Struggles and Triumphs, or Forty Years' of Recollections of P.T. Barnum, written by Himself


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The 1873 edition of the autobiography of the founding genius of the "Greatest Show on Earth," P.T. (Phineas Taylor) Barnum. It details his life and business struggles up to the year 1872. Not only a showman and a museum operator, but an antislavery politician, Connecticut state legislator, Mayor of Bridgeport, Connecticut, and temperance lecturer, Barnum lays aside some of the gilding to provide his thoughts on his career, economics, how to make money, and other issues of the day. - Summary by DrPGould

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Preface 5:24 Read by DrPGould
Chapter 1 Early Life 26:15 Read by Josip B.
Chapter 2 Incidents and Anecdotes 17:49 Read by Josip B.
Chapter 3 In Business for Myself 23:24 Read by Lazlo
Chapter 4 Struggles for a Livelihood 21:49 Read by Nancy Gorgen
Chapter 5 My Start as a Showman, Part 1 16:04 Read by Phil Chenevert
Chapter 5 My Start as a Showman, Part 2 13:17 Read by Phil Chenevert
Chapter 6 My First Travelling Company, Part 1 14:31 Read by Ciufi Galeazzi
Chapter 6 My First Travelling Company, Part 2 17:06 Read by Ciufi Galeazzi
Chapter 7 At the Foot of the Ladder 20:36 Read by garybclayton
Chapter 8 The American Museum, Part 1 16:12 Read by Ciufi Galeazzi
Chapter 8 The American Museum, Part 2 14:15 Read by Ciufi Galeazzi
Chapter 9 The Road to Riches, Part 1 15:44 Read by garybclayton
Chapter 9 The Road to Riches, Part 2 22:32 Read by garybclayton
Chapter 10 Another Successful Speculation, Part 1 9:24 Read by Stephen Marsh
Chapter 10 Another Successful Speculation, Part 2 16:32 Read by Nancy Gorgen
Chapter 11 General Tom Thumb in England 21:13 Read by Ciufi Galeazzi
Chapter 12 In France, Part 1 19:06 Read by Nancy Gorgen
Chapter 12 In France, Part 2 22:15 Read by Nancy Gorgen
Chapter 13 In Belgium, Part 1 10:55 Read by Stephen Marsh
Chapter 13 In Belgium, Part 2 12:59 Read by Nancy Gorgen
Chapter 14 In England Again, Part 1 12:16 Read by Matthew M. Benzing
Chapter 14 In England Again, Part 2 15:43 Read by Matthew M. Benzing
Chapter 15 Return to America, Part 1 13:06 Read by Nancy Gorgen
Chapter 15 Return to America, Part 2 15:05 Read by Nancy Gorgen
Chapter 16 At Home, Part 1 12:52 Read by Nancy Gorgen
Chapter 16 At Home, Part 2 14:16 Read by Nancy Gorgen
Chapter 17 The Jenny Lind Enterprise, Part 1 19:20 Read by Nancy Gorgen
Chapter 17 The Jenny Lind Enterprise, Part 2 10:02 Read by Nancy Gorgen
Chapter 18 The Nightingale in New York, Part 1 16:13 Read by Nancy Gorgen
Chapter 18 The Nightingale in New York, Part 2 14:13 Read by Nancy Gorgen
Chapter 19 Successful Management, Part 1 18:47 Read by Nancy Gorgen
Chapter 19 Successful Management, Part 2 18:25 Read by Nancy Gorgen
Chapter 20 Incidents of the Tour, Part 1 14:58 Read by Nancy Gorgen
Chapter 20 Incidents of the Tour, Part 2 13:53 Read by Nancy Gorgen
Chapter 21 Jenny Lind 17:35 Read by Nancy Gorgen
Chapter 22 Close of the Campaign 38:00 Read by Nancy Gorgen
Chapter 23 Other Enterprises, Part 1 13:28 Read by Nancy Gorgen
Chapter 23 Other Enterprises, Part 2 16:27 Read by Nancy Gorgen
Chapter 24 Work and Play, Part 1 10:20 Read by garybclayton
