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"I am a showman by profession...and all the gilding shall make nothing else of me."

He has been called America's greatest entertainer. The founder of P.T. Barnum and Bailey Circus always found ways to captivate and please audiences wherever he went.

Reckless and brash are terms that can be safely applied to this business man. He often bragged about his abilities to create an environment for entertainment. And he profited from it handsomely.

This autobiography follows his life through his many ventures which shape his legacy in the entertainment industry. In fact, it is thought that he brought many elements together which form the very foundations of entertainment as we know it today. The showcasing of the odd, out of place, and strangely talented was his modus operandi.

Not only was he a great showman, but he also helped others become famous in this profession as well. Among the names are General Tom Thumb, and singer Jenny Lind. There are chapters devoted to these and others. Barnum took great financial risk in bringing these to the audiences of America and Europe, but he always seemed to make money no matter the amount of speculation required.

He is attributed with the wise use of the railroad system in America at the time, since there was no better way to transport his circus and animals from place to place. He not only was known for the traveling circus, but also for museums as well. But his venues were not that important only as they served as a backdrop for his ability to amaze and capture the attention of his audiences.

Barnum, being a lightning rod of controversy, was always in the spotlight in his attempts to make public policy less adverse to his business. There were always the naysayers and skeptics, but that is what kept his industry alive and thriving. Often called a fraud, Barnum said "I don't believe in duping the public, but I believe in first attracting them and then pleasing them."

He also built a large theatre and single-handedly turned public perception of theaters from "dens of evil" to places of entertainment and delight. He opened them up for families to enjoy together.

His venture into the circus realm, curiously, did not come until he was 61. He eventually teamed up with James Bailey to create the "P.T. Barnum's Greatest Show on Earth, And the Great London Circus, Sanger's Royal British Menagerie and The Grand International Allied Shows United." Later it was changed to "Barnum & London Circus." His greatest audience draw was Jumbo and African Elephant that he purchased from the London Zoo.

In spite of his rough exterior, and probably, more because of it, he became a success. His sheer will to be good at what he did was evident in everything he attempted.

The man who brought us "The Greatest Show on Earth" tells his story...

About the Author:

Phineus Taylor Barnum understood the use of words, and published this autobiography along with several others books. He used this book more than the others in self-promotion and was hugely successful in it.

His other books were "The Humbugs of the World" (1865), "Struggles and Triumphs" (1869), and "The Art of Money-Getting" 1880.

The use of hype or "humbug" as he called it was his trademark.

Categories:  Sales,  Biography,  Marketing