Barnums Own Story, P.T. Barnum
Barnums Own Story, P.T. Barnum
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Barnum's Own Story
The Autobiography of P. T. Barnum

Author: P.T. Barnum

Narrator: David Colacci

Unabridged: 16 hr 42 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 06/25/2019

Synopsis

P. T. Barnum's career of showmanship and charlatanry was marked by a surprising undercurrent of honesty and forthrightness. His exuberant autobiography forms a happy combination of all those traits, revealing the whole story of his world-famous hoaxes and publicity stunts. Here is a pageant of nineteenth-century America's gullibility and thirst for marvels, as told by the master of revels himself.

A born storyteller, Barnum recalls his association with Tom Thumb, his audience with Queen Victoria, and his trouble keeping Jenny Lind's angelic image intact during a trying tour. He tells of Jumbo, the most famous elephant in history, from the creature's heroic arrival in America to its tragic death in a railroad accident; of his attempts to transfer Shakespeare's house and Madame Tussaud's Waxworks from England to New York; and of his triumphant reentry into public life after financial failure and five disastrous fires had all but wiped him out. The true-life tale of a man of boundless imagination and indomitable energy, Barnum's autobiography embodies the spirit of America's most exciting boom years.

About P.T. Barnum

P. T. Barnum (1810-1891) formed the circus that came to be known as The Greatest Show on Earth. A brash, larger-than-life entrepreneur, he transformed the nature of commercial entertainment in the 19th century, from his private museum of curiosities to his big-top extravaganzas. Barnum introduced audiences to General Tom Thumb, Jumbo the elephant, and Jenny Lind, "The Swedish nightingale," among other sensations. He concluded his career by serving two terms in the legislature of his home state, Connecticut, and as the mayor of Bridgeport.

Reviews

Goodreads review by T.A. on January 20, 2022

Inspiring - no other words for this book and this man. Barnum - the legend!......more

Goodreads review by David on July 10, 2021

With this being an autobiography it is a bit biased and kind of glossed over the fact PT Barnum was kind of an asshole, and exploited people. Aside from that though it was interesting to see how he came to be and how his name became so synonymous with Americana through the side shows and circus.......more

Goodreads review by Adam on February 20, 2025

This is an edited conglomeration of multiple of Barnum’s autobiographical works, but his style of writing about independent chunks of his life makes it seem like one single work. It’s an incredibly interesting life from a completely different time period of western history. It feels longer than nece......more

Goodreads review by John on December 21, 2021

I wrote my longest GoodReads review for this book and my iPad courteously erased the whole thing. Very frustrating. This book is phenomenal! What a person Barnum was. His joie de vive, or whatever it is, helped propel him to great longevity, 82 years, I believe. His treatment of humans and animals wou......more

Goodreads review by Edgar on January 03, 2025

Before picking up P.T. Barnum’s Own Story, I knew little about the man beyond the surface – a circus, a showman, and maybe some tall tales. What I discovered was a roller coaster of ambition, failure, reinvention, and relentless belief in the extraordinary. Barnum’s life reads like a blueprint for t......more

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