Standiford's exploration of circus history is a must-have for any Barnum fan. I grew up devouring stories about P.T. Barnum and this book escorted the reader through the lives, failures, and successes that finally brought us Ringling Bros, Barnum & Bailey Circus as we knew it (before it closed).

Thank you NetGalley and Perseus Books for the opportunity to read an advance reading copy.

In BATTLE FOR THE BIG TOP, Les Standiford recounts the history of the circus in North America. The focus on the book is on the three major circuses that were owned and operated by James Bailey, P.T. Barnum, and John Ringling. Standiford gives an overview of how each of the three major circuses came to be and how/why they wound up merging together to create Ringling Bros., Barnum & Bailey Circus.

Overall, BATTLE FOR THE BIG TOP was an interesting read. I’ve always been interested in the history of the circus, and I feel that I learned a great deal from this book. Yes, some of the history can be disturbing—especially how the circus animals were treated and the ways in which some of them died either in fires or drowning during overseas voyages. A must-read for anyone interested in the history of the circus or of James Bailey, P.T. Barnum, and John Ringling in particular.

Thank you to NetGalley and Public Affairs for a DARC of this title in exchange for my honest review. I have an odd love of the history of the circus. Most of them focus on the performers or sideshow people, but this one was interesting because it combined the background of the circus, the people who made it what it was. This book read like a novel rather than a non fiction book, and I appreciated that. I highly recommend this book.

Really fascinating history about the circus in general, and specifically about the three major circus leaders in America. I learned a lot, and it made me curious to read more on the topic. Well written and structured.

I loved this book. Les Standiford tells a great story about the American circus. He uses a conversational tone and gives comprehensive biographies without getting bogged down in detail. Although not a biographical work, the history of the American circus is intimately tied to the people who ran them, so was a great intertwining of the two genres. The book reads more like a well-paced novel and it was hard to put down. The subject matter is intriguing; I’ve seen circuses on television and in movies, but Standiford brought them to life on the page. This book is well worth reading.
Disclosure: I received a complimentary advance reader copy of this book via Netgalley for review purposes.

*This book was received as an Advanced Reviewer's Copy from NetGalley.

Historical fiction can be hit or miss sometimes, even if the subject matter is especially interesting. I'm happy to say that this one is a hit for me. About the major players in the circus and the historical origination, there was enough entertainment and information here to satisfy just about anyone.

In this book, the origins of the circus are briefly explored and then the real meat of it begins; Barnum, Bailey, and the Ringling Brothers. The reader is taken through how each circus leader got their start and the many iterations, buyouts, competition, etc. each is faced with. It came as a surprise to me that ultimately, all of these shows were under the same ownership, despite having distinctive names and seemingly in 'competition' with each other. Which is not to say they weren't ever in competition, but I didn't realize how far back that actually was.

Each of the narratives is interesting, has poignant facts, and little known history about each circus. It definitely wasn't the dry history that you can sometimes get that is all fact but not engaging. I devoured this book pretty quickly as it was an enjoyable read while still being informative. And since the circus is a subject that holds many people's hearts and imaginations, it was relieving to see it covered in such an expansive way.

If you like the circus and are interested in its history, this is definitely the book for you!

Review by M. Reynard 2021