Les Standiford presents BATTLE FOR THE BIG TOP
<div class=’ai1ec-event-avatar alignleft timely’><img src=’https://timelyapp-static.time.ly/images/38898986/188232514_10161024106625760_567720377036147567_n_b1hi.jpg’ /></div><div class=’kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql’ style=’overflow-wrap: break-word; margin: 0px; font-family: ‘Segoe UI Historic’, ‘Segoe UI’, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; color: #050505; font-size: 15px;’>With the closing of Ringling Bros., Barnum & Bailey circus in 2017 after 145 years, interest in the American Circus<br />has grown–especially with movies like The Greatest Showman and live shows like Circe de Soleil paying<br />wonderous homage. Now, adding to this growing circus nostalgia is New York Times bestselling author Les<br />Standiford with his new book Battle for the Big Top: P.T. Barnum, James Bailey, John Ringling, and the Death-<br />Defying Saga of the American Circus (PublicAffairs; on sale June 15 th , 2021).<br />Standiford writes the untold story of three Golden Age titans and the confrontations, cutthroat business<br />strategies, and eccentric personalities that built the Ringling Bros., Barnum & Bailey Circus. He recreates a<br />remarkable era when a community–without regard for gender, creed, or nationality–would be captivated by the<br />spectacle created by three diversely talented individuals who transcended the ordinary. Ultimately, the rivalry of<br />these three men resulted in the creation of an institution that would surpass all intentions and, for over a century,<br />hold a nation spellbound.<br />Filled with details of their ever-evolving showmanship, business strategies, and personal magnetism, this Ragtime-<br />like narrative will appeal to those interested in principal players of American history and the circus, not to<br />mention railroading, and those interested in opulence, excess, and exoticism of the Gilded Age and Roaring Twenties.</div>
<div class=’o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql’ style=’overflow-wrap: break-word; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; font-family: ‘Segoe UI Historic’, ‘Segoe UI’, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; color: #050505; font-size: 15px;’></div>
<div class=’o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql’ style=’overