"Barnum - arguably more than any other nineteenth-century impresario - transcended local cultural markets to cultivate a powerful and pro .table presence on the national and global stage under the guise of providing educational entertainment for diverse audiences of all ages. Using fascinating, funny, and informative sources, Cook offers an excellent showcase of the central role that nineteenth-century showman P. T. Barnum played in laying the foundations of the modern culture industry." Janet M..Davis, author of The Circus Age: Culture and Society under the American Big Top