In the Shadow of the Big Top

The Life of Ringling's Unlikely Circus Savior

Maureen Brunsdale

$146.95 $117.90

Hardback

Not in-store but you can order this
How long will it take?

Availability Information

We source books from suppliers in Australia and overseas. For books we don't currently have in stock, the time it takes to get them from our suppliers can vary widely - from a few days to a few months - so we check each book with each supplier to determine the expected time it will take to be supplied to us.

We then advise you accordingly. If the time taken to get any book is too long for you, you can let us know and we will cancel or adjust your order, and refund as required.

To find out the anticipated arrival time for specific items prior to ordering, please contact us by phone or email:

Phone +61 2 9264 3111, or 1800 4 BOOKS (1800 4 26657) if outside Sydney:
option 1 Abbey's Bookshop (Crime, History, Science, Kids & more) • info@abbeys.com.au
option 2 Language Book Centre (ESL & Foreign Languages) • language@abbeys.com.au
option 3 Galaxy Bookshop (Sci-fi, Fantasy, Romance, Graphic Novels) • sf@galaxybooks.com.au

QTY:

English

Rowman & Littlefield
10 April 2023

Circus; Biography: arts & entertainment; History of the Americas; 20th century history: c 1900 to c 2000

A thrilling behind-the-scenes biography of the Ringling brothers’ chief henchman.

Art Concello wasn’t born into the circus. But he was in the right place at the right time, becoming one of the world’s best trapeze artists before transforming himself into a shrewd circus businessman.

In the Shadows of the Big Top: The Life of Ringling's Unlikely Circus Savior details Concello’s fateful path from flyer, to manager, to owner. Against the backdrop of the golden age of the American circus, this book goes beyond the showmanship displayed in the ring to reveal how the circus could both thrill a crowd and make incredible money—and exposes the human toll extracted for doing so. Maureen Brunsdale not only tells Art’s incredible life story, but also that of his wife, an orphan-turned-acrobat who was determined to never be left behind in a career every bit as terrifying and electrifying as her husband’s.

The first-ever biography of Concello, In the Shadows of the Big Top draws back the curtain on the inner workings of the circus and casts a light on the man who shaped not only Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey, but the circus industry as a whole.

By: Maureen Brunsdale
Imprint: Rowman & Littlefield
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 232mm, Width: 161mm, Spine: 21mm
Weight: 476g
ISBN: 9781538172100
ISBN 10: 1538172100
Pages: 240
Publication Date: 10 April 2023
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

Maureen Brunsdale is a circus historian and board member of the Circus Historical Society. She is the Special Collections Librarian at Milner Library, Illinois State University. Brunsdale is the coauthor of The Bloomington-Normal Circus Legacy. Learn more at MaureenBrunsdale.com.

Reviews for In the Shadow of the Big Top: The Life of Ringling's Unlikely Circus Savior

As Art Concello himself would have said, Great f--ing read!--John Ringling North II, circus owner and son of Henry Ringling North Maureen Brunsdale takes you under the sidewall and into the spangled world of the circus, where the spotlight shines on performers and shrewd operators, and the craftiest of them all provides a breathtaking center ring performance.--Chris Berry, Circus Historian and Author A stupendously fascinating biography of Art Concello - a complex individual who had a Jumbo-sized impact on the 20th century American circus. Maureen Brunsdale brings to life this enigmatic man as he stayed in the shadows yet modernized John Ringling North's giant extravaganza, charting it through turbulent as well as triumphant times. The interwoven account of Concello's first wife and triple-somersaulting flyer, Antoinette, is equally compelling. Bravo!--Greg Parkinson, Editor of Bandwagon, former Executive Director of Circus World Museum Brunsdale brings to life the controversial Arthur Concello in her in-depth new book. Brunsdale takes a clear-eyed look at the team of Antoinette and Arthur, the Flying Concellos and how Arthur sometimes bullied his way into becoming a circus legend.--Leslie Zemeckis, best-selling author, actress, and award-winning documentarian