A brilliant, eclectic showman, circus king John Ringling North achieved international fame as a talent scout, booking the likes of Gargantua the Great and Unus, the man who stood on his forefinger. He once engaged George Balanchine to choreograph a ballet for elephants, with Igor Stravinsky composing the music. Big Top Boss explores the remarkable career of North, who ran Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus for thirty years. Using as a backdrop North's flamboyant lifestyle and the lavish spectacles he brought to the ...
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A brilliant, eclectic showman, circus king John Ringling North achieved international fame as a talent scout, booking the likes of Gargantua the Great and Unus, the man who stood on his forefinger. He once engaged George Balanchine to choreograph a ballet for elephants, with Igor Stravinsky composing the music. Big Top Boss explores the remarkable career of North, who ran Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus for thirty years. Using as a backdrop North's flamboyant lifestyle and the lavish spectacles he brought to the big top, David Lewis Hammarstrom details in lively and dramatic fashion how North guided the circus through adversities ranging from depressions and wars to crippling labor strikes and rapidly changing trends in American entertainment. This first balanced picture of North's controversial life reveals how his popular image as an impresario was shattered in the wake of his bitterly opposed 1956 decision to strike the tents for good and move the circus indoors. It also shows that North's circus was not artistically run down and losing money when he sold it in 1967 but in fact had been reestablished as a profitable enterprise that earned first-rate critical notices and was attracting larger crowds each year. Hammarstrom has interviewed a host of key circus figures including North himself; his brother, Henry; his famous general manager, Arthur M. Concello; and many performers, directors, and department heads who were involved with the circus when North owned and operated it. Big Top Boss also sheds new light on North's personal life, giving proper significance to his long-term relationship with Countess Ida von Zedlitz-Trutzschler, the onetime ballerina with whom he livedfor nearly thirty years.
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Add this copy of Big Top Boss: John Ringling North and the Circus to cart. $7.75, very good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Atlanta rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Austell, GA, UNITED STATES, published 1994 by University of Illinois Press.
Add this copy of Big Top Boss: John Ringling North and the Circus to cart. $8.26, good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Baltimore rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Halethorpe, MD, UNITED STATES, published 1992 by University of Illinois Press.
Add this copy of Big Top Boss: John Ringling North and the Circus to cart. $8.26, fair condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Baltimore rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Halethorpe, MD, UNITED STATES, published 1992 by University of Illinois Press.
Add this copy of Big Top Boss: John Ringling North and the Circus to cart. $9.23, very good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Reno rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Reno, NV, UNITED STATES, published 1992 by University of Illinois Press.
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Seller's Description:
Very good. A copy that has been read, but remains in excellent condition. Pages are intact and are not marred by notes or highlighting, but may contain a neat previous owner name. The spine remains undamaged. An ex-library book and may have standard library stamps and/or stickers. At ThriftBooks, our motto is: Read More, Spend Less.
Add this copy of Big Top Boss: John Ringling North and the Circus to cart. $10.99, very good condition, Sold by BookHouse On-Line rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Minneapolis, MN, UNITED STATES, published 1994 by University of Illinois Press.
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Very Good. NOT ex-library. Spine is uncreased, binding tight and sturdy; text also very good+. Light bump to corner, otherwise shelfwear is very minor. Spine has light even sunning. Ships from Dinkytown in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Add this copy of Big Top Boss: John Ringling North and the Circus to cart. $13.50, very good condition, Sold by Buckeye Bookshop Online rated 3.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Stow, OH, UNITED STATES, published 1992 by University of Illinois Press.
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1st edition, 1st printing. 341 pp. Bibliography, index. Ex-library copy with usual markings, pocket, and tape) / Near Fine book (no markings to text) / Near Fine dust jacket (fading to spine). A clean, solid copy.
Add this copy of Big Top Boss: John Ringling North and the Circus to cart. $14.95, like new condition, Sold by Eatons Books and Crafts rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Owatonna, MN, UNITED STATES, published 1992 by University of Illinois Press.
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Fine. Softcover, in Fine condition, there are no stamps writing or marks, straight spine without creases, looks like new except for a couple little corner bumps, no other flaws to note, a nice-looking book,
Add this copy of Big Top Boss: John Ringling North and the Circus to cart. $32.26, good condition, Sold by Goldstone Books rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Ammanford, CARMS, UNITED KINGDOM, published 1994 by University of Illinois Press.
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Good. All orders are dispatched within 1 working day from our UK warehouse. Established in 2004, we are dedicated to recycling unwanted books on behalf of a number of UK charities who benefit from added revenue through the sale of their books plus huge savings in waste disposal. No quibble refund if not completely satisfied.
Add this copy of Big Top Boss: John Ringling North and the Circus to cart. $36.68, good condition, Sold by Bonita rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Newport Coast, CA, UNITED STATES, published 1994 by University of Illinois Press.
