Other editions of book Life of P. T. Barnum

HarperCollins is proud to present its incredible range of best-loved, essential classics.Meet the greatest entertainer of the 19th Century…In 1834, desperate to create a better life for his family, small-time Connecticut businessman P. T. Barnum moved to New York City. With true entrepreneurial spirit and against all odds, he wowed audiences with his ensemble of musical spectacles, attractions and variety shows – often exploiting the vulnerable for entertainment value. A master showman, his crowning achievement was the world-famous circus, Barnum & Bailey’s Greatest Show on Earth.In this account of his life and work, written by the man himself and first published in 1855, P. T. Barnum creates an aura of excitement about himself and his enduring fame, confirming his reputation as the greatest impresario of all time and revealing the controversial decisions that helped him to his fortune.

Those who peruse this volume will see that my career has been truly a checkered one. I have been a farmer's boy and a merchant, a clerk and a manager, a showman and a bank-president. I have been in jails and in palaces; have known poverty and abundance ; have traveled over a large portion of two Continents ; have encountered all varieties of men, have seen every phase of human character and I have on several occasions been in imminent personal peril.

This is the story of P.T. Barnum, the world-renowned showman, written by the man himself. It tells of "his early life and struggles; bold ventures and brilliant successes; wonderful career in which he made and lost fortunes, captivated kings, queens, nobility, and millions of people; his genius, wit, eloquence, public benefactor, [and] life as a citizen." It is "a remarkable story, abounding in fascinating incidents, thrilling episodes, and marvelous achievements." Barnum wrote, "That my narrative is interspersed with amusing incidents, and even the recital of some very practical jokes, is simply because my natural disposition impels me to look upon the brighter side of life, and I hope my humorous experiences will entertain my readers as much as they were enjoyed by myself."

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

This is the story of P.T. Barnum, the world-renowned showman, written by the man himself. It tells of "his early life and struggles; bold ventures and brilliant successes; wonderful career in which he made and lost fortunes, captivated kings, queens, nobility, and millions of people; his genius, wit, eloquence, public benefactor, [and] life as a citizen." It is "a remarkable story, abounding in fascinating incidents, thrilling episodes, and marvelous achievements." Barnum wrote, "That my narrative is interspersed with amusing incidents, and even the recital of some very practical jokes, is simply because my natural disposition impels me to look upon the brighter side of life, and I hope my humorous experiences will entertain my readers as much as they were enjoyed by myself."

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it.This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. To ensure a quality reading experience, this work has been proofread and republished using a format that seamlessly blends the original graphical elements with text in an easy-to-read typeface.We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

In these pages I have given the true history of my many adventures, and the numerous enterprises in which I have been engaged. Those who peruse this volume will see that my career has been truly a checkered one. I have been a farmers boy and a merchant, a clerk and a manager, a showman and a bank-president. I have been in jails and in palaces; have known poverty and abundance; have travelled over a large portion of two Continents; have encountered all varieties of men, have seen every phase of human character ;and I have on several occasions been in imminent personal peril. - -- :I nall this I have had some sad experiences, but, on the whole, my life has been a merry one, I have looked chiefly on the bright side of things, and from the various anecdotes with which this volume is interspersed some of mv readers may think I have inclined too much to the ludicrous.(Typographical errors above are due to OCR software and don't occur in the book.)About the Publisher Forgotten Books is a publisher of historical writings, such as: Philosophy, Classics, Science, Religion, History, Folklore and Mythology.Forgotten Books' Classic Reprint Series utilizes the latest technology to regenerate facsimiles of historically important writings. Careful attention has been made to accurately preserve the original format of each page whilst digitally enhancing the aged text. Read books online for free at

This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book.

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1855 edition. Excerpt: ... CHAPTER X. EUROPEAN TOUR TOM THUMB. Embarkation for 'England--Farewell Thoughts--The Tobacco Trick--Courtesy for a Fee--A Yankee Guide--Gloomy Prospects--Gleam of Sunshine--Value of Dwarfs--The London Manager--Nobility Excluded--Mr. Everett--Visit at Rothschild's--Golden Showers--Lessons in Etiquette--Tom Thumb before the Queen--Backing Out--Tom and the Poodle-- The Prince of Wales--Royalty and Yankee Doodle--Fashionable Popularity--The Queen Dowager--The Iron Duke and Bonaparte--The Emperor Nicholas--Review at Windsor-- Louis Philippe--Royal Industry--Field of Waterloo--Deceased Military Friends--An unexpected Smash--Custom of the Country--A Soaker--Barber-ous Proceedings--Brummagem Relics--Worth makes the Man--Golden Calves--A Day with Albert Smith--Who is Shakspe;ire ?--Guy of Warwick--A Flock of Showmen--A Great Day's Work--Castle-hunting--Yankee Curiosity--A Lucky Pile--An American Prince--Suspicious Sausages-- Anecdote of Franklin--Electric Glory--Distinguished Americans--The General at Home --Twenty-five Cents' Worth--Tour in the United States--The General in Cuba--Raising Turkeys. On Thursday, January 18, 1844,1 stepped on board the new and splendid packet ship Yorkshire, Capt. D. G. Bailey, bound for Liverpool. My party consisted of Gen. Tom Thumb, both his parents, his tutor, Professor Guillaudeu the French naturalist, and myself. The City Brass Band kindly volunteered to escort us to Sandy Hook, and we were accompanied by many of our personal friends. At half-past one oWock, the bell of one of the steamers that towed our ship down the bay, announced the hour of separation. There was the usual bustle, the rapidly-spoken yet often-repeated words of farewell, the cordial grip of friendship--and I acknowledge that I was decidedly...

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work.This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

Originally published in the United States in 1855, P.T. Barnum recounts "the true history" of his adventures and the many enterprises in which he had engaged. A fascinating and-to say the least-colorful man, Barnum regales us with a storied chronicle of his checkered career, where he had been everything from farmer's boy to small town merchant to bank president and, ultimately, a master showman. He had frequented jails and palaces, known poverty and wealth, traveled over a large portion of two continents, and had seen all varieties of people and characters. This light-hearted, intriguing history will endeavor the reader to laugh at the antics of this inimitable showman, who, interestingly enough, never coined the phrase, "There's a sucker born every minute." PHINEAS TAYLOR ("P.T.") BARNUM (1810-1891) is one of the most peculiarly famous personalities in American history. A consummate showman and entrepreneur, Barnum was famous for bringing both high and low culture to American audiences. From the melodious opera singer Jenny Lind to the bizarre hoax of the Feejee Mermaid, from the clever and quite diminutive Tom Thumb to Jumbo the Elephant, Barnum's oddities, spectacles, galas, extravaganzas, and events tickled the fancies of Americans of all ages.