SKU: 95184317801

Banvard's Folly: Thirteen Tales of People Who Didn't Change the World

Sale price$18.36 Regular price$20.40
Save 10%

Pay in installments of $5.10 with ShopPay, AfterPay and Klarna

Shipping Estimate
USA
  • USA
  • CAN

Ships within 48 hours · Estimated delivery Jul 26 - Jul 31

Promo Codes Available:

For Your Every Summer RSVP, with Code: SUMMER15

Description

Banvard's Folly: Thirteen Tales of People Who Didn't Change the WorldThe historical record crowns success. Those enshrined in its annals are men and women whose ideas, accomplishments, or personalities have dominated, endured, and most important of all, found champions. John F. Kennedy's Profiles in Courage, Giorgio Vasari's Lives of the Artists, and Samuel Johnson's Lives of the Poets are classic celebrations of the greatest, the brightest, the eternally constellated. Paul Collins' Banvard's Folly is a different kind

The historical record crowns success. Those enshrined in its annals are men and women whose ideas, accomplishments, or personalities have dominated, endured, and most important of all, found champions. John F. Kennedy's Profiles in Courage, Giorgio Vasari's Lives of the Artists, and Samuel Johnson's Lives of the Poets are classic celebrations of the greatest, the brightest, the eternally constellated.

Paul Collins' Banvard's Folly is a different kind of book. Here are thirteen unforgettable portraits of forgotten people: men and women who might have claimed their share of renown but who, whether from ill timing, skullduggery, monomania, the tinge of madness, or plain bad luck-or perhaps some combination of them all-leapt straight from life into thankless obscurity. Among their number are scientists, artists, writers, entrepreneurs, and adventurers, from across the centuries and around the world. They hold in common the silenced aftermath of failure, the name that rings no bells.

Collins brings them back to glorious life. John Banvard was an artist whose colossal panoramic canvasses (one behemoth depiction of the entire eastern shore of the Mississippi River was simply known as "The Three Mile Painting") made him the richest and most famous artist of his day. . . before he decided to go head to head with P. T. Barnum. Ren Blondot was a distinguished French physicist whose celebrated discovery of a new form of radiation, called the N-Ray, went terribly awry. At the tender age of seventeen, William Henry Ireland signed "William Shakespeare" to a book and launched a short but meteoric career as a forger of undiscovered works by the Bard -- until he pushed his luck too far. John Symmes, a hero of the War of 1812, nearly succeeded in convincing Congress to fund an expedition to the North Pole, where he intended to prove his theory that the earth was hollow and ripe for exploitation; his quixotic quest counted Jules Verne and Edgar Allan Poe among its greatest admirers.

Collins' love for what he calls the "forgotten ephemera of genius" give his portraits of these figures and the other nine men and women in Banvard's Folly sympathetic depth and poignant relevance. Their effect is not to make us sneer or revel in schadenfreude; here are no cautionary tales. Rather, here are brief introductions-acts of excavation and reclamation-to people whom history may have forgotten, but whom now we cannot.



Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: St. Martins Press-3PL
Published: 05/01/2002
ISBN: 9780312300333
Pages: 320
Weight: 0.90lbs
Size: 8.40h x 5.50w x 0.70d
Award: Oregon Book Awards - Nominee
Shipping Notes
  • Free Standard Shipping on $100+ Orders to the USA.
  • Except Preorder products are shipped in 48 hours.
  • Delivery to the USA:
  1. Standard Shipping : 3-10 business days
  • If time is of the essence, please consider selecting expedited delivery for faster service.
Exchange/Return Notes
  • We offer a 30-day return/exchange service after receiving.
  • Final sale items are not eligible for returns or exchanges.
  • To process your return/exchange, please contact us at [email protected]
  • Please click here for more details>>> Return & Exchange Policy
SKU: 95184317801

