History. Cultural studies. Another long out-of-print classic book based on Mannix's personal acquaintence with sideshow stars such as the Alligator Man and the Monkey Woman, etc. Read all about the notorious love affairs of midgets; the amazing story of the elephant boy; the unusual amours of Jolly Daisy, the fat woman; the famous pinhead who inspired Verdi's RIGOLETTO; the tragedy of Betty Lou Williams and her parasitic twin; the black midget, only 34 inches tall, who was happily married to a 264-pound wife; the human torso who could sew, crochet and type; and bizarre accounts of normal humans turned into freaks -- either voluntarily or by evil design! 88 astounding photographs and additional material from the author's personal collection. RE/search has provided us with a moving glimpse at the rarified world of physical deformity; aglimpse that ultimately succeeds in its goal of humanizing the inhuman, revealing the beauty that lies behind the grotesque and in dramatically illustrating the triumph of the human spirit in th