{"title":"John Woolf","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"wonders-book-john-woolf-9781782439936","title":"The Wonders","description":"The untold story of the Victorian freak show and circus, and the remarkable cast of characters who performed in them. The book will chart some of the great transformations of the age: the birth of celebrity, of showbusiness, of advertising, of alternative facts.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49568874758417,"sku":"GOR009816864","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":50320632873233,"sku":"GOR013926265","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":50399776080145,"sku":"CIN1782439935G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ LIKE_NEW \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":50965346746641,"sku":"GOR010340740","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ WELL_READ \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":51588580180241,"sku":"GOR014338437","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1782439935.jpg?v=1750766964"},{"product_id":"wonders-book-john-woolf-9781643132204","title":"The Wonders","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Wonders\u003c\/i\u003e is a radical new history of the Victorian age: meet the forgotten and extraordinary freak performers whose talents and disabilities helped define an era. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOn 23 March, 1844, General Tom Thumb, at 25 inches tall, entered the Picture Gallery at Buckingham Palace and bowed low to Queen Victoria. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOn both sides of the Atlantic, this meeting marked a tipping point in the 19th century - the age of the freak was born. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBewitching all levels of society, it was a world of astonishing spectacle - of dwarfs, giants, bearded ladies, Siamese twins and swaggering showmen - and one that has since inspired countless novels, films and musicals. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBut the real stories (human dramas that so often eclipsed the fantasy presented on the stage) of the performing men, women and children have been forgotten or marginalised in the histories of the very people who exploited them. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn this richly evocative account, Dr John Woolf uses a wealth of recently discovered material to bring to life the sometimes tragic, sometimes triumphant, always extraordinary stories of people who used their (dis)abilities and difference to become some of the first international celebrities.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAnd through their lives we discover afresh some of the great transformations of the age: the birth of show business, of celebrity, of advertising, of 'alternative facts'; while also exploring the tensions between the power of fame, the impact of exploitation and our fascination with 'otherness'.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":50336171360529,"sku":"CIN1643132202G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ VERY_GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":51853205045521,"sku":"CIN1643132202VG","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1643132202.jpg?v=1750895782"}],"url":"https:\/\/www.worldofbooks.com\/collections\/author-books-by-john-woolf.oembed","provider":"World of Books ","version":"1.0","type":"link"}