The Giant and How He Humbugged America

The Giant and How He Humbugged America

3.56 of 5 stars 3.56  ·  rating details  ·  149 ratings  ·  54 reviews
Two-time Newbery Honor Book author has written an amazing account of one of America's most famous hoaxes!

When a 10-foot tall purported "petrified man" is unearthed from a backyard in upstate New York in 1869, the discovery immediately turns into a spectacle of epic proportions. News of the giant spreads like wildfire, and well over a thousand people come to view him in the...more
Hardcover, 112 pages
Published October 1st 2012 by Scholastic Press
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Jim Erekson
Inspired by the Bernie Madoff scheme, Murphy decided to write something about hoaxes in general. The basic underpinning is that people believe what they really want to believe, and that a compelling narrative often beats out rational and empirical evidence. I enjoyed each phase in the Cardiff Giant's travels through the entertainment world, including erstwhile Mormon sensationalist. The fact that there was a general buzz in the country, a desire for some story like this giant, tells something ab...more
Emily
This book has an awesome cover and made me want to read it. The event evoked some memory for me -something I had read in the past. It started off interestingly enough, but lost steam somewhere in the middle, I ended up skimming a lot of the ending. Because I didn't read it word for word, I may have missed a coupe of things that bothered me about the book. One of those things was the lack of explanation, etymology of the word humbug, which most young readers are not going to be familiar with exce...more
Nicole
Scholastic, 2012
Nonfiction
112 pages
Recommended for grades 5-8

I love a good hoax book! See my loving review of The Fairy Ring. Oh wait, bah! I read that before my blog. Shucks, I really love that hoax.

In this splendid hoax we meet some men carrying out a dastardly plot to unearth and show off a petrified giant, found in Cardiff, New York in the late 1800s. The giant becomes the talk of the country, with visitors paying lots to glimpse the giant. The giant is a miracle, proof of ancient civilizat...more
Eyehavenofilter
Jan 12, 2013 Eyehavenofilter rated it 2 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Not really unless you like a really dry martini!
When an upstate farmer unearths a 10 ft tall monolith of a man in 1869, all sense of normalcy and reason go right out the window.News of this "discovery" spreads like the plague, and as they say " the game is afoot".
What exactly is this, thing? Is it real? Scientists descend on Cardiff like locusts, all viewing for a chance to document, examine and pontificate on their hypothesis.
Imagine want this would be like today with social media? " A spectacle of epic proportions."'that's what."
Reports in...more
Phoebe
This well-researched book about the Cardiff giant and the other hoaxes spawned in its wake is interesting, but may not hold readers' attention for 100 pages. Jim Murphy's usual careful and excellent writing does carry this crazy tale about a giant statue unearthed on a little upper New York State farm in 1869, that attracted 6 million visitors over the course of its heyday, before its true nature was revealed. Murphy takes pains to give young readers the bigger picture, stating firmly that altho...more
Samantha
The story of one of America's most famous hoaxes. The Cardiff Giant was believed to be a petrified man when he was unearthed on a farm in New York in 1869, but it was all a big scam. The scam was dreamed up by George Hull who was inspired to create a stone giant after a conversation with a preacher while on a business trip. The two men argued over the validity of the Bible and Hull's plan was to fool the preacher and others across the country who blindly believed in such things. Hull became rich...more
Barbara
The always-reliable Jim Murphy chronicles one of the biggest hoaxes in American history, describing the discovery of the Cardiff Giant in 1869 on a farm near Cardiff, New York. Murphy is careful not to give away too much at the start of the story, allowing readers to ponder the possibility of the existence of a petrified giant 10 feet in length. As he allows scientists, newspapers, first-hand accounts, and the general public to weigh in on the issue, readers are liable to wonder if such a man co...more
Jean
*This review was based on a galley. Book will be released 10/1/2012.

