Battle for the Big Top: P. T. Barnum, James Bailey, John Ringling, and the Death-Defying Saga of the American Circus

by Les Standiford, B. J. Harrison (Read by)

Overview

Bestselling author Les STandiford writes the untold story of three Golden Age titans and the confrontations, cut-throat business strategies, and eccentric personalities that built the Ringling Bros., Barnum & Bailey Circus.

Millions have sat under the “big top,” watching as trapeze artists glide and clowns entertain, but few know the captivating stories behind the men who shaped the circus. Battle for the Big Top is the untold story of the battles of the three circus kings—James Bailey, P.T. Barnum, and John Ringling-all vying for control of the vastly profitable and widely influential American Circus.

Standiford recreates a remarkable era when a community—without regard for gender, creed, or nationality—would be captivated by the spectacle created by three diversely talented individuals who transcended the ordinary. Ultimately, the rivalry of these three men resulted in the creation of an institution that would surpass all intentions and, for 147 years, hold a nation spellbound.

Filled with details of their ever-evolving showmanship, business strategies, and personal magnetism, this Ragtime-like narrative will delight and enchant.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781549139086
Publisher:	Public Affairs
Publication date:	06/15/2021
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 5.80(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

Les Standiford is the author of several critically acclaimed books, including Last Train to Paradise, Meet You in Hell, and Bringing Adam Home. His book, The Man Who Invented Christmas, was a New York Times ‘Editors’ Choice’ and was made into a feature film starring Christopher Plummer and Dan Stevens in 2018. He is a professor of English and founding director of the creative writing program at Florida International University and holds a MA and PhD in literature and creative writing from the University of Utah. He attended the US Air Force Academy and Columbia School of Law and is a former screenwriting fellow and graduate of the American Film Institute in Los Angeles.

Since iTunes named his as one of the top podcasts of 2007, BJ Harrison has continued to wow audiences with his voicing skills. Now, over 475 audiobooks later, he still impresses critics and listeners alike. From eldritch witches to young ingenues, from marble mouthed gangsters to Shakespearean Danes, BJ has an astounding array of character voices, dialects, and accents at his fingertips, coupled with an impressive depth of interpretation.

Hometown:

Miami, Florida

Date of Birth:

October 31, 1945

Place of Birth:

Cambridge, Ohio

Education:

B.A., Muskingum College; M.A. and Ph.D., University of Utah

Editorial Reviews

Exercising his eye for exotic detail, Les Standiford gives us the charming and captivating saga of the outsized characters who dreamed, connived, and maneuvered to bring Gilded-Age America its most compelling source of entertainment—the circus. What a surprise to learn that behind all those bejeweled elephants and hair-raising acts lay a cutthroat battle to create the Greatest Show on Earth.”—Erik Larson, author of The Splendid and the Vile

“A mesmerizing, larger-than-life tale from brilliant storyteller Les Standiford—P.T. Barnum himself would tell you it's well worth the price of admission. With acrobatic grace and escalating suspense, Standiford documents the evolution of the American circus, in a masterful work of nonfiction as spell-binding as the monsters, mermaids, balletic elephants and charismatic ringleaders that fill its pages.”—Karen Russell, author of the New York Times bestseller Swamplandia!

“Battle for the Big Top is as rollicking, infectious, and enthralling as the subject it covers. With verve and style to spare, Les Standiford spins an unforgettable and addictively readable yarn about the three great showmen of the wildest of all entertainments—the American Circus. What a blast.”—Dennis Lehane, author of Mystic River and Shutter Island

“An epic work of Americana that gives you a front row seat inside the big top. Les Standiford delves deeply into the history of one of America’s favorite and oldest pastimes, examining the three dynamic men who revolutionized it.”—Brad Meltzer, bestselling author of The Lincoln Conspiracy

“Les Standiford understands that to know the American soul, one needs to understand the circus.  Ambitious, insightful and chock full of exotic lore, Battle for the Big Top goes beyond the ballyhoo and delivers the strange and fascinating history of the Greatest Show on Earth.”—Stewart O’Nan, author of The Circus Fire

"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.  Fascinating and endlessly entertaining, you won't be able to put Battle for the Big Top down."—Gilbert King, Pulitzer prizewinning author of Devil in the Grove

From the Publisher