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Circus eBooks

If you like Circus eBooks, then you'll love these top picks.
Showing 1 - 24 of 93 Results
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  • The Circus Age

    Culture and Society under the American Big Top

    A century ago, daily life ground to a halt when the circus rolled into town. Across America, banks closed, schools canceled classes, farmers left their fields, and factories shut down so that everyone could go to the show. In this entertaining and provocative book, Janet Davis links the flowering of the early-twentieth-century American railroad circus to such broader historical developments as the ... Read more

    $28.99 USD

  • Battle for the Big Top

    P.T. Barnum, James Bailey, John Ringling, and the Death-Defying Saga of the American Circus

    “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 GroveMillions have sat under the “big top,” watching as trapeze artists glide and clowns entertain, but few know the ... Read more

    $12.99 USD

  • The Circus Fire

    A True Story of an American Tragedy

    by Stewart O'Nan ...
    The acclaimed author of Emily, Alone and Henry, Himself brings all his narrative gifts to bear on this gripping account of tragedy and heroism—the great Hartford circus fire of 1944.It was a midsummer afternoon, halfway through a Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus performance, when the big top caught fire. The tent had been waterproofed with a mixture of paraffin and gasoline; in seconds ... Read more

    $11.99 USD

  • Freak Show

    Presenting Human Oddities for Amusement and Profit

    by Robert Bogdan ...
    This cultural history of the travelling freak show in America chronicles the rise and fall of the industry as attitudes about disability evolved.From 1840 until 1940, hundreds of freak shows crisscrossed the United States, from the smallest towns to the largest cities, exhibiting their casts of dwarfs, giants, Siamese twins, bearded ladies, savages, snake charmers, fire eaters, and other oddities. ... Read more

    $14.99 USD or Free with Kobo Plus

  • The Ordinary Acrobat

    A Journey into the Wondrous World of the Circus, Past and Present

    by Duncan Wall ...
    The extraordinary story of a young man’s plunge into the unique and wonderful world of the circus—taking readers deep into circus history and its renaissance as a contemporary art form, and behind the (tented) walls of France’s most prestigious circus school.When Duncan Wall visited his first nouveau cirque as a college student in Paris, everything about it—the monochromatic costumes, the acrobat ... Read more

    $10.99 USD

  • Beneath the Big Top

    A Social History of the Circus in Britain

    by Steve Ward ...
    “A valuable and illuminating read, shedding a lot of light on the political, economic and technological factors that have driven circus evolution” (The Circus Diaries).Beneath the Big Top is a social history of the circus, from its ancient roots to the rise of the “modern” tented travelling shows. A performer and founder of a circus group, Steve Ward draws on eyewitness accounts and contemporary ... Read more

    $12.99 USD or Free with Kobo Plus

  • Applied Anatomy of Aerial Arts

    An Illustrated Guide to Strength, Flexibility, Training, and Injury Prevention

    by Emily Scherb ...
    An illustrated guide to anatomy and biomechanics for aerialists who want to optimize their performance and train safelySpecifically designed for aerialists—including those who do trapeze, silks, and other aerial arts— Applied Anatomy of Aerial Arts is an invaluable resource for those who want to optimize their performance and train safely.Using a biomechanical and movement-based approach, Emily ... Read more

    $13.99 USD

  • Nobody's Fool

    The Life and Times of Schlitzie the Pinhead

    by Bill Griffith ...
    A graphic biography of the real-life sideshow performer who inspired Zippy the Pinhead: “An uplifting, wonderfully humane book.” —The New York TimesFrom Coney Island and the Ringling Bros. Circus to small-town carnivals and big-city sideshows, Nobody’s Fool follows the long, legendary career of Schlitzie, today best known for his appearance in the cult classic film Freaks, the making of which is a ... Read more

    $14.99 USD or Free with Kobo Plus

  • The Trouble With Tigers

    A gripping and sweeping tale of unforgettable adventures and unforgiveable secrets

    by Roxane Dhand ...
    'A highly accomplished novel, peopled by complex characters, most of whom are hiding secrets about themselves' Jasmina Svenne, Historical Novel Society'This is a story with all the engaging elements of suspense and romance' FIVE STARSThis compulsive tale is rich in atmosphere and page-turning intrigue' FIVE STARS'The story is engaging from the start with enough twists and turn... ... Read more

    $2.99 USD

  • The Life of P.T. Barnum (Collins Classics)

    by P. T. Barnum ...
    Series series Collins Classics
    HarperCollins is proud to present its incredible range of best-loved, essential classics.Meet the greatest entertainer of the 19th Century…In 1834, desperate to create a better life for his family, small-time Connecticut businessman P. T. Barnum moved to New York City. With true entrepreneurial spirit and against all odds, he wowed audiences with his ensemble of musical spectacles, attractions and ... Read more

    $0.99 USD

  • American Sideshow

    by Marc Hartzman ...
    A fascinating look into the history of the American sideshow and its performers. Learn what's real, what's fake, and what's just downright bizarre.You've probably heard of Tom Thumb. The Elephant Man. Perhaps even Chang and Eng, the original Siamese twins. But what about Eli Bowen, the legless acrobat? Or Prince Randian, the human torso? These were just a few of the many stars that shone during ... Read more

    $13.99 USD $7.99 USD

  • Juggling Fire in The Jungle - My Journey of Thirty Years in a Sustainable Community Experiment

    by Graham Ellis ...
    "To live cohesively is almost a fantasy and we ought to know it starts with humbling our egos."NAHKO BEAR, Medicine for the PeopleThis book chronicles the first thirty years of Bellyacres: an unintentional community of bohemian jugglers who homestead a remote jungle oasis on the Big Island of Hawai'i.The author was the founder of Bellyacres, the Village Green Society, Hawaii's Volcano Circus and ... Read more

