Barnum: An American Life — Robert Wilson

A man with a complicated reputation gets a biography that finds the sweet spot and hits it out of the park

P.T. Barnum rides the fence of popular American opinion. Some see him as a huckster, a con-man, an early purveyor of “fake news”, and a sign of all that is wrong with America today. Others see him as 2017’s “The Greatest Showman” does: a man who braved all possible obstacles to bring wonder and amazement to the world, and changed the face of entertainment in the process. So whether you study Western classics or modern politics, you may encounter P.T. Barnum and have differing reactions.

Robert Wilson’s new Barnum: An American Life (available in major bookstores now) sets out to highlight these two aspects of Barnum’s life and redirect some of the intense negativity surrounding Barnum’s career. Wilson has a more positive view of Barnum’s life and career that leans toward the “changed the face of entertainment” side of the coin, but he is not afraid to explore the messy decisions Barnum makes and explain the details, including the ethics and magnitude.