Topsy : the startling story of the crooked-tailed elephant, P.T. Barnum, and the American wizard, Thomas Edison
(Book)
Author
Published
New York : Atlantic Monthly Press, [2013].
Edition
First Edition.
ISBN
0802119042 (hc.), 9780802119049 (hc.)
Physical Desc
viii, 369 pages, 8 pages of plates : illustrations ; 24 cm
Status
Copies
| Location | Call Number | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Concord - Adult | 791.32 Daly | On Shelf |
| Watertown - Adult | 791.32 DAL 2013 | On Shelf |
| Weston - Adult | 791.32 DAL | On Shelf |
More Details
Published
New York : Atlantic Monthly Press, [2013].
Format
Book
Edition
First Edition.
Language
English
ISBN
0802119042 (hc.), 9780802119049 (hc.)
Notes
General Note
Includes index.
Description
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.
Description
At the turn of the century, the circus in America was at its apex with the circuses of P.T. Barnum and Adam Forepaugh competing in a War of the Elephants, with declarations of whose pachyderms were younger, bigger, or more "sacred". This brought Topsy to America. In 1903, on Coney Island, Topsy was electrocuted, a victim of the War of the Currents, in which Edison, George Westinghouse, and Nikola Tesla battled over alternating versus direct current. Daly weaves together period Americana, circus tidbits and larger than life characters for an entertaining read.
Subjects
LC Subjects
Description
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Citations
APA Citation, 7th Edition (style guide)
Daly, M. (2013). Topsy: the startling story of the crooked-tailed elephant, P.T. Barnum, and the American wizard, Thomas Edison (First Edition.). Atlantic Monthly Press.
Chicago / Turabian - Author Date Citation, 17th Edition (style guide)Daly, Michael, 1952-. 2013. Topsy: The Startling Story of the Crooked-tailed Elephant, P.T. Barnum, and the American Wizard, Thomas Edison. Atlantic Monthly Press.
Chicago / Turabian - Humanities (Notes and Bibliography) Citation, 17th Edition (style guide)Daly, Michael, 1952-. Topsy: The Startling Story of the Crooked-tailed Elephant, P.T. Barnum, and the American Wizard, Thomas Edison Atlantic Monthly Press, 2013.
MLA Citation, 9th Edition (style guide)Daly, Michael. Topsy: The Startling Story of the Crooked-tailed Elephant, P.T. Barnum, and the American Wizard, Thomas Edison First Edition., Atlantic Monthly Press, 2013.
Note! Citations contain only title, author, edition, publisher, and year published. Citations should be used as a guideline and should be double checked for accuracy. Citation formats are based on standards as of August 2021.
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