Chapter 24 Work and Play, Part 2 14:12 Read by garybclayton
Chapter 25 The Jerome Clock Company Entanglement 18:54 Read by garybclayton
Chapter 26 Clouds and Sunshine, Part 1 12:11 Read by garybclayton
Chapter 26 Clouds and Sunshine, Part 2 14:10 Read by garybclayton
Chapter 27 Rest, but not Rust 16:52 Read by Nancy Gorgen
Chapter 28 Abroad Again 19:03 Read by Nancy Gorgen
Chapter 29 In Germany 19:12 Read by Nancy Gorgen
Chapter 30 In Holland, Part 1 9:42 Read by Foon
Chapter 30 In Holland, Part 2 13:25 Read by Foon
Chapter 31 The Art of Money Getting, Part 1 16:38 Read by Jared Hinde
Chapter 31 The Art of Money Getting, Part 2 20:39 Read by Jared Hinde
Chapter 31 The Art of Money Getting, Part 3 22:14 Read by Jared Hinde
Chapter 31 The Art of Money Getting, Part 4 21:41 Read by Jared Hinde
Chapter 31 The Art of Money Getting, Part 5 15:11 Read by Jared Hinde
Chapter 32 An Enterprising Englishman 17:23 Read by StudioMike
Chapter 33 Richard's Himself Again 21:51 Read by StudioMike
Chapter 34 Menagerie and Museum Memoranda, Part 1 18:46 Read by Matthew M. Benzing
Chapter 34 Menagerie and Museum Memoranda, Part 2 16:46 Read by Matthew M. Benzing
Chapter 35 East Bridgeport 22:17 Read by Nancy Gorgen
Chapter 36 More about the Museum Part 1 18:57 Read by BettyB
Chapter 36 More about the Museum Part 2 20:48 Read by BettyB
Chapter 37 Mr. and Mrs. General Tom Thumb, Part 1 12:24 Read by Ciufi Galeazzi
Chapter 37 Mr. and Mrs. General Tom Thumb, Part 2 15:13 Read by Ciufi Galeazzi
Chapter 37 Mr. and Mrs. General Tom Thumb, Part 3 22:37 Read by Ciufi Galeazzi
Chapter 38 Political and Personal, Part 1 20:27 Read by Matthew M. Benzing
Chapter 38 Political and Personal, Part 2 16:03 Read by Matthew M. Benzing
Chapter 38 Political and Personal, Part 3 15:04 Read by Matthew M. Benzing
Chapter 39 The American Museum in Ruins, Part 1 21:29 Read by Lynda Marie Neilson
Chapter 39 The American Museum in Ruins, Part 2 24:07 Read by Lynda Marie Neilson
Chapter 40 My War on the Railroads, Part 1 17:39 Read by Lynda Marie Neilson
Chapter 40 My War on the Railroads, Part 2 22:55 Read by Lynda Marie Neilson
Chapter 41 Bennett and the Herald 18:51 Read by Ciufi Galeazzi
Chapter 42 Public Lecturing, Part 1 14:07 Read by Ciufi Galeazzi
Chapter 42 Public Lecturing, Part 2 15:48 Read by Ciufi Galeazzi
Chapter 43 The New Museum, Part 1 14:20 Read by Ciufi Galeazzi
Chapter 43 The New Museum, Part 2 15:00 Read by Ciufi Galeazzi
Chapter 44 Curious Coincidences--Number Thirteen 15:54 Read by garybclayton
Chapter 45 A Story Chapter, Part 1 24:31 Read by Lynda Marie Neilson
Chapter 45 A Story Chapter, Part 2 21:55 Read by Lynda Marie Neilson
Chapter 45 A Story Chapter, Part 3 22:50 Read by Lynda Marie Neilson
Chapter 45 A Story Chapter, Part 4 23:59 Read by Lynda Marie Neilson
Chapter 46 Sea-Side Park 23:36 Read by Nancy Gorgen
Chapter 47 Waldemere 25:36 Read by Nancy Gorgen
Appendix 1, Part 1 26:21 Read by Lynda Marie Neilson
Appendix 1, Part 2 24:20 Read by Lynda Marie Neilson
Appendix 1, Part 3 34:34 Read by Lynda Marie Neilson
Appendix 1, Part 4 24:27 Read by Lynda Marie Neilson
Appendix 1, Part 5 22:04 Read by Lynda Marie Neilson
Appendix 2, Part 1 20:35 Read by Lynda Marie Neilson
Appendix 2, Part 2 27:08 Read by Lynda Marie Neilson