THE WORLD'S GREATEST SHOWMAN

by J. III Bryan ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 24, 1956

The age of P.T. Barnum and P.T. Barnum himself are given top and lively billing by J. Bryan III, whose magazine articles on places and personalities are already bringing him a good audience too. The Barnum family background- six generations of Connecticut, yankees- comes first and along with it, the matrix of traditions that made P. T. a man who neither confirmed or denied a thing and who followed a pattern that distinguished between dishonesty and misrepresentation to gain its own ends. From then on it is a tale of wildest and most fantastic success in the 1800's, with the fascinating details of museum purchase, of Tom Thumb the Midget who wowed them in America and wowed them in Europe, of Iranisten the Bridgeport house, of the first elephants in the U.S.A., of fire, bankruptcy and wild success again. The joining with Bailey puts the top on the tent and forecasts a future of three ring extravaganzas we're still crazy about. Good reading.

Pub Date: Sept. 24, 1956

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Random House

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 1956

Categories: NONFICTION