Books by P. T. Barnum

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P.T. Barnum: An Account of humbugs, delusions, impositions, quackeries, deceits and deceivers generally, in all ages, written by the famous expert in the field - P.T. Barnum. Phineas Taylor Barnum (July 5, 1810 - April 7, 1891) was an American showman remembered for hoaxes and for founding the circus that became the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. Barnum never flinched from his stated goal "to put money in his own coffers." He was a businessman, his profession was entertainment, and he was perhaps the first "show business" millionaire. He never said "There's a sucker born every minute" but his rebuttal to critics was often "I am a showman by profession...and all the gilding shall make nothing else of me."

In the United States, where we have more land than people, it is not at all difficult for persons in good health to make money. In this comparatively new field there are so many avenues of success open, so many vocations which are not crowded, that any person of either sex who is willing, at least for the time being, to engage in any respectable occupation that offers, may find lucrative employment.

A tour of hoaxes, tricks and outrageous gimmicks, this book is the product of the American showman P. T. Barnum (1810-91), now famous for observing that 'every crowd has a silver lining'. First published in 1866, it provides an entertaining glimpse into the bizarre world of Victorian 'humbug'.