Description

Book Synopsis
Reveals the 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. This title tracks the shifting personas of the great showman and his representational choices.

Trade 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

The Colossal P. T. Barnum Reader

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    A Paperback / softback by P T. Barnum, James W. Cook

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      View other formats and editions of The Colossal P. T. Barnum Reader by P T. Barnum

      Publisher: University of Illinois Press
      Publication Date: Publication Date: 14/12/2005
      ISBN13: 9780252072956, 978-0252072956
      ISBN10: 0252072952

      Description

      Book Synopsis
      Reveals the 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. This title tracks the shifting personas of the great showman and his representational choices.

      Trade 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

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