The Manx Giant

by John Quirk

The Amazing Story of Arthur Caley The Manx Giant by John QuirkBorn in 1824 in Sulby, Isle of Man, Arthur Caley eventually grew to 7’11”, and was probably the tallest man in the world during his life. He left the Island to seek his fortune and eventually found his way to Paris where he was a popular figure in the salons. The story might have ended there after his death in 1852, if it weren’t for the fact that a few years later he appeared in New York, and joined Barnum and Bailey’s Circus as one of their star attractions! No one really knows what happened in Paris. Was his death an insurance fraud, and was it true that a giant tree trunk was buried in the coffin instead of him? New research brings together, for the first time, all the known facts and sheds a fascinating light on one of the most enigmatic Manxmen ever to have lived.

96 pages, Paperback

First published August 4, 2011

Reviews

[Jay C · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting history of a man I’d never heard of until I visited the Manx Museum in Douglas, Isle of Man back in 2017.

[W N RADCLIFFE · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a native of Sulby (where Caley was born), I am, of course, biased. However, I have found this biography absorbing, entertaining and above all, extremely well researched. I have wondered in my following Caley's story in the past whether his supposed alter ego in the USA as 'Colonel Goshen' was in fact one and the same person. This new analysis gives the lie to that. What makes this just as enjoyable to the general reader is the way in which Quirk gives the setting of his life in the States depth and colour, especially in relation to the equally amazing detail regarding the wonders of the world of Barnum and Bailey's Circus, supported by contemporary references. I very much recommend this biography, both regarding the man himself as well as the world in which he lived.