In 1869 in the farmland of Cardiff, New York, a rare and exciting discovery was unearthed from the property of William “Stub” Newell. While several men helped Newell dig a new well, they hit upon what they believed to be a large stone. Upon further investigation, the stone resembled an oversized human foot. With some more help, the men were able to unearth the entire body of what appeared to be a giant man who had been petrified...more
Richie Partington
Richie’s Picks: THE GIANT AND HOW HE HUMBUGGED AMERICA by Jim Murphy, Scholastic Press, October 2012, 112p., ISBN: 978-0-439-69184-0

"'A fortune was made with a bit of good-natured deception,' said Barnum."
--from THE GREAT AND ONLY BARNUM by Candace Fleming (2009)

“Step right up and don’t be shy
Because you will not believe your eyes”
-- The Tubes, “She’s a Beauty”

“Not only did the ten-thousand-copy first edition of The American Goliath sell out in the first few weeks, but the crowds continued to po...more
Karen  Yingling
It's hard for middle school students to understand how hard up for entertainment people were in the 1860s-- heck, they have trouble believing there were only four television channels forty years ago. But at the time, the discovery of a ten foot tall fossilized "man" in New York State was big news. Scientists and other experts were brought in to opine of the nature of the find, newspapers reported eagerly, and people came from all over to see the Cardiff Giant. Early on, there were doubts as to t...more
Tiffany
When a huge stone man is found in Cardiff, New York in 1869, hundreds flock to see what is being called a "petrified man". But is it real, or a hoax? With a perfect storm of unqualified experts and a public wanting to believe in giants and myth, this hoax goes on for years, with innocent investors being left penniless. Like so many books before, Murphy takes a short history lesson and weaves it into something important and unique. Children today are bombarded with myths both unbelievable (mermai...more
Kate
Oct 30, 2012 Kate rated it 2 of 5 stars Recommends it for: 5th-8th grade
I wanted to like it since Jim Murphy's nonfiction books are almost always engaging and well researched. The Giant was well researched but the story didn't grab me. It started off well, but I had to make myself keep reading. I have a few quibbles with material included. It felt like some of the explanations of the times went on too long; for example,the explanation of the 15th amendment. On the other hand, an illustration on p. 23 shows tarring and feathering but gives no explanation in the text....more
Jackie
Quite a fascinating and well-researched tale about a grand hoax carried out by a few crafty men who wanted to get rich quick. They constructed and buried a 'giant' on a farm in New York and when the Cardiff Giant was 'discovered' it brought about a fevered frenzy all over the United States. Even esteemed scientists verified that it was a petrified giant of the fabled Onondaga Indian Tribe.

The Giant and How He Humbugged America shows us that, once again, there IS a Sucker born every minute as Da...more
Nancy
My interest in this subject is very personal. My great-great uncle (pretty sure that's right) was Michael Foley, who quarried the granite for the Cardiff Giant. I have one of the original pamphlets that customers bought when viewing the Giant. The story has been part of family lore for a long time so I'm glad to see more people learning about it. I'm truly hoping someone will make a movie of this because it is a charming, wild tale that would translate wonderfully to film.
The book is very well r...more
Deborah
Being from upstate New York, and having grown up only about an hour away from the small town of Cardiff, I had to read about this incredible stunt someone pulled and me not knowing about it.

A "giant" was unearthed on tiny farm in Cardiff opening up months of speculation of what it was, who it was, how long had it been buried and what were they going to do about it. Doctors swore it was real, others thought not so. For the most part America was bamboozled.

Jim Murphy starts the book unearthing the...more
Betsy
What are we to make of the proliferation of true-life hoax books for children filling our library and bookstore shelves this year? Whether it's the clever ruse of The Fairy Ring scandal or the sheer number of middle grade chapter books featuring jackalopes (I've seen five so far) there's something to be said about the natural human desire to believe in the impossible even in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary. Into this mix drops yet another great American hoax, all but forgotten...more
Kim
Grades 5 - 8

A fascinating look at how George Hull spearheaded a huge hoax on Americans when a 10 foot 4 inch "petrified man" was dug up in 1869 at a New York farm. Jim Murphy includes abundant copies of newspaper articles, carnival flyers, and photographs as he takes readers on the journey from the "discovery" of this ancient man to the unraveling of the hoax. Give this to readers who are convinced that they don't like nonfiction-- the author's conversational tone and the subject matter will wi...more
Allison
4.5 stars.
Although written to be accessible to young people, this book presents a nuanced narrative of the Giant's historic significance. It was important to take the time to explain how various branches of science were in their infancy, how most people had a literal understanding of the Bible (which includes many accounts of giants), and how the subsequent Gilded Age made made the public increasingly wary of rip-offs.
I doubt either of my kids would appreciate this book as much as I did though...more
Deborah
Having grown up not too far from Cardiff, NY,and still living in the state, I wanted to find out about this "giant" that I had never heard or read about.

