03367cam a2200361 4500 545375892 TxAuBib 20211104120000.0 ||||||s2013||||||||||||||||||||||||und|u 9781624606342 1624606342 f78c3286-b0df-4103-94f9-53e509e4cfc1 OverDrive (Reserve ID) 9781982464172 9781982464172 1277094 OverDrive (Product ID) TxAuBib Daly, Michael. Topsy [Libby] : The Startling Story of the Crooked Tailed Elephant, P. T. Barnum, and The American Wizard, Thomas Edison. Blackstone Publishing, 2013. Format: OverDrive OverDrive MP3 Audiobook, Filesize: 310MB. Format: OverDrive OverDrive Listen, Filesize: 310MB. History. Nonfiction. HTML:<p>In 1903 at the soon-to-open Luna Park on Coney Island, an elephant named Topsy was electrocuted, likely with advice from Thomas Edison, whose film crew recorded the horrible event. Over the past century, this bizarre, ghoulish execution has reverberated through popular culture with the ring of an urban legend. But it really happened, and today, Edison's footage can be found on YouTube, where it has been viewed nearly two million times.</p> <p>Many historical forces conspired to bring Topsy, Edison, and those 6,600 volts of alternating current together at Coney Island that day. Journalist Michael Daly's <i>Topsy</i> is a fascinating popular history that traces them, from the rise of the circus in America and the lives of circus elephants, through Thomas Edison, George Westinghouse, and the war of the currents, to the birth of Coney Island.</p> <p>Throughout the book, Daly follows Topsy's picaresque life up to the point of her death, from her capture, the roar of the crowd, life on the endless road, and the tormenting of her trainers, weaving her tale through other big stories such as P. T. Barnum and Adam Forepaugh's circus rivalry, trainers Stewart Craven and Eph Thompson's kindness to the animals, and Thomas Edison's attempt to prove alternating current was far more dangerous than his direct current. It's a touching tale, and it is impossible to read <i>Topsy</i> and look at the circus, elephants, or Thomas Edison the same way again. Above all, <i>Topsy</i> is an entertaining read that brings to life this remarkable world and its characters.</p>. Media Type: Audiobook. Importer Version: 2014-01-08.01 Import Date: 2022-01-03 20:00:02. Peckham, Mark. https://excerpts.cdn.overdrive.com/FormatType-25/0887-1/1277094-Topsy.wma Excerpt (OverDrive MP3 Audiobook) https://excerpts.cdn.overdrive.com/FormatType-425/0887-1/1277094-Topsy.mp3 Excerpt (OverDrive MP3 Audiobook) https://samples.overdrive.com/?crid=F78C3286-B0DF-4103-94F9-53E509E4CFC1&.epub-sample.overdrive.com Excerpt (OverDrive MP3 Audiobook) https://excerpts.cdn.overdrive.com/FormatType-25/0887-1/1277094-Topsy.wma Excerpt (OverDrive Listen) https://excerpts.cdn.overdrive.com/FormatType-425/0887-1/1277094-Topsy.mp3 Excerpt (OverDrive Listen) https://samples.overdrive.com/?crid=F78C3286-B0DF-4103-94F9-53E509E4CFC1&.epub-sample.overdrive.com Excerpt (OverDrive Listen)