Independent | Eco-friendly | Up to 75% off

The Life of P.T. Barnum

This brazenly self-aggrandizing, but entertaining autobiography by Phineas T. Barnum provides a first-hand account of both the grandiose and fraudulent sides of mass American culture in its early stages. In his career as a travelling impresario, libellous newspaper editor and hypocritical public benefactor, he was known for spectacular hoaxes and publicity stunts, as well as Barnum’s American museum, the inspiration for The Greatest Showman.
Postscript description
Read full publisher description

RRP £6.99

£4.99

Only 5 left

Free UK delivery on orders over £25

Product information:
  • Publisher: William Collins
  • Year: 2017
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 398pp
  • Illustrated: No
  • Dimensions: 196x127mm
  • ISBN: 9780008284749
  • Condition: New
  • Weight: 0.3kg
Product code:
513574
Product information
Full publisher description
HarperCollins is proud to present its incredible range of best-loved, essential classics. Meet the greatest entertainer of the 19th Century... In 1834, desperate to create a better life for his family, small-time Connecticut businessman P. T. Barnum moved to New York City. With true entrepreneurial spirit and against all odds, he wowed audiences with his ensemble of musical spectacles, attractions and variety shows - often exploiting the vulnerable for entertainment value. A master showman, his crowning achievement was the world-famous circus, Barnum & Bailey's Greatest Show on Earth. In this account of his life and work, written by the man himself and first published in 1855, P. T. Barnum creates an aura of excitement about himself and his enduring fame, confirming his reputation as the greatest impresario of all time and revealing the controversial decisions that helped him to his fortune.
Read full publisher description
Reasons to shop at Postscript

Independent bookseller
Established in 1987, we’ve been sharing reading recommendations for decades.

Books you won’t find elsewhere
Discover new authors among our frequently changing bookshelves, along with almost-forgotten gems and a wealth of unusual titles you won’t find elsewhere.

Eco-friendly packaging
Orders are carefully packed in recyclable cardboard boxes, eco-friendly bubble wrap and solvent-free labels, paper and tape.

Condition and price
All our books are new, unused and unread, and they’re all up to 75% off RRP.

FREE monthly catalogue
Featuring over 400 handpicked titles, our unique catalogue is carefully curated and includes new and unusual titles, special features and exclusive collections.

Email newsletters
Our tailored newsletters are written by our booksellers, and we always highlight the books that we have talked about most in the Postscript office.

Footnotes blog
Some books spark ideas and conversations that our catalogue can’t contain – our Footnotes blog offers a deeper dive into a wealth of topics to inspire further reading.

Aftercare
We are all serious book people and we understand the value of reading. This is why we package our books so carefully and employ a helpful in-house customer services team to promptly resolve any queries you may have.

Delivery information - FREE UK delivery on orders over £25

UK

Free UK standard delivery on all online orders over £25

Flat rate for all standard delivery orders: ‬£3.00 (3-5 working days)

Flat rate for Next Day orders (orders must be placed before 1pm, Monday–Friday): ‬£4.50

Flat rate for all Royal Mail Tracked48 orders: ‬£5.50 (2-4 working days)

Standard delivery‭: ‬3-5‭ ‬working days‭ (‬Highlands and Islands 5-7‭ ‬working days‭)‬

Next day delivery‭: ‬Available all UK excluding Highlands and Islands

Collect your order from a local shop – prices and delivery times as above

Overseas

All orders‭: ‬delivery costs for orders outside the UK are based on country of destination and product weight.

You can view your overseas delivery cost using the Summary section within the Basket‭.‬

For more information on delivery/overseas orders please refer to our Delivery Information.