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This auction is for an original 1872 edition of "STRUGGLES AND TRIUMPHS: OR, FORTY YEARS' RECOLLECTIONS OF P. T. BARNUM" written by Himself, published by Warren, Johnson. YOU'LL LOVE THIS BOOK!!!  It is a complete biography to April, 1872.  This absorbing book comprises the history of Barnum's boyhood, youth, vicissitudes of early years, Herculean struggles, brilliant enterprises, astonishing successes, disastrous losses, Napoleonic triumphs, his reception by Kings, Queens, Emperors and Nobility everywhere, his genius, wit, generosity, eloquence, Christianity and so much more. It is the review of almost half a century of work, struggle and successes in spite of fraud and fire, all of which is blended with amusing anecdotes, funny passages, jokes, novel experiences and remarkable interviews.  Barnum's autobiography is filled with the excitement that he was able to generate all his life with his ventures. Barnum made his audiences thrill to the performances he shared with them. Phineas T. Barnum wore many hats, so to speak, in his lifetime: Barnum the Author, Debunker, Politician and Reformer; however, he is best known as the American showman who entertained hoaxes and founded the circus that eventually became "Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus." His eagerness to introduce the world to people such as General and Mrs. Tom Thumb and Jenny Lind was genuine. This book contains 870 fascinating pages, beautifully illustrated, expanding in detail his early years, his business life, the many ventures he tried, and the most interesting people he encountered (GRIZZLY ADAMS, TOM THUMB, JENNY LIND & MORE). Barnum believed in publicity, therefore, an autobiography was one of Barnum's more successful methods of self-promotion. The autobiography was so popular that some people made a point of acquiring and reading each edition. Some collectors were known to boast they had a copy of every edition in their library. Often referred to as the "Prince of Humbugs," Barnum saw nothing wrong in entertainers or vendors using hype (or "humbug," as he termed it) in their promotional material, just as long as the public was getting good value for its money. However, he was contemptuous of those who made money through fraudulent deceptions, especially the spiritualist mediums popular in his day. He gave lectures on how to make money (all over the world) and then how to keep it. Barnum was significantly involved in the politics surrounding race, slavery, and sectionalism in the period leading up the American Civil War. Barnum was involved (both as performer and promoter) in blackface minstrelsy. According to Eric Lott, Barnum's minstrel shows were often more double-edged in their humor than most at this period. While still replete with racist stereotypes, Barnum's shows also satirized white racial attitudes. Promotion of minstrel shows led indirectly to his sponsorship in 1853 of H. J. Conway's politically watered-down stage version of Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin. The play, at Barnum's American Museum, gave the story a happy ending, with Tom and various other slaves freed. The success of this Uncle Tom's Cabin led, in turn, to his promotion of a production of a play based on Stowe's "Dred: A Tale of the Great Dismal Swamp." By 1860, Barnum had become a Republican.  While he claimed "politics were always distasteful to me," Barnum was elected to the Connecticut legislature in 1865 as the Republican representative for Fairfield and served two terms. In the debate over slavery and African-American suffrage with the ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, Barnum spoke eloquently before the legislature and said, in part, "A human soul is not to be trifled with. It may inhabit the body of a Chinaman, a Turk, an Arab or a Hottentot - it is still an immortal spirit!" He ran for the United States Congress in 1867 and lost.  In 1875, Barnum was elected mayor of Bridgeport, Connecticut for a one year term and worked vigorously to improve the city water supply, bring gas lighting to the streets, and strictly enforce liquor and prostitution laws. Barnum was instrumental in starting Bridgeport Hospital, founded in 1878, and served as its first president. He developed the concept of a hippodrome in Boston and then promptly transported the whole building by railroad to Philadelphia, Baltimore, Cincinnati and once again back to New York. He died on the 7th of April 1891. Published in 1872, this book is in FAIR - GOOD CONDITION! for its age and especially to be 136 YEARS OLD!!! Its only major flaw is cracked hinges and expected foxing throughout. There is normal wear and tear for a book this age, however, for the most part it is a wonderful read! All pages are present and the book is firmly bound.  It is beautifully illustrated with LOTS OF ILLUSTRATIONS!!! This antiquarian gem won't last long so...GET IT WHILE YOU CAN!!! We accept personal checks and money orders only. NO PAYPAL. 

GOOD LUCK!!!