly honed his craft and learned from books and other magicians. Though no original tricks ever graced his stage, his personal take on tricks invented by others and his marvelous stage presence ensured a great show. I gave the book only 3 stars because it sometimes dragged a bit although certainly well researched. Also, if you like your magic to remain a mystery be forewarned that how some of the illusions were staged is explained.

[Wesley Rinehart · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a lover of magic and history, this was an enjoyable read. Bits of Thurston’s life that fascinated me:
-Ran away from home because of an authoritarian father
-was a street thug for several years. Picking pockets, train hopping, and ending up in New York.
-after a run in with the law, he was sent to DL Moodys school for boys. As he came of age, he nearly pursued a life of ministry, but fell in love with magic.
-used some shady practices, developing performance skills, hustle, and endurance to push through several years of obscurity and difficulty.
-caught a break that would launch a successful career performing in the US, Europe, Asia, and Australia.
-was Houdinis competitor—Thurston being the better magician. Houdini being the better escape artist.
-His last show was performed in Charleston WV.

[Benjamin Kahn · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent book. Steinmeyer does a great job of making Thurston's story come to life. I went to an exhibit of vintage magician posters at the Art Gallery of Ontario which sparked my interest in this story, and I'm very glad that I followed up by reading this book. Steinmeyer doesn't make Thurston look any better than he was - an excellent magician with lots of flaws, but ultimately a great showman. It's hard to believe how rapidly the entertainment industry changed from Thurston's childhood to his death. Even if you're not that interested in magic I would recommend it as it makes for a fascinating read.

[Robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun read about the slimball reality of being a full time magician in the early years of the 20th Century. I used to buy stuff from Gerald Heany, one of the people who ended up with a lot of Thurston's gear after he died. Heany always tossed in extra stuff for me and wrote long letters to me about the things he included and how to best perform them. Years later I learned that was not at all like his usual behavior. Oh well, it was good for me.

[Mike O'Connor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as good as the same author's "Hiding the Elephant," and the title is a bit misleading as the book is really a straight biography of turn of the century magician Howard Thurston rather than elusively about his rivalry with Houdini. Nonetheless it's well researched, and I found the first half of the book whcih concentrated on Thurston's early life and career as a con-man grifter (which he later tried to whitewash away when giving his life's biography) to be pretty engaging.

[Kara Prem · Rating 3 out of 5]

A deep dive into the life of Howard Thurston and his career in the early 20th century. He's almost forgotten now, but saw amazing success (despite never having much money) throughout his life. My one complaint is that the book mentions both Howard and his brother Harry being buried in the family plot in Greenlawn Cemetery. Perhaps they were originally interred there, but both are now found in Greenlawn Abbey, which is not part of the cemetery.

[Megan Hex · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enjoyable account of the life of Howard Thurston, a stage magician in the early 20th century. Despite the title, Houdini and other magicians are only mentioned when they are part of Thurston's story; it's really a biography. I also appreciated the chapter-by-chapter breakdown of the author's sources at the end.

[Scott Potter · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. Life of a magician was not easy. I thought it was very interesting. I thought it was a cool cultural change in that "talking movies" became the rage and live acts became less popular. Pushing magicians out. And he was a local guy...Columbus, Ohio.

[Matthew McClintock · Rating 4 out of 5]

It surprised me to find this one appealing all the way through! Neither magic nor biography is an area that usually grabs me, but this one had just enough of both (along with interesting general history of the period) to keep me turning pages.

[Holden Richards · Rating 3 out of 5]

Complete account of the rise of Howard Thurston. The first half of this book is more exciting as it chronicles his rise to fame, the second half being devoted to managing a career and staying famous.

[Susan Kasza · Rating 1 out of 5]

Did not finish. Life is too short to read boring books.

[Emily · Rating 2 out of 5]

An interesting story, but could have been edited down to a much more interesting and quicker read. It felt very belabored.

[Niko · Rating 5 out of 5]

The only way that I can describe this book is magical. When you think of a famous olde time magician you probably think of Harry Houdini, this book goes over the life on a forgoten magician. Howard Thurston, the last magician to hold the title of the Greatest Magician in the world. The book tells how his audiences loved his illiousions, and more importantly the book goes into great detail how each trick worked. Every magician of the time loved Thurston, even his enemies cried when they learned that he died. This book goes over the struggles that Thurston faced as his show evolved into something that everyone could enjoy. At the beginning of every one of his magic shows he would tell his audience "I wouldn't deceive you for the world." Even though everything in his life may not have gone smoothly, with his many financial problems, onece you read this book you will have a new opinion on all of the magicians of the time. The forgoten magician's story will reduce you to tears. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes very interesting historical events, and anyone who would like to learn a few tricks themselves.

[Al · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a big fan of a certain type of American history, and so this book caught my eye even before I saw the recommendations from Neil Patrick Harris, Neil Gaiman, and Teller. I like anything related to Houdini and the early part of the 20th century.

The book starts off saying Thurston's goal was to be the biggest magician in the world, and Houdini's goal was to create a legend. Both got what they wanted, but now no one remembers Thurston. We are also told Thurston is the person who created the image of a magician that comes to our mind now.

This is a pretty fascinating biography about someone who most people don't know about. The only drawback is that some people might not want to invest nearly 400 pages into it. That said, it never gets boring, and I would certainly recommend it to anyone who likes biographies.

[David Ward · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Last Greatest Magician in the World: Howard Thurston versus Houdini & the Battles of the American Wizards by Jim Steinmeyer (Penguin 2011) (Biography). The 1920's were the heyday of parlor magic in the US and England; the two superstars of the day were Howard Thurston and Harry Houdini. They were contemporaries who grudgingly respected each other; the book is an interesting report on their time. There were a couple of interesting pieces of trivia that I gleaned from this book. The first is that Arthur Conan Doyle (of Sherlock Holmes fame) and Thurston but not Houdini believed in spirits (page 250); the second is how the trick of sawing a person in half is done: it's two people, one on the table (the arms) and another hidden in the thick base of the table (the wiggling legs)(page 247)! How about that? My rating: 7/10, finished 3/11/14.

[Brad · Rating 4 out of 5]

The title is a bit misleading, as the rivalry between Thurston and Houdini doesn't play prominently in the book. But clearly, Thurston was the better magician, if not the best magician of his age. It's sad that he is no longer remembered.

I started liking Thurston better in the book as he gets older. His early years were spent as a small-time hood, and his awful brother Harry, who capitalized on Howard Thurston's fame, never shook his connection with the underworld. With age, Thurston becomes more avuncular, and he may not have been the best husband, he was married several times, but he was a good father and fantastic around his younger fans.

[Tom Schulte · Rating 4 out of 5]

authored by a magician, this has a respectful and revelatory tone. we get tricks revealed and tradecraft exposed. Despite the subtitle, this is Thurston's career with much about Kellar, Hermann, and other contemporaries. There is not much about Houdini. What is there diminishes Harry. He comes across as a self-aggrandizing image manipulator in control of associations and publications for his benefit. This makes the book offer a side of Houdini he sought to suppress and highlight the career of another imperfect man whose accomplishments shouldn't be forgotten.