The Colossal P. T. Barnum Reader
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The Colossal P. T. Barnum Reader by Phineas T Barnum
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.
"Barnum - arguably more than any other nineteenth-century impresario - transcended local cultural markets to cultivate a powerful and protable 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
James W. Cook is an associate professor of history and American culture at the University of Michigan. He is the author of The Arts of Deception: Playing with Fraud in the Age of Barnum.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9780252072956 |
| ISBN 10 | 0252072952 |
| Title | The Colossal P. T. Barnum Reader |
| Author | Phineas T Barnum |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Paperback |
| Publisher | University of Illinois Press |
| Year published | 2005-12-14 |
| Number of pages | 272 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |