Audiobook · read by volunteers
Right Way to Do Wrong
Harry Houdini (1874–1926)
Read by Lee Ann Howlett · 21 chapters · 2 h 42
About the book
Who better to explain how criminals operate than the man who made a career of escaping from handcuffs, safes and locked cells? In The Right Way to Do Wrong, the celebrated illusionist Harry Houdini draws on years of experience to unmask the methods of thieves, swindlers and burglars. He examines the income of a criminal, the techniques of professional burglary and the difficulties that even the most skilful law-breaker must overcome, always with the aim of warning ordinary people against being taken in. The tone is brisk, practical and often sharply observant, with a showman's flair for the telling detail. Twenty-one chapters, read by Lee Ann Howlett, fill nearly three hours. It is a fascinating period piece for fans of true crime, of stage magic or of the early twentieth century.
Introduction
Harry Houdini (1874-1926) was one of the most famous entertainers of his age. Born in Budapest and raised in the United States, he became an international celebrity as an escape artist and illusionist, astonishing audiences by freeing himself from chains, handcuffs, locked trunks and prison cells. He also wrote on magic, on the exposure of fraudulent spirit mediums and on the history of the stage.
The Right Way to Do Wrong was published in 1906. In it, Houdini turns his knowledge of locks, restraints and the methods of professional criminals into a kind of popular guide, intended both to entertain and to put the public on its guard. Drawing on his encounters with police officers and detectives and on his own experience with the tools of confinement, he discusses the kinds of crime that were common in his day. Chapters such as Income of a Criminal, Professional Burglary and Difficulties of Burglary give an idea of the range of subjects.
The book belongs to the true crime literature of the early twentieth century, which was often written for a mass readership and had a strongly moralising purpose. Some of its claims and methods reflect that era, and its portrait of the criminal underworld may differ from modern research. As a historical document, however, it is full of interesting details about locks, security and public attitudes to crime.
This LibriVox recording is read by Lee Ann Howlett. It lasts about two hours and forty-two minutes and is divided into twenty-one files, starting with the preface. It is a lively and curious listen, particularly for readers who enjoy the history of magic and detection.
Public domain
Harry Houdini died in 1926: the work is in the public domain in Switzerland, more than 70 years after the author’s death.
The LibriVox volunteers dedicated this recording to the public domain.
Sources : LibriVox page · Files at the Internet Archive · Original text