Barnum Presents General Tom Thumb

Here is a delightful, intimate biography of one of America's most famous citizens - a person who was small in stature but amazingly great in experience and adventure. Little did anyone realize in 1838 when Charles Sherwood Stratton was born that he would stop growing at the age of five months. All of his family were normal size but little Charles, who, although his mind developed faster than most children's, remained midget-size throughout his whole fantastic life. This was "Tom Thumb." Discovered by P.T. Barnum, the showman, at the age of four, and presented at his American Museum in New York, Tom Thumb's career was unbelievably successful. This jolly little man with his lively antics charmed audiences all over America. He toured Europe and was entertained by royalty. He became rich and world-famous. His marriage to tiny Lavinia Warren in 1863 was one of the most spectacular of Mr. Barnum's presentations. The author's careful research, her personal enthusiasm and sympathy for Tom Thumb, and the remarkable photographs she collected to illustrate this book, make this not only a fascinating story but an important historical record of life in America.