You'll find the dusty, sprawling
spectacle of the circus that vanished when the Big Top came down for
the last time in this farewell to Ringling Brothers, Barnum & Bailey
Circus - a tinsel-encrusted world - brawling, vibrating with
excitement and life. Here are some of the people who made it great:
Lilian Leitzel - remembered as the
queen of the air even today, 25 years after her fatal fall; her
loves, her amazing skills, her unquenchable ambition and brilliance
are recounted with a wild poignancy that brings her once more to
life.
Owner John Ringling North - an
ever-alert executive in this hectic sawdust-and-sequin business who
scouts for talent in the show towns of Europe with a large private
supply of Pepto-Bismol.
The Ubangis - with deadly
effectiveness they stuck pins in a wax image of the doctor who
brought them from Africa.
The flying Concellos, famous team
of aerialists - their leader Arthur Concello had one terribly
distracting thought as he "caught triples" pirouetted, and flew
through his sensational aerial act.
These and other personalities of
the circus glitter and sparkle in Robert Lewis Taylor's spotlight.
In Center Ring he has captured the indefinable spirit, the fleeting,
fast-disappearing world of the circus - with all its tawdry glamour,
its sentimental comradeship, its gallantry and gaudiness.
Condition: Hardcover with
dustjacket. Very good to fine, with very minor wear to cover. Click
image for larger picture.
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