"Julie Carpenter’s inspiring story of Houdini shows how, like him, we can open the locks and dance on the high wire. It’s only a matter of practice. And believing in yourself." — Eric Kimmel As a young boy of seven, Harry is desperate to do something incredible - but what? A visit to the circus provides the answer when he sees the daring tightrope walker thrilling the audience. From that moment on, all Harry wants to do is to walk the tightrope. But how? His first try, on the family clothesline, ends in disaster but Harry's not about to give up yet. He starts practicing in his every spare moment and in every location he can think of. Will he get to the other side or will he fall? (And will his pet chicken Banjoe be able to keep up?) An inspiring tale about one of history’s most fascinating figures, Harry and the High-wire is essential reading for children, teaching them about the importance of ambition, hard work and, crucially, of believing in yourself, even when things seem impossible. The reverse side of this fun, fully fold-out book includes a biography and illustrated timeline of Houdini's life, along with a focus on three of his most famous tricks (and hints on how he did them).

Harry Weiss—later known as Harry Houdini—is enthralled when the circus comes to his Wisconsin town. He loves all the acts, but his favorites are the tightrope and the amazing trick where a man hangs from a rope by his teeth! Harry and his brother decide to try circus tricks in a nearby barn, and although Harry’s headstrong determination leads him into trouble, it also opens up a whole new world. In this evocative story, Eric A. Kimmel tells how Harry Weiss discovered his love for performing, many years before he became world famous. History Stepping Stones now feature updated content that emphasizes Common Core and today’s renewed interest in nonfiction. Perfect for home, school, and library bookshelves!

Walking the Highwire tells the story of the Eurozone Crisis from the perspective of the former Vice-President of the European Commission who was responsible for Economic and Monetary Affairs in 2010-2014. It is a comprehensive European account that covers both events and decisions in Brussels and Frankfurt and in the member states, both in distressed countries and creditor states. It also provides an economic-political analysis of the crisis and its management, recognising that the Euro was created politically, and saved politically. Thoroughly researched and based on economic analysis of the time, reports on various meetings and the author's own speaking notes and diary, this book begins with a narrative of crisis management 2009-2012, before moving on to address the beginning of the recovery from 2013-2014. It concludes with the lessons learnt from the crisis and a programme for reform of the Eurozone in the 2020s, with contemporary policy relevance. This is an entertaining and engaging account which will be of interest to a wide audience: scholars and students, practitioners and commentators of the Eurozone.

Set in the racing world of Newmarket in the 1880s, this is the story of Laura and her intense feelings for Fred Archer - the tall, slender young jockey who became one of the most famous men in Britain. Based around the true story of Fred Archer's short and tragic life, this is a moving and passionate story of first love.

'A riveting read ... a dark story of murder and deceit with verve and insight' John Woolf, author of The Wonders THE LIFE AND DEATH OF A 19TH-CENTURY CIRCUS LEGEND On 28 November 1911 a retired showman died violently at his home in North London. Known to the world as Lord George Sanger, he was once the biggest name in show business, and was venerated as a national institution. The death of Britain's wealthiest showman read like a popular crime thriller: a merciless killer; a famous victim; sensational media headlines; a desperate manhunt laced with police incompetencies and a dramatic denouement few could have anticipated. But for over a century, questions have persisted about the murder. Weaving in the story of George's rise to fame and the history of Britain's entertainment industry, The Killing of Lord George uses previously unpublished archive material to reconstruct the events leading up to the death and reveal the true story behind the brutal crime that shocked Edwardian England.

