Topsy : the startling story of the crooked-tailed elephant, P.T. Barnum, and the American wizard, Thomas Edison / Michael Daly.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Daly, Michael, 1952-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Topsy (Elephant).

Elephants.

Circus animals.

Barnum, P. T. (Phineas Taylor), 1810-1891.

Barnum, P. T.

Circus owners--United States--Biography.

Circus owners.

Electrocution.

United States.

Edison, Thomas A. (Thomas Alva), 1847-1931.

Edison, Thomas A.

Inventors--United States--Biography.

Inventors.

Circus--United States--History.

Circus.

History.

Electrocution--Experiments.

Genre:

Biographies.

Physical Description:

viii, 369 pages, 8 pages of plates : illustrations ; 24 cm

Edition:

First Edition.

Place of Publication:

New York : Atlantic Monthly Press, [2013]

Summary:

Describes how a circus elephant named Topsy was electrocuted in 1903 with 6,600 volts of alternating current as proof that it was much more dangerous than direct current in an ongoing dispute between Thomas Edison and George Westinghouse.

Contents:

The 200-pound baby

The Elephant

Barnum

The Elephantine Expedition

Ugly

The War between the States, the Battle of the Dwarfs

4-Paw

The fire, the plowing elephant, the panic, and the "dusky attendant"

Crooked tale, crooked tail

The continued magic of kindness and the first beauty contest

The Wizard

The White Elephant War

Eph's escape, pickpockets, and pink lemonade

The Tree of Knowledge and the Fearless Frogman

Another war begins

The executioner's experiments

The Chair

Westinghoused

Reading your own obituary

The great name vanishes

Topsy somersaults, gold dust and Duncan get a home

The Wizard's latest marvel and so many elephants

Sid Sorrows, Topsy traipses

Topsy and the tormentor

From Lady Moody to the billion-dollar smile

"Here I am! Here I am! Where are you?"

The big swim.

Notes:

Includes index.

ISBN:

9780802119049

0802119042

OCLC:

850420895