Marc Hartzman – författare

An authoritative compendium on sword swallowing, featuring historical biographies, expert insights, rare photos, and behind-the-scenes stories from modern sword swallowers. To the Hilt offers a riveting exploration into the mysterious and dangerous world of sword swallowing, charting its history from ancient rituals to modern-day performances. This comprehensive volume, cowritten by world-renowned sword swallower Dan Meyer and celebrated sideshow historian Marc Hartzman, delves into the lives and careers of over 100 sword swallowers. Packed with rare photographs, fascinating anecdotes, and expert insights, this book is the definitive guide to an art form that has both captivated and terrified audiences for centuries.Meyer and Hartzman bring their extensive expertise to the table, creating a work that is both informative and enthralling. Meyer, with his numerous world records and vast experience, provides an insider’s perspective that is unmatched. Hartzman adds depth with his historical knowledge and engaging writing style, making this book a must-read for anyone intrigued by the bizarre and the daring.Key Features: Definitive Compendium of Historical Biographies: Highlights the captivating lives of historical sword swallowers from the 1700s to the present, many of whom have never been profiled in other books.Behind the Scenes with Modern Performers: Provides an inside look at the wild stories and experiences of modern sword swallowers, who account for one out of every 300 million people alive today.Expert Perspectives: Readers will learn from Dan Meyer, the world’s leading expert on sword swallowing and viral TEDx presenter, as he shares his unique life experiences and relatable life lessons in his introductory essay.Rare Imagery: Contains a treasure trove of rare photographs and ephemera that bring the history of sword swallowing to life.Medical Insights: Outlines the medical risks and implications of sword swallowing through a doctor’s essay included in the book, which serves both as a warning and an elucidation of the phenomenon.To the Hilt is not just a book; it's a journey into a world where danger and artistry intersect. Perfect for sideshow enthusiasts, history buffs, or those simply seeking a road map for pushing human capability to its limits in any domain, this book will leave readers both enlightened and amazed.

A fascinating look into the history of the American sideshow and its performers. Learn what''s real, what''s fake, and what''s just downright bizarre. You''ve probably heard of Tom Thumb. The Elephant Man. Perhaps even Chang and Eng, the original Siamese twins. But what about Eli Bowen, the legless acrobat? Or Prince Randian, the human torso? These were just a few of the many stars that shone during the heyday of the American sideshow, from 1840 to 1950. American Sideshow chronicles the lives of truly amazing performers, examining these brave and extraordinary curiosities not just as sideshow performers but as people, delving into the lives they led and the ways they were able to triumph over and even benefit from their abnormalities. American Sideshow discusses the rise and fall of the original sideshows and their subsequent replacement by today''s self-made freaks. With the progress of modern medicine, technological advancements, and the wonderful world of body modification, abnormalities are being overcome, treated and even prevented: Siamese twins can now be separated, and in addition to this, tongues can be forked, horns surgically implanted, and earlobes removed. There are also, of course, modern-day giants, fire eaters, sword swallowers, glass eaters, human blockheads, and oh, so much more. These fascinating personalities are celebrated through intimate biographies paired with stunning photographs. Approximately two hundred performers from the past one hundred and sixty years are featured, giving readers a comprehensive and sometimes astonishing look into the history of the American sideshow

Take a spirited tour through the supernatural history of America, from its haunted sites to its famous ghosts to its ghost-obsessed pop culture.“A fantastic book.”—Ben Kissel, co-host of Last Podcast on the LeftGhosts are everywhere—whether you believe in them or not. Every town has its local legends, and countless books, movies, and TV shows are haunted by their presence. But our obsession with ghosts runs deeper than we know—and is embedded in the very fabric of American history. Writer and historian Marc Hartzman takes readers on a fascinating journey through supernatural history, including: • The Fox Sisters and the rise of Spiritualism • The supernatural obsessions of famous figures like Sir Arthur Conan Doyle • Famous haunted sites like the Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia and the LaLaurie House in New Orleans • Famous ghosts like the Bell Witch of Tennessee and the Greenbrier Ghost of West Virginia • Paranormal investigators like Ed and Lorraine Warren Deeply researched and highly entertaining, with archival images and black and white illustrations, Chasing Ghosts will satisfy believers and skeptics alike.

We Are Not Alone . . . manages to be highly entertaining and easy to read, yet fair, balanced and thorough.' Christopher Mellon, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Intelligence. Do you want to believe? Explore our fascination with UFOs and extraterrestrial intelligence through exclusive interviews, archival photos, and strange but true stories from history. After decades of cover-ups and denials, in a June 2021 report, the US government finally admitted what many people already knew: yes, UFOs are real, and no, we don t know what (or who) they are. Weird historian Marc Hartzman separates fact from fiction and provides a comprehensive tour through the skies, including: UFO sightings, from the famous to the obscure. Alien abductions, including the Betty and Barney Hill abduction and the Pascagoula abduction/ Ancient aliens, from Biblical astronauts to the alien architects behind the pyramids/ Scientific evidence, including the 'Wow!' radio signal and the interstellar Oumuamua object. Cover-ups and conspiracies, including the Roswell Incident and Area 51. Governmental and military findings, from Project Blue Book to reports of UFOs at nuclear weapons sites. Deeply researched and highly entertaining, We Are Not Alone will inform and entertain anyone who s ever doubted that we are really alone in the universe.

A darkly funny, fully documented history of America’s most bizarre declassified covert operations.From inflatable tanks to weaponized goat dung and beyond, this hidden history for fans of The Men Who Stare at Goats takes you on a wild ride through stranger-than-fiction stories of declassified US government and military programs.Booby-trapped seashells. Exploding pancake mix. Pigeon-guided missiles. These aren't fictional cartoon antics, but rather real top-secret projects commissioned by the US government and military—and that's just the tip of the iceberg. The most shocking, bizarre, and obscure secret programs in American history are compiled into an eye-popping compendium for the first time, including: Military-grade stink spray: This stink spray was no gag, and was developed by the OSS for civilians to use against occupying Nazis during World War II.Project Acoustic Kitty: The CIA wired a cat to spy on Soviet adversaries—then discovered cats don’t take orders.Nuking the moon: Project A119 was an early space race plan to detonate a nuclear bomb on the lunar surface as a show of American superiority over the Soviets.MKUltra Subproject 4: As part of its mind control research, the CIA enlisted a famous magician to teach agents sleight-of-hand techniques to poison targets.Facial hair assassination: The OSS and the CIA targeted both Adolph Hitler’s mustache and Fidel Castro’s beard in the hopes that eliminating their iconic facial hair would embarrass and humiliate the leaders.Exploding Cigars and Psychic Spies will shock, infuriate, and entertain you with the often unbelievable antics of the FBI, CIA, and US military, revealing the dark side of operating in secrecy—and the human cost in the quest for national security.