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Start giftingTom Thumb
The Remarkable True Story of a Man in Miniature
Narrator
Barry Press
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Length
3 hours 15 minutes
Language
English
When Charles S. Stratton was born in 1838, he seemed perfect in every way. But then he stopped growing. At age four, though a happy and mischievous child, he was just over two feet tall and weighed fifteen pounds—the exact size he had been as a seven-month-old baby. It was then that P. T. Barnum persuaded Charley's family to allow him to exhibit their son in his museum and tour him around the world as a curiosity. Tom Thumb, as Barnum dubbed him, was a natural performer. He became enormously popular and wealthy, more so than any other performer before him, in large part due to the marketing genius of Barnum.
In this spirited biography—the first on its subject—George Sullivan recounts the fascinating adventures of the real Tom Thumb, and also raises challenging questions about what constitutes exploitation—both in the nineteenth century and today.
George Sullivan writes books of fact, history, and biography for children and young adults. He has more than one hundred titles to his credit. They cover a wide range of subjects, from auto racing to hydroponics, from civil engineering to the Civil War. Publishers Weekly said that Sullivan “has mastered the art of writing simply and directly, making complex subjects understandable and interesting.” Photography and photographers have been the subjects of some of his recent books. His interest in photography goes beyond just writing about it. He sometimes takes the photographs that are used to illustrate his work. Recent books of his include: Knockout! A Photobiography of Joe Louis, Helen Keller: Her Life in Pictures, and Berenice Abbott, Photographer: An Independent Vision. George Sullivan lives with his wife in New York City.
Barry Press has been an active professional actor, director, and teacher for over thirty-five years. He has performed off Broadway and at numerous regional theaters from Alaska to Florida. He is founder and artistic director of Living Literature, a Rhode Island–based literacy program.
Reviews
“Well organized and clearly written, this solid biography offers a vivid portrayal of Stratton and makes a strong case for Tom Thumb as America’s first celebrity.”
“While Sullivan touches on the subject of exploitation and the limited understanding of dwarfism in Stratton’s era, his subject emerges not as a victim but as an individual whose talents earned him the public's admiration and a place in history.”
“Tom’s personal and professional relationships with Barnum make this biography a superb complement to Candace Fleming’s The Great and Only Barnum.”
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