    $12.00 USD or Free with Kobo Plus

  • Facing Fear

    Step Out in Faith and Rise Above What's Holding You Back

    by Nik Wallenda ...
    A practical guide to overcoming fear from the daredevil who has walked on a tightrope across Times Square and the Grand Canyon.Nik Wallenda is a seventh-generation member of the Flying Wallendas, a circus family known for performing dangerous feats without safety nets. Nik is known for his daring televised tightrope walks over Niagara Falls, the Grand Canyon, Times Square, and an active volcano ... Read more

    $11.99 USD

  • Under the Big Top

    A Season with the Circus

    by Bruce Feiler ...
    Both a great American adventure and a rare entry into asheltered world, Under the Big Top describes one man's pursuit of every child's fantasy: running away to join the circus. Bruce Feiler's unforgettable year as a clown will forever change your view of one of the world's oldest art forms and remind you of how dreams can go horribly wrong -- and then miraculously come true. ... Read more

    $7.99 USD

  • The Wonders

    by John Woolf ...
    On March 23, 1844, General Tom Thumb, just 25 inches tall, entered the Picture Gallery at Buckingham Palace and bowed low to Queen Victoria. On both sides of the Atlantic, this meeting marked a tipping point in the nineteenth century, and the age of the freak was born.Bewitching all levels of society, it was a world of curiosities and astonishing spectacle—of dwarfs, giants, bearded ladies, ... Read more

    $18.99 USD

  • Flying, Falling, Catching

    An Unlikely Story of Finding Freedom

    Henri Nouwen’s never-before-published story of his surprising friendship with a traveling trapeze troupe.During the last five years of his life, best-selling spiritual author Henri J. M. Nouwen became close to The Flying Rodleighs, a trapeze troupe in a traveling circus. Like Nouwen’s own life, a trapeze act is full of artistry, exhilarating successes, crushing failures and continual forgiveness. ... Read more

    $14.99 USD

  • Broadway Bodies

    A Critical History of Conformity

    by Ryan Donovan ...
    Broadway has body issues. What is a Broadway Body? Broadway has long preserved the ideology of the "Broadway Body": the hyper-fit, exceptionally able, triple-threat performer who represents how Broadway musicals favor certain kinds of bodies. Casting is always a political act, situated within a power structure that gives preference to the Broadway Body. In Broadway Bodies, author Ryan Donovan ... Read more

    $25.99 USD

  • Becoming Tom Thumb

    Charles Stratton, P.T. Barnum, and the Dawn of American Celebrity

    An “evocative and entertaining” biography of the nineteenth century circus performer who became a global phenomenon (Neil Harris, author of Humbug).When P. T. Barnum met twenty-five-inch-tall Charles Stratton at a Bridgeport, Connecticut hotel in 1843, one of the most important partnerships in entertainment history was born. With Barnum’s promotional skills and the miniature Stratton’s comedic ... Read more

    $12.99 USD or Free with Kobo Plus

  • The Bloomington-Normal Circus Legacy: The Golden Age of Aerialists

    Starting in the 1870s, the barns, icehouses, gymnasiums and empty theaters of central Illinois provided the practice sites for aerial performers whose names still command reverence in the annals of American circus history. Meet Fred Miltimore and the Green Brothers, runaways from the Fourth Ward School who became the first Bloomington-born flyers. Watch Art Concello, a ten-year-old truant, become ... Read more

    $12.99 USD or Free with Kobo Plus

  • Circus Mania!

    A history of the circus from its origins in the Roman times, through its establishment in Western Europe, and to the modern day circus-absolutely diverse and captivatingCircuses have existed since Roman times, but centuries later, the circus world has never been more diverse and captivating, the global success of Cirque du Soleil testament to its enduring and universal appeal. Traditional family ... Read more

    $9.99 USD or Free with Kobo Plus

  • American OZ: An Astonishing Year Inside Traveling Carnivals at State Fairs & Festivals

    Hitchhiking From California to New York, Alaska to Mexico

    You'll never see your state fair or neighborhood festival the same again!American Oz is a rollicking, gritty, adventurous story of life in the secretive subculture of traveling carnivals.Comerford writes a bold, inspiring true story of a year working behind the scenes with the colorful characters and legends of carnivals.He shares stories of freaks, a carnival pimp, a tramp gold miner, and the ... Read more

    $9.99 USD or Free with Kobo Plus

  • Pallenberg Wonder Bears – From the Beginning

    "Pallenberg Wonder Bears – From the Beginning is a captivating narrative you couldn't have dreamed up, but won't want to put down. I've been in publishing for a long time and at this point it takes something really unique to raise my eyebrows -- and this story certainly did, from the very first page."-- Justin Race, DirectorPurdue University Press"The rich history of Pallenberg's Wonder Bears has ... Read more

    $9.95 USD or Free with Kobo Plus

  • When Clowns Attack

    A Survival Guide

    THEY’RE COMING FOR YOUCoulrophobia--the fear of clowns--is very real and for good reason. You might think these red-nosed jokers are creepy, sure, but certainly not dangerous. You’d be wrong. Clowns never reveal their real names, and dress to obscure their identities. The rules of civilized society don't apply to them (what other stranger could offer candy to children and get away with it?), they ... Read more

    $8.99 USD $7.99 USD

  • Homemade Academic Circus

    Idiosyncratically Embodied Explorations Into Artistic Research And Circus Performance

    This book takes its starting point in a rare experiment, that of an academic researcher attempting to learn to do circus. What happens to the knowledge of the performance theoretician when physically engaging with the circus arts? One of the (im)material outcomes of this experiment is what the author calls "homemade academic circus” - a series of lecture-performances on performance-related ... Read more

    $8.99 USD