Synopses & Reviews
Review
"Mention the name Barnum, and you are sure to illicit a sneer. Among others, Southerners hate this quintessential Yankee, the 'polite' point to him as the epitome of crassness, and critics of American materialism abhor this incarnation of exploitation. In this respectful biography, Saxon goes to extraordinary lengths to show that Barnum was really a sympathetic figure—a reform-minded, spiritual sort—who has been misrepresented and misunderstood. This rich and lavishly researched book leaves no issue of Barnum's career unresolved. Unfortunately, this strength is also a weakness. In trying to set the record straight, Saxon gets lost in a minutiae of detail. While it is important to be true to Barnum, it is also revealing to explore the cultural context that sponsored the misconceptions in the first place." Reviewed by Daniel Weiss, Virginia Quarterly Review (Copyright 2006 Virginia Quarterly Review)