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

Description

Join author Les Standiford as he shares the stories of the men who created “the greatest show on earth,” the Ringling Bros., Barnum & Bailey Circus. Standiford, author of “Battle for the Big Top: P.T. Barnum, James Bailey, John Ringling, and the Death-Defying Saga of the American Circus” will be doing a virtual talk with the Jesup Memorial Library on Thursday, Aug. 26 at 7 p.m. on Zoom.
 
In “Battle for the Big Top” Standiford shares the untold story of three Golden Age titans and the confrontations, cutthroat business strategies, and eccentric personalities that built the circus. He recreates a remarkable era when a whole community would be captivated by the spectacle created by 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 over a century, hold a nation spellbound. Filled with details of their ever-evolving showmanship, business strategies and personal magnetism, this bool will appeal to those interested in principal players of American history and the circus, not to mention railroading, and those interested in the opulence, excess and exoticism of the Gilded Age and the Roaring Twenties.
 
Erik Larson, New York Times-bestselling author of “The Splendid and the Vile” writes, “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.” Publisher’s Weekly adds, “A zippy history of Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey Circus… Standiford packs the account with colorful circus lore…Readers will relish this entertaining portrait of a bygone American institution.”
 
Copies of the book are on sale courtesy of co-sponsor Sherman’s Books at any of their locations, online at shermans.com or by calling 207-288-3161. Registration is required to receive the Zoom link. To register fill out the form at jesuplibrary.org/events/standiford or email kchagnon@jesuplibrary.org.