Phineas Taylor Barnum (181091) was the greatest showman this country has ever produced. Not only did he define American popular culture of the 19th century, exploiting our natural fascination with freaks and oddities, Barnum also shaped the promotion of entertainment with his unique understanding of the American psyche. In this lavishly illustrated volume, the Kunhardts (whose companion TV documentary will air on the Discovery Channel in October) present Barnum's long career, which began when he was 12, selling lottery tickets in his hometown of Danbury, Conn. Moving to New York City at age 15, he worked at a variety of jobs until he hit upon his first great hoax: Joice Heth, the black slave who Barnum claimed was 161 years old and George Washington's former nurse. With her, Barnum made the great discovery that Americans love a good humbug, a premise from which he launched his career, promoting such memorable entertainers as Jenny Lind, ``The Swedish Nightingale''; General Tom Thumb; and the original Siamese twins, Chang and Eng. Barnum fascinated generations of Americans. This book is likely to create a whole new crop of adoring fans.
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 1995
ISBN: 0-679-43574-3
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1995
Stricter than, say, Bergen Evans or W3 ("disinterested" means impartial — period), Strunk is in the last analysis...
Privately published by Strunk of Cornell in 1918 and revised by his student E. B. White in 1959, that "little book" is back again with more White updatings.
Stricter than, say, Bergen Evans or W3 ("disinterested" means impartial — period), Strunk is in the last analysis (whoops — "A bankrupt expression") a unique guide (which means "without like or equal").Pub Date: May 15, 1972
ISBN: 0205632645
Page Count: 105
Publisher: Macmillan
Review Posted Online: Oct. 28, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 1972
This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)
Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996
ISBN: 0-15-100227-4
Page Count: 136
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996
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