COMING IN FALL 2026

A century after his death, Harry Houdini returns to center stage in this meticulously researched and richly illustrated chronological biography by Houdini historian John Cox.

Handcuff King: The Conquests of Harry Houdini, 1900–1909 captures the dynamic early years of Houdini's breakout fame across Europe and America. Featuring details of every known engagement in every country where he performed, this volume also provides in-depth examinations of the defining events of the decade:

The Cologne Trials
The Hodgson Challenge
The Mirror Handcuff Challenge
The Siberian Transport Prison Van
The Washington, D.C. Jail Break
The Belle Isle Bridge Jump
Houdini’s First Films
Early Aviation

Includes over 650 rare photos and artifacts from the world's largest magic collections, many never before published. This is an official presentation of David Coppefield's International Museum and Library of the Conjuring Arts and Volume One of The Ultimate Houdini Chronology, the most comprehensive work ever published on Houdini.

Foreword by David Copperfield

Hardcover
8.5 x 11
640 pages printed in full color.
Over 650 photographs, many never before published.
Publisher: Wild About Harry Press
Release date: Fall 2026
ISBN: 979-8-234-11242-2
Regular and Premium Editions

Available exclusively from Wild About Harry Press and Mike Caveney's Magic Words.

What the experts say:
“This isn’t just the ultimate chronology; it’s an ultimate biography that provides the most accurate and up-to-date timeline of Houdini’s years as the Handcuff King. A true masterpiece.” - Joe M. Notaro, Harry Houdini Circumstantial Evidence

"This book is brilliant. Amazingly brilliant." - Patrick Culliton, Houdini's Ghost