P.T. Barnum: America's Greatest ShowmanWith P. T. Barnum: America's Greatest Showman, Philip B. Kunhardt, Jr., Philip B. Kunhardt III, and Peter W. Kunhardt - who were responsible for the best-selling Lincoln: An Illustrated Biography - rediscover the genius and vision of an unmatched impresario and entrepreneur. In vivid words and spellbinding pictures (more than 500 photographs, engravings, and color lithographs from the renowned Meserve Collection and forty other archives), we meet a man of complex motives, a master of merchandise, and inveterate self-promoter often reviled for his opportunism. We meet the man who did not say "There's a sucker born every minute"; whose best friends were clergymen; whose autobiography sold more than a million copies; who took a public leap through a flaming hoop to prove to the ASPCA that his performing horses were in no danger; who (allegedly) plotted with Samuel Clemens to lease a comet's tail to take a million passengers on a guided tour of outer space. We meet the man who built his reputation - and his fortune - largely on the exoticism of others, but whose crowning moment as a member of the Connecticut state legislature came in a speech in favor of the constitutional amendment to abolish slavery: "A human soul is not to be trifled with. It may inhabit the body of a Chinaman, a Turk, an Arab or a Hotentot - it is still an immortal spirit!" There is no denying Barnum's abiding influence, more than a century after his death, on our popular culture. For better and for worse, we owe America's irrepressible infatuation with show biz largely to him. |
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BARNUM: Prince of Showmen
User Review - KirkusPhineas Taylor Barnum (181091) was the greatest showman this country has ever produced. Not only did he define American popular culture of the 19th century, exploiting our natural fascination with ... Read full review
LibraryThing Review
User Review - BeaverMeyer - LibraryThingThe pictures in here are tremendous and you learn an awful lot about one of the greatest Americans ever to live. If you care at all about circuses and carny folks, this is a must-purchase book for your collection. Read full review
Contents
Childhood Memories | 8 |
Off to the Big City | 15 |
aleks Showman | 28 |
Copyright | |
8 other sections not shown
Common terms and phrases
added advertising American animals appeared arrived audiences Bailey Barnum Barnum wrote beautiful became become Bridgeport Broadway building called Chang Charity circus claimed close collection curiosities daughter decade early elephant England exhibits famous feet finally fire followed four gallery George giant give grand hand head huge human important Jenny Jenny Lind John Jumbo kind known ladies late later lecture letter living London looked manager March months moved museum Nancy never night offered once original performers photograph picture play present scene seemed showman side soon stage Street success taken theater Thumb took tour traveling turned week whole wife woman wonder wrote York young
Bibliographic information
| Title | P.T. Barnum: America's Greatest Showman Borzoi book |
| Authors | Philip B. Kunhardt, Peter W. Kunhardt |
| Contributors | Philip B. Kunhardt, Peter W. Kunhardt |
| Edition | illustrated |
| Publisher | Knopf, 1995 |
| Original from | the University of Michigan |
| Digitized | Jan 12, 2010 |
| ISBN | 0679435743, 9780679435747 |
| Length | 358 pages |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |