The Wonders - by John Woolf (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

A radical history of the extraordinary Freak performers whose talents and disabilities helped define the Victorian era and beyond.

Ladies and gentlemen, step right up...

On 23 March, 1844, General Tom Thumb, at 25 inches tall, entered the Picture Gallery at Buckingham Palace and bowed to Queen Victoria. On both sides of the Atlantic, this event marked a tipping point in the nineteenth century: the age of the 'Freak' was born.

Bewitching all levels of society, the 'Freak Show' was a world of astonishing spectacle and entertainment. But the real stories and human dramas of the performing men, women and children have been marginalised in the histories of the very people who exploited them.

In The Wonders, Dr John Woolf brings to life the history of the Freak show, and how it gave way to some of the great transformations of the age: the birth of showbusiness, celebrity, and 'alternative facts'. The book explores the virtues of the 'Freak' circuit, as well as the ongoing effects of power, fame, exploitation, and our fascination with otherness.

Sometimes tragic, sometimes triumphant, and always extraordinary, The Wonders is the true story of the performers whose talents and disabilities helped define an era.

About the Author

Dr John Woolf is an Irish-British historian, researcher and lecturer. He graduated from the University of Cambridge with two scholarships, before being awarded his PhD on nineteenth-century history at Goldsmiths University. Since then John has worked across TV, radio and film, and has appeared on numerous radio and podcast channels. He currently lectures at Hult International Business School and is an elected Councillor in London.