American Sideshow: An Encyclopedia of History's Most Wondrous and Curiously Strange Performers

— —

Marc Hartzman (Marc Hartzman)

American Sideshow

An Encyclopedia of History's Most Wondrous and Curiously Strange Performers

Marc Hartzman (Marc Hartzman)

$35

Paperback

Not in-store but you can order this
How long will it take?

Availability Information

We source books from suppliers in Australia and overseas. For books we don't currently have in stock, the time it takes to get them from our suppliers can vary widely - from a few days to a few months - so we check each book with each supplier to determine the expected time it will take to be supplied to us.

We then advise you accordingly. If the time taken to get any book is too long for you, you can let us know and we will cancel or adjust your order, and refund as required.

To find out the anticipated arrival time for specific items prior to ordering, please contact us by phone or email:

Phone +61 2 9264 3111, or 1800 4 BOOKS (1800 4 26657) if outside Sydney:
option 1 Abbey's Bookshop (Crime, History, Science, Kids & more) • info@abbeys.com.au
option 2 Language Book Centre (ESL & Foreign Languages) • language@abbeys.com.au
option 3 Galaxy Bookshop (Sci-fi, Fantasy, Romance, Graphic Novels) • sf@galaxybooks.com.au

QTY:

English

Jeremy P Tarcher
21 September 2006

Circus; Biography: general; History

A fascinating look into the history of the American sideshow and its performers. Learn what's real, what's fake, and what's just downright bizarre.

You've probably heard of Tom Thumb. The Elephant Man. Perhaps even Chang and Eng, the original Siamese twins. But what about Eli Bowen, the legless acrobat? Or Prince Randian, the human torso? These were just a few of the many stars that shone during the heyday of the American sideshow, from 1840 to 1950. American Sideshow chronicles the lives of truly amazing performers, examining these brave and extraordinary curiosities not just as sideshow performers but as people, delving into the lives they led and the ways they were able to triumph over and even benefit from their abnormalities.

American Sideshow discusses the rise and fall of the original sideshows and their subsequent replacement by today's self-made freaks. With the progress of modern medicine, technological advancements, and the wonderful world of body modification, abnormalities are being overcome, treated and even prevented- Siamese twins can now be separated, and in addition to this, tongues can be forked, horns surgically implanted, and earlobes removed. There are also, of course, modern-day giants, fire eaters, sword swallowers, glass eaters, human blockheads, and oh, so much more.

These fascinating personalities are celebrated through intimate biographies paired with stunning photographs. Approximately two hundred performers from the past one hundred and sixty years are featured, giving readers a comprehensive and sometimes astonishing look into the history of the American sideshow

By: Marc Hartzman (Marc Hartzman)
Imprint: Jeremy P Tarcher
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 229mm, Width: 191mm, Spine: 21mm
Weight: 1g
ISBN: 9781585425303
ISBN 10: 1585425303
Pages: 304
Publication Date: 21 September 2006
Recommended Age: From 18 years
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Marc Hartzman has been writing professionally since 1996. He is the author of Found on eBay- 101 Genuinely Bizarre Items from the World's Online Yard Sale.

Reviews for American Sideshow: An Encyclopedia of History's Most Wondrous and Curiously Strange Performers

An original, challenging, and important book: exhaustively researched and convincingly argued. -Jacobite Magazine Rebellion and Savagery brings forth a stimulating and persuasive argument that could well present an implicit corrective to late eighteenth-century British colonial history. -Canadian Journal of History An ambitious study, in line with recent demands for scholarly investigations which would chart the interrelations between the decline of Jacobitism and Britain's colonial project. -Journal of British Studies Historians surrendered the '45 to romance novelists and tourists long ago. Plank has rescued it from their clutches and given cause for us to reevaluate its significance, for both the eighteenth-century British empire and the problems that plague our own time. -H-Net Reviews