Discover Niche Categories That Outsell

Top-Converting Item to Boost Your Average Order

4.0 ★★★★★
Based on 10 reviews
Sort
Highest Rating
Newest First
Oldest First
Product Reviews
J
Verified Purchase
Joy
Phoenix, US
★★★★★ 5
Extremely durable, dogs love them
Color: 2 PC-Beef-Red, Color: 2 PC-Beef-Red
I was looking for the toughest and most durable dog chew bone I could find and this is it. I have bought multiple other brands that claim to be very durable and tough for a very long time and this is the one for sure. The shower has described this phone accurately and it truly does last. I purchased this bone about 2 months ago. As you see from the photos attached, this is a very well made chew bone and my aggressive pitbulls can't tear it apart do they try. They never get tired of it and chewing it every single day for hours on and keeping them very occupied. I have two bones and three pitbulls that chew on it every day. It is so adorable and has an awesome flavor to it which I think entices them even more to want to chew on it. The durability and Lasting power is amazing to me with these tough chewers. I highly recommend this product to everyone out there. I will say only one negative and that is that the middle wraparound piece they were able to pull off but that is not a big deal because there is plenty of bone which was under that cover in the middle of the bone. There's a few mauled chips missing from the ends but the life of this bone is obviously going to be a long time which really surprised me. Give it a shot if you have heavy duty chewers and you will find how awesome this phone really is and it's durability and strength our second to none in my opinion.
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on September 5, 2025
W
Verified Purchase
WhoFan69
Lexington, US
★★★★★ 5
My dog loves it.
Color: 1 PC-Beef-Red
My dog is a super aggressive chewer when it comes to toys. Anything that is soft he rips apart. This one has a wonderful squeaky sound that makes him happy and he enjoys the smell of it. This is a very strong material and definitely worth the price.
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on May 10, 2026
J
Verified Purchase
jeniene
West Palm Beach, US
★★★★★ 4
Durable!
Color: 1 PC-Beef-Red
Alright, here's a product review for those Tough Dog Toys: Finally, a Toy That Survives My Monster! - Tough Dog Toys Review As the owner of a determined (and I mean determined) large breed chewer, finding toys that last longer than five minutes has been a constant and often frustrating quest. I've gone through countless plush toys ripped to shreds, rubber toys with chunks missing, and even some "indestructible" toys that met their demise far too quickly. That's why I was both hopeful and skeptical when I came across the Tough Dog Toys, designed specifically for aggressive chewers and large breeds. Let me tell you, these bone-shaped nylon toys are living up to their name. My power-chewing Labrador has been going at this thing for days now, and I'm genuinely impressed. Where other toys have succumbed to his relentless gnawing, the Tough Dog Toy has held its own. There are some minor teeth marks, as expected, but absolutely no significant damage, no pieces torn off, and no signs of imminent destruction. "Almost indestructible" might actually be an understatement! The design is simple but effective. The solid nylon construction feels incredibly durable, and the bone shape is easy for my dog to grip and maneuver. It's also a good size for a large breed – substantial enough that he can really get a good chew going without it disappearing in his mouth. What I appreciate most is the peace of mind this toy provides. I no longer have to constantly supervise playtime, fearing that he'll ingest pieces of a destroyed toy. This feels like a safe and long-lasting option for even the most enthusiastic chewers. Pros: * Truly durable – stands up to aggressive chewing from a large breed. * Solid nylon construction feels virtually indestructible. * Safe design with no small parts to break off. * Good size and shape for large dogs to grip and enjoy. * Provides long-lasting entertainment. Cons: * May show some teeth marks over time (though this hasn't compromised its integrity). * It's a fairly hard material, so dogs who prefer softer toys might not be as interested. Overall: If you're at your wit's end trying to find a toy that can withstand your aggressive chewing large breed dog, I highly recommend giving the Tough Dog Toys a try. This bone toy has proven to be the most durable option we've encountered, offering excellent value for money and, most importantly, a safe and engaging chewing experience for your furry friend. Five out of five paws!
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on May 16, 2026
A
Verified Purchase
Amazon Customer
Alexandria, US
★★★★★ 5
Very well made chew bone!
Color: 1 PC-Beef-Red
Great durable, very well made chew bone! Our dog usually tears up all his toys within a few minutes or sometimes hours after he gets them. He’s had this bone for a few days and it’s still in one piece. Except for the rubber that’s in the middle, he chewed up in a couple of days. I would definitely buy more chew toys made by this company! Well worth the money!
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on May 30, 2026
P
Verified Purchase
Pittieluv79
Whiting, US
★★★★★ 3
The rubber middle is not durable, it lasted less than 3 hours.
Color: 1 PC-Beef-Red
I bought this as I have bully/husky puppies (9 months old) and a pitt/doberman (9 years old). They are heavy chewers and destroy everything. I saw a video of this toy. The woman said that her dog chewed on it for a while (about 2 hours or so) she showed the ends visibly chewed, which I expect but it was holding up. The rubber middle seemed to hold up to. I received this yesterday. I had to take it away from them last night as they were chewing the rubber middle off. They had it maybe 3 hours. I didn't give it a lower star score as I will just cut the rubber off and give it back to them. So I was disappointed in the rubber middle not being more durable but the hard plastic it's made from is the strong material they need.
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on May 16, 2026

recommand products