The Colossal P. T. Barnum Reader: NOTHING ELSE LIKE IT IN THE UNIVERSE [Hardcover]

P T. Barnum (Author), James W. Cook (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 14, 2005

"The P. T. Barnum Reader" reveals the trailblazing American showman P. T. Barnum as, by turns, a moral reformer, a habitual hoaxer, an insightful critic, a savvy 'puffer', a master of images, a sparkling writer, a relentless provocateur, and an early advocate of 'family' entertainments. Taken together, these selections paint a new and more complete portrait of this complex man than has ever been seen before. James W. Cook's "The Colossal P. T. Barnum Reader" is the largest collection of Barnum's works ever produced. Included are excerpts from his pseudo-autobiographical novel "The Adventures of an Adventurer" (1841), his European letters from 1844-46 informing readers of the "New York Atlas" of his regal reception overseas, and a large selection from his "Ancient and Modern Humbugs of the World", Barnum's 1864-65 insider's look into the frauds of nineteenth-century American culture.It offers a glimpse of Tom Thumb's minstrel and singing performances in front of Queen Victoria, Barnum's many fraudulent representations of the supposedly ancient Joice Heth, and a more immediate, less filtered sense of Barnum as cultural and social critic in his serialized writings and travelogues. This volume also features reproductions of difficult to find posters from Barnum's two-decade collaboration with the prominent New York lithographers, Currier and Ives, and vintage photographs. Finally, the reader also helps us to understand Barnum's role in building the modern culture industry. We follow his career from itinerant hawker, hardly distinguishable from his pre-industrial forebears, to manager of the world's first show business empire, with a staff of thousands and brand recognition across four continents. "The Colossal P. T. Barnum Reader" tracks the shifting personas of the great showman, his representational choices, and his publics across the nineteenth century.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Barnum --arguably more than any other nineteenth-century impresario --transcended local cultural markets to cultivate a powerful and pro .table presence on the national and global stage under the guise of providing educational entertainment for diverse audiences of all ages. Using fascinating, funny, and informative sources, Cook offers an excellent showcase of the central role that nineteenth-century showman P. T. Barnum played in laying the foundations of the modern culture industry." Janet M..Davis, author of The Circus Age: Culture and Society under the American Big Top

Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: University of Illinois Press (December 14, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0252030540
• ISBN-13: 978-0252030543
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 6.8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,089,453 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Assigned Text for History Courses, April 26, 2007

By 

Irwin Fletcher (Columbia, MO) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Colossal P. T. Barnum Reader: NOTHING ELSE LIKE IT IN THE UNIVERSE (Paperback)

Let me preface this review by saying that it will center entirely on the using the book in a college-level course. I used this as an assigned text in U.S. history survey in 2007. Frankly, I did not know how students would react to or engage with Barnum. They enjoyed the book and the sparks flew in our classroom discussion. I think this text works much better than Barnum's autobiography as an introduction to Barnum's historical significance. The only small criticism I will make of the book is that it would be even better (for classroom use) with a longer introduction that expands on Barnum's life, career, and historical context. James Cook has written brilliantly on these points, so perhaps a second edition will include a longer introduction. I prepared one lecture to fill in some of these gaps. Also, the first selection, "Adventures of an Adventurer" is very difficult for undergraduates to grasp, so I just omitted it from the assigned reading.