Circus History

The untold story of how propaganda and power struggles toppled the Roman Republic – once the world’s most powerful democracy. In 49BC, Caesar crossed the Rubicon and Rome fell into a brutal civil war. The institutions that gave its people a voice crumbled and, after the dust settled, Rome...

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 ...

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.

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 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 acclaimed author of the “lyrical coming-of-age novel” (Good Morning America) The People We Keep returns with a luminous contemporary women’s fiction story about strong female characters, family estrangement, found family, and the transformative power of redemption. It’s been ten...

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...

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.

International Bestseller and #1 LibraryReads Pick Water for Elephants meets The Night Circus in this World War II debut about a magnificent travelling circus, a star-crossed romance, and one girl’s coming-of-age during the darkest of times. “A powerful reminder that to live is not just to...

P. T. Barnum's career of showmanship and charlatanry was marked by a surprising undercurrent of honesty and forthrightness. His exuberant autobiography forms a happy combination of all those traits, revealing the whole story of his world-famous hoaxes and publicity stunts. Here is a pageant of 19th-century America's gullibility and thirst for marvels, as told by the master of revels himself.  

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, ...

Nearly five million men and women have served the United States as police officers. Only one has been executed for murder. 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 twentieth...

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.

“Les Standiford takes us under the big top and behind the curtain in this richly researched and thoroughly engaging narrative that captures all of the entrepreneurial intrigue and spirit of the American circus.” —Gilbert King, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Devil in the Grove Millions...

From the author of A Witch in Time comes a magical story spanning from Jazz Age Paris to modern-day America of family secrets, sacrifice, and lost love set against the backdrop of a mysterious circus. Paris, 1925: To enter the Secret Circus is to enter a world of wonder—a world where women...

Circus People is the funny and poignant story of Nikki Carpenter, an entertainment publicist who confronts life with sarcasm and wit. She navigates comic mishaps and familial labels, learning along the way that no one fits in a box.

Two young daredevil flyers confront ugly truths and family secrets during the U.S. internment of Japanese citizens during World War II, from the author of The Other Typist and Three-Martini Lunch. Louis Thorn and Haruto "Harry" Yamada--Eagle and Crane--are the star attractions of Earl Shaw's...

In 1881, a writer in the Saturday Review called tattooing ‘an art without a history’. ‘No-one’, it went on, ‘has made it the business of his life to study the development of tattooing.’ Until now. Painted People is a beguiling and intimate look at an untold history of humanity. The...

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 ...

“Two powerful women locked in a life or death struggle to control Rome’s food supply.” 91 BC — A forgotten well in an old olive grove somewhere along the Via Aurelia Still seething after a volatile parley with rebellious Italic tribes, General Sulla whirls at the sound of footsteps—only to find Helena, a naïve teenager in search of water. Pressing a dagger to her throat, he twists the moment into prophecy: he the might of Rome and she the vulnerable clans who occupy the fertile land he covets. Underestimating her dormant brilliance, he turns her into his audience while rehearsing...