Circus History

In the history of modern sport, there have never been two high-level teammates who loathed each other the way Shaquille O’Neal loathed Kobe Bryant and Kobe Bryant loathed Shaquille O’Neal. From public sniping and sparring, to physical altercations and the repeated threats of trade, it was warfare. And yet, despite eight years of infighting and hostility, by turns mediated and encouraged by coach Phil Jackson, the Shaq-Kobe duo resulted in one of the greatest dynasties in NBA history.

The History of the Circus: From Ancient Spectacles to Modern Big Top Entertainment takes you on a fascinating journey through one of the world’s most enduring forms of performance. From the roaring crowds of the Roman Circus Maximus to the colorful parades of Barnum & Bailey, and from medieval jesters to the groundbreaking artistry of Cirque du Soleil, this book tells the full story of how the circus has evolved over two thousand years. Discover how the circus began as a symbol of power and public spectacle in ancient Rome, survived through traveling fairs in medieval Europe, and was ...

There are many ways to die at the Circus of the Dead. You’re invited to witness them all. Mom sent me all the way across the country to the Louisiana bayou to join the circus and help my uncle for the summer. Except there is something not quite right on this swampy cursed island, and after having my fortune told, I can’t leave. I try to escape, but Benny, an all too charming ghost gangster tries to kill me by feeding me to a tiger. Thankfully I’m rescued by Samuel, the incredibly hot ringmaster who can’t be a day over 20.

Viva Durant, New Orleans’ youngest detective, is on a quest to solve a jazzy mystery. Every summer, Viva heads to New Orleans to spend time with her loving but stern Grandmother, known as Gram. After Gram reads Viva an article in the local paper about a missing treasure related to the world-famous song, “Miss Mary Mack”, Viva heads through the Crescent City on an epic adventure to track down the treasure. The clues lead Viva to the French Quarter, a jazz club, a creepy cemetery, and even the circus.

In 1944, the big top of Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey Circus in Hartford caught fire during the middle of an afternoon performance. Nine thousand people were inside. In seconds, the big top was burning out of control. The toll of the fire, and its circumstances, haunt Hartford to the present day. But it is the intense, detailed narrative - before, after, and especially during the panic under the burning tent - that will remain with listeners long after they finish this book.

The acclaimed author of the “lyrical coming-of-age novel” (Good Morning America) The People We Keep returns with a luminous new story of redemption, breaking generational curses, and the power of family in its truest form. After an emergency leaves her short on rent, thirty-year-old Freya...

Millions have sat under the “big top,” watching as trapeze artists glide and clowns entertain, but few know the captivating stories behind the men whose creativity, ingenuity, and determination created one of our country’s most beloved pastimes. In Battle for the Big Top, New York Times best-selling author Les Standiford brings to life a remarkable era when three circus kings - James Bailey, P. T. Barnum, and John Ringling - all vied for control of the vastly profitable and influential American Circus.

A gloriously funny, nostalgic memoir of a popular ESPN reporter who, in the summer of 1994, was a fresh-out-of-college intern for a minor league baseball team. Madness and charm ensue as Ryan McGee spends the season steeped in sweat, fertilizer, nacho cheese sauce, and pure, unadulterated joy in North Carolina with the Asheville Tourists.

The History of Clowning: From Ancient Fools to Modern Day Circus and Culture For thousands of years, clowns have made us laugh, think, and even cry. From sacred fools in ancient rituals to the circus stars of the 19th century and the pop culture icons of today, clowns have always held a unique place in human history. The History of Clowning explores their complete evolution, showing how these performers have reflected society’s joys, fears, and contradictions across time. Inside this comprehensive and engaging guide, you will discover: The origins of clown-like figures in ancient Egypt, ...

They called it Satan's Circus, a square mile of Midtown Manhattan where vice ruled, sin flourished, and depravity danced in every doorway. At the turn of the 20th century, murder was so common in the vice district that few people were surprised when the loudmouthed owner of a shabby casino was gunned down on the steps of its best hotel.