Jim Murphy has a way of weaving a tale that will having your reading the book until you finish it in one seating. I started reading and was sucked right into believing the giant existed and as the story went on and the truth was revealed, I could understand how the public could easily be fooled into believing just about anything brought before t...more
Yoo Kyung Sung
Mystery-like nonfiction book. From the beginning, this informational boog drags readers into their story. " " they were going to William Newell's farm to dig a well for Newell... while Newell was gone, his two workers continued to dig and clear thea rea around the stone. But they discovered something startling. The blue-gray stone was shaped exactly like a foot. A very large foot!" pp.11-12

References of giant in biblical story and myth of Native Indian engage readers. American history around tou...more
Chelsea
Having grown up in a circus town, I'm probably interested in the history of sideshow entertainment more than most. I remember seeing photos and a replica of the Cardiff Giant at Circus World Museum, but I never understood the story until now. Murphy starts it off brilliantly by presenting one presentation of the giant's story, then cycling back to reveal the great deception that had occurred behind the scenes. It's a fascinating glimpse into not just the early years of entertainment, but adverti...more
Anne
This was a fun read. It was one of those on display at the library that I picked up to browse while I waited for my daughter to finish finding her books. I ended up checking it out and finishing the whole thing. It's the whole story and back story of the Cardiff Giant (which I had never heard of before). Interesting to see how many people will become involved in a hoax when money is on the line (including P.T. Barnum in this case). Also interesting to see how many were sucked in to the sensation...more
Kristen
A petrified giant was unearthed in upstate New York in the 19th century and created an uproar all over the world about whether it was real or not. The biggest humbug of that time period, this giant was displayed for people to see and many people profited off the scheme. Within the book, lots of information is provided as to how the scam was pulled off along with the reaction of America to such an event.

This book was well-written and with large enough text and pauses to let younger readers learn...more
Becky
I really enjoyed the first half of this book. It tells the story of The Cardiff Giant, a 10 foot tall stone man that was dug up in the late 1800's near Cardiff, NY. For the first half of the book, the s Tory is told somewhat chronologically, beginning with digging the hole where the "giant" was found. Chapter six brings the find into question, but the question is not settled in the story, except that the last line of the chapter states that "The ugly truth was that Stub Newell [the owner of the...more
Murray Johnson
An interesting non-fiction book for children as it is about the Cardiff Giant hoax from 1869, and how learned from the upstate New York area believed it was either a petrified man or an ancient statue. The book the details how a handful of men were able to pull off this con before it started to fall apart once P.T. Barnum decided to have his own giant to compete with the Cardiff Giant. The last chapter of the book tells of other archelogical hoaxes that have occurred around the world.
Amanda
I find quite a bit of interesting historical information packed into this relatively slim volume. I really enjoy how Murphy sets the reader up to be humbugged, not letting the reader in on the secret until chapter six - nearly halfway through the book. I was particularly interested in the recognizable names caught up in the Giant's story, from P.T. Barnum to National Geographic. Back matter on the author's research process and other famous hoaxes add depth to the experience.
Meredith
Another true story that you have to read to believe. People in the late 1800's seem so gullible and easily entertained to me. You could make a fortune swindling them out of their money with a stone giant you bury in a hillside and make everyone, even so called "experts" of the day, believe he was a petrified man. A facinating true life tale that shows us that people will do almost anything to make a buck, and if you sell it right, people will believe just about anything!
marin
market research

The 1869 giant of upstate New York: petrified human or ancient stone relic, you decide.

solid booktalk. less fun and expansive than "The Great and Only Barnum." column format with 1 1/2 line spacing that makes it easy to read. wonderful historic drawings and photographs that compliment the text. high quality paper. >100 pages. cast of characters, source notes, selected bib, photo credits, index.

Scholastic
Michael
Oh those silly, gullible people of the 1800's. In the age of Facebook, it is worth noting that the technology may have changed, but we are still fooled in much the same way, so long as some people are willing to decieve, and a whole lot of people are willing to believe. One observer noted a, "peculiarly American superstition that the correctness of a belief is decided by the number of people who can be induced to adopt it." Read any good posts lately?
Louise Bendall
The Cardiff Giant was an incredible archeological hoax that began with a man called "Stub" and attracted the attention world-renowned scientists and even intellectuals like Ralph Waldo Emerson. This was a fascinating read about greed and how people see what they want to believe. Well researched, wonderfully complete with photos and mentions of other incredible archeological hoaxes.
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