Swing is back in style, and with it a renewed interest in the Big Band Era. And few players dominated that era more than Harry James, whose soaring trumpet solos and romantic hit tunes influenced popular music for a generation. Now, Peter J. Levinson, who knew Harry James personally, has written a revealing biography of this jazz icon, based on nearly 200 interviews with musicians and friends. Harry James led a truly colorful life, and in Trumpet Blues Levinson captures it all. Beginning with James's childhood in a traveling circus, we follow the young trumpeter's meteoric rise in the 1930s and witness his electrifying performances with the Benny Goodman Orchestra. We see how James formed his own band in 1939, an incubator for many pop music stars of the 1940s and '50s, including Frank Sinatra, Connie Haines, Dick Haymes, Helen Forrest, and Kitty Kallen. Combined with James's superb musicianship, peerless trumpet technique and talented sidemen, this stellar group dominated the war years and the immediate post-war period. And James himself, especially after his marriage to film goddess Betty Grable, became one of America's most famous personalities and lived like true Hollywood royalty. Levinson describes their twenty-two-year marriage with insight and sympathy. But he shows how James's marriage--and his triumphant late-1950s comeback in Nevada's casinos--were slowly undermined by his penchant for compulsive gambling, womanizing, and alcoholism. He gives us the inside story of James's sybaritic life style, and probes the profound psychological reasons for James's destructive behavior. The first biography ever written on Harry James, Trumpet Blues is a scintillating portrait of Swing's brightest star--his life, his loves, and the music that defined an era.

Thirty-something advertising executive Sal Fortis, whose creativity and brilliance are unsurpassed, is beginning to grasp that his life is changing. Frustrated that he has attained very little beyond the ordinary, Sal starts to question all his decisions, including the one to work for an advertising agency run by the pompous and untalented Ted Kantor. Thankfully, Sal has found a way to distract himself from his mundane worldhe relentlessly chases women. But when he meets the bosss wife, Evelyn, everything changes. Fifty-two-year-old Evelyn Kantor is worth a fortune and is blessed with the body of a much younger woman. Enthralled, Sal soon learns there is much more to Evelyn than he ever imagined as she slowly introduces him to the true meaning of life. It is not long before Evelyn and Sal develop a deep relationship. Unfortunately, the challenges are just beginning; Evelyn is diagnosed with cancer, and his boss insists Sal take a leave of absence to tend to his wife. In a surreal world where reality and dreams seem to blend, Evelyn and Sal begin an unforgettable journey together toward the truth and soon learn that life is full of unexpected twists and turns.

An official companion to the popular tv-series offers new insights into its characters and storylines, providing hundreds of set photos, designs, and insider accounts as well as actor and crew interviews that describe memorable moments from the first two seasons

Necroscope V: Deadspawn is the fifth spine-tingling volume in Lumley's exciting vampire series and marks a turning point in the life and career of Harry Keogh, the original Necroscope. After the harrowing confrontations in Deadspeak, Harry regains his necroscopic abilities, once again bridging the realms of the living and the dead through the remarkable mathematics of the Möbius Continuum. Interacting with the departed and relaying their messages to the living is Harry's unique skill, but his pact with Faethor Ferenczy, the forefather of the vampires, leaves him with a tormenting dilemma. A vampire sprouts within the depths of Harry's consciousness, potentially morphing into a supreme Wamphyri, the most powerful of all vampires with sinister twists on the Necroscope's psychic abilities. The unfolding vampire threat within him drastically shortens Harry's earthly existence, but before his time is up, one more challenge awaits him. Only Harry can bring justice to the victims of a monstrous serial killer and necromancer. A race against time and an internal monster begins as Harry fights the vampire spawn within him to fulfill his mission. At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

Harry Sargent hates his job in publishing, his life in New York City, and his motley collection of disreputable best friends. Making everything worse? He's about to turn 50 and has a crush on the much-younger woman his company just hired to move them into the digital age. At 27, Elizabeth Anne Abgral loves her job, her life, and maybe even her fiancé. But no one can have it all, and as long as she does everything her old-fashioned, high-society New England family expects of her, she'll probably be happy. Right?! But when she meets a handsome – and mischievous – older man at her new job, that illusion shatters. As she and Harry bicker their way through industry events around the world, Elizabeth finds herself tossing rationality – and her plans – to the wind. But just because Harry has long wished his life were different, doesn’t mean he’s ready to risk his heart on a passion that frightens him… or a peculiar young woman with the uncanny ability to make cities flood every time they kiss.