Step right up and discover the fascinating story of how traveling sideshows and carnivals captured the imagination of generations. From their roots in medieval European fairs to the dazzling spectacle of the American midway, carnivals have always been more than rides and games. They were places where wonder thrived, where the boundaries between reality and illusion blurred, and where communities came together to marvel at the extraordinary. In this richly detailed history, you’ll explore the rise of the American carnival after the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition, meet legendary ...

Americans have loved traveling circuses for generations, and none represent the country's love for entertainment quite like the most famous of them all, the Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey Circus. The five brothers who started a circus in Wisconsin, as well as P.T. Barnum, have had their names become synonymous with the circus, so it's only fitting that the manner in which these men entered the business and the merging of their traveling circuses together also make for great stories.

Captain Eddie V. Rickenbacker, originally from Ohio, was best known as one of the commanders of the 94th "Hat-in-the-Ring" Squadron, a crack unit of World War I pilots that included many former members of the famed Lafayette Escadrille. The 94th ended the war in France with the highest number of air victories of any American squadron.

Almost 7,000 fans eagerly packed into the Ringling Brothers big top on July 6, 1944. With a single careless act, an afternoon at the "Greatest Show on Earth" quickly became one of terror and tragedy as the paraffin-coated circus tent caught fire. Panicked crowds rushed for the few exits, but in minutes, the tent collapsed on those still struggling to escape below. A total of 168 lives were lost, many of them children, with many more injured and forever scarred by the events.

Hill House Manor is a haunted house in Texas. These stories are inspired by legends and other reported events associated with the old manor house. Many a Ghost Hunting team has captured evidence of those who have lived in this spot since the mid 1800’s. And, yes, there is usually a ghost in the story. This is a great book for thirteen to ninety-nine year olds.

General Leemy's Circus is an account of the air war in the Pacific. It tells of the men who flew the B-29 Superfortresses of General Curtis LeMay’s XXI Bomber Command during World War II. The author was a navigator on the B-29 Umbriago - Dat’s My Boy and took part in the first B-29 raid on Tokyo. The navigator's role was crucial and involved making complex calculations in the heat of battle.

Michael Palin's diaries begin in the late 1960s when he began writing for hugely popular programs. He recounts how Monty Python emerged and triumphed. From the success and cult status brought by Monty Python, Palin shares stories from their world tours, their stay at hotels recently trashed by...

Bread and Puppet Theater: A Complete Guide to the History, Art, and Legacy of America’s Radical Puppet Troupe explores one of the most important and enduring voices in political performance art. Founded by Peter Schumann in 1963, Bread and Puppet combined giant puppets, ritual, music, and fresh-baked bread to create a theater of resistance. This book traces the troupe’s journey from its origins in New York City’s countercultural ferment to its long-standing home in Vermont, where it hosted the legendary Domestic Resurrection Circus and inspired audiences from around the world. ...

In Ludlow, Kentucky, where Confederate flags once dominated the landscape and call for civil war echoed on Facebook, a circus raised its big top—and never left. On January 20, 2025, as Donald Trump returned to office, the KKK plastered the town with hateful fliers, but the circus, a 250-year-old beacon of diversity and inclusion, stood its ground. This is the true, stranger-than-fiction story of how a creative community defied hate, bureaucracy, and small-town politics to transform Ludlow into Kentucky’s hottest real estate market.

Hoffman, who has written about the most dangerous and remote corners of the world, pierced this alternate society, was welcomed in and initiated into its rights and upside-down beliefs, and finally ushered to its inner sanctum. Equally freewheeling and profound, Liar’s Circus tracks the MAGA faithful across 5,000 miles of the American heartland during a crucial arc of the Trump presidency stretching from the impeachment saga to the dawn of the coronavirus pandemic that ended the rallies as we know it.