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Under the Big Top
Hardcover
20th Century United States HistoryGeneral DramaGeneral Sociology
ISBN13: 9781025384795
Publisher: Tradd Street Press
Published: Feb 14 2026
Pages: 276
Weight: 1.24
Height: 0.69 Width: 6.14 Depth: 9.21
Language: English
Under the Big Top provides an immersive and firsthand look into the fascinating world of the American circus during its golden age. Written by Courtney Ryley Cooper, a renowned authority on the subject, this work captures the magic, the grit, and the complex logistics of life behind the scenes of the traveling show. From the thunderous arrival of the circus train to the intricate choreography of the high-wire acts and the intense relationship between trainers and their animals, the book offers a comprehensive exploration of a unique cultural phenomenon.
Readers are invited into the backyard of the circus, where the mundane realities of transportation and camp life meet the extraordinary spectacle of the arena. Cooper details the courage of the performers, the cunning of the managers, and the tireless labor of the crew that made the massive productions possible. With its vivid prose and authentic insights, Under the Big Top serves as both a thrilling adventure and a vital historical record of a bygone era of entertainment. It remains an essential read for anyone captivated by the lore of the big top and the spirit of the nomadic showman.
This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you may see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work.
This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.
As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.
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