William L. Slout, entertainment historian par excellence, here provides five fascinating essays on the development of the American traveling circus in the post-Civil War era: "En Route to the Great Eastern Circus" (on the creation of this great show); "The Great Eastern Circus of 1872" (more details about one of P. T. Barnum's rivals); "The Not-So-Great Trans-Atlantic Circus and Menagerie" (how a show failed suddenly in a yellow fever epidemic); "What...

The nineteenth century was the golden age of the circus in Ohio. Before the Ringling brothers became synonymous with the American circus, Cincinnati's John Robinson and the Sells brothers of Columbus wowed audiences with stunning equestrian feats and aerial exploits. For good measure, the Sells brothers threw in a sharpshooting show with a young Ohio woman by the name of Annie Oakley. The Walter L. Main Circus of Geneva and a number of smaller shows...

The first comprehensive 'biography' of one of the first celebrity animals who gave us one of our favourite words. Jumbo, Victorian England's favourite elephant, was born in 1861 in French Sudan, imported to a Parisian zoo and later sold on to London, where – for seventeen years – he dutifully gave children rides and ate buns from their hands, all the while being tortured at night to keep him docile. Worldwide fame came when he was bought by the...

William L. Slout, circus historian par excellence, here provides six essays on the development of the American circus. "From Rags to Ricketts: The Roots of Circus in Early Gotham" looks at the beginnings of circus entertainment in old New York City during the eighteenth century. "The Great Roman Hippodrome of 1874: P. T. Barnum's 'Crowning Effort'" describes the great showman's grand experiment: the collection and display in the Big Apple of the "largest...

Joey Thurmond, a former professional wrestler and rodeo cowboy, quits his day job as a police officer to pursue his dream of performing as a clown full time, he decides to recruit his family and invest all his savings in order to design a show and take it on the road. But when his high-flying performer is threatened with deportation and the 24 hours a day/seven days a week schedule begins to put a strain on the relationship with his co-star and son,...

Prankster twins Edgar and Ellen think they have found kindred spirits when they join the circus to escape from their mysterious caretaker and the one-eyed creature Pet, but they soon discover that it is hard to tell friend from foe.

"In 1931, Lilly Blackwood was sold to the circus. More than two decades later, nineteen-year-old Julia Blackwood inherits her parents' estate and returns home hoping to erase painful memories of strict rules and forbidden rooms. Instead, she becomes immersed in a mystery involving a hidden attic room and circus photos featuring a striking young girl."-- 1931. Lilly Blackwood isn't allowed to explore the meadows around Blackwood Manor. Momma insists...

Journalist Cam Harrison and his niece Elle encounter a mermaid at a traveling circus in Mississippi and decide to free her from the grasp of Locke, the circus' evil leader.