DNF @ 21% - I had to abandon this book at 21% and here is why. First of all, there was a lot of circus history, which was awesome. BUT the big things for me were:
1) I'm 1/5th of the way in, and the three big names have barely been mentioned. I just finished reading about James Bailey, but there were only mere mentions of P.T. Barnum and John Ringling so far.
2) The very clinical and monotone writing style just didn't keep my interest.
3) There's a lot of USA-specific history, and I'm Canadian so I just don't care much about US history.
4) This book wasn't what I thought it would be, it was a lot of history and facts, and I thought it would be more about Barnum, Bailey and Ringling, and how they were competing in the circus industry. It's of course important to know the history of it all, but I'm just not a history buff and I'd much rather have gotten a quick introduction to how the concept of a circus got started, how they travelled, things they endured, then move right into the 3 main "Ringmasters" and more stuff about them.

I did find the history about the animals, and how the circuses had to travel, and how they setup interesting, so I may come back to this in the future and try to continue it. ( )

Advance copy from NetGalley

This was a fascinating history of the three major circus leaders in America: the Ringing brothers, James Bailey, and P.T. Barnum. I’ve been interested in reading more circus history since I read Blue Men and River Monsters, and the ghost walk tours I’ve done in Baraboo have also piqued my interest. I learned a lot, and I was astounded at these men who went back and forth from being rich, losing everything, and finding their way back to success again. The sheer number of animals and personnel and the elaborate productions they did was almost inconceivable to me. I went to a few circuses when I was a kid, but it was way past the time of the excesses described in this book.

A few of the more potentially disturbing aspects of the circus were mostly glossed over —the freak shows, the menageries, and acts involving people of color, at least one of whom was bought and exhibited (falsely) as the ancient nursemaid of George Washington. I don’t think all the “freaks” were mistreated, nor do I think the animals always were (although I have my worries about how they were acquired and replaced so easily when so many of them died in fires or on sea voyages gone wrong), but I have a hard time believing that everything was fine for them. They weren’t the main focus of the book, I guess, but I’d be curious to read more about the experiences of the people who were brought in as acts based on their bodies, race, or health conditions. I think some, like “Tom Thumb,” really benefitted from the circus, but I’d like to know more.

I liked how the author periodically would pause to give the reader a sense of the time period, where he’d note other moments of history that were happening and talk about wages, inventions, and cost of common items. It was a good way to put things in historical context for readers who aren’t well-versed in American history. The chapters were quite short, enough so that I changed my chapter a day approach to two chapters a day. I didn’t love the citation style and would have preferred footnotes or endnotes over the messier conversational style of the notes at the end of the book. I was glad he provided a separate bibliography.

I think my favorite portion of the book was about the Ringling brothers, starting with kind of a circus equivalent of a lemonade stand when they were kids, using whatever was to hand for acts, including the family goat, billed as a “hippocapra.” It charmed me that friends and neighbors paid to see their show, and it amazed me that they built on it year by year to become one of biggest circuses in the country.

A couple of goofy mistakes really hit my brain with a clang, and I wonder if they’ll be changed by the time the book comes out. One was referring to one of the circuses performing “scenes from the Bible,” like Ben Hur’s chariot race, and the other was referring to E.B. White as the “composer” of Charlotte’s Web. Maybe that last was intentional—if weird—word choice, but the Ben Hur Bible thing was just irritating. Since neither was the focus of his research, it didn’t make him lose a lot of credibility with me, but it still bothered me.

That aside, I still say it was definitely worth a read for people interested in circus history. Overall, I liked it quite a bit, and it made me curious to read more. ( )

Whether you are of an age to remember when the circus came to town…or if you’ve never had the pleasure of experiencing it, this lovingly detailed and well written history will be of interest. The “battle” was not so much the various outfits competing against one another as they traveled throughout the land, but rather their century-long efforts to keep the circus alive and thrilling. Barnum’s life is fairly well known but most of us know little about his younger partner, Bailey, or the seven (!) Ringling Brothers who later ran the show. The circus presented here was a uniquely American enterprise, combining animal acts with feats of daring and skill, so-called “freak” shows and glorious entertainment. Full of surprising tidbits (why we say “jumbo fries”) and stark tragedies—fire was the worst enemy of all—the saga of the circus features larger-than-life characters who continue to rise up against unbelievable odds. In many ways, they are the stars of this book: heroic, bombastic, and courageous. Includes black-and-white photos, interesting notes and a thorough bibliography.

I received a gratis copy in exchange for an impartial review from Seattle Book Review. ( )

This was a fascinating exploration of the history of circuses. The author covers the foundations of the circus worldwide and then concentrates on the United States. Here he details the growth of the three main circus rivals and their ultimate demise. This was thoroughly researched and written in an easy-to-understand manner. You don’t need to have previous knowledge of circus history to enjoy this book. Anyone who is interested in entertainment, American History, or circus lore should definitely read this. ( )

Story of the rise and fall of the circus in the US. Focuses on the players: the Baileys, Barnum, and the Ringlings. Really the invention and expansion of folks entertainments and their subsequent demise in the face of more immediate and accessible diversions, including television, movies, internet, etc. Well written and a decent example of history of the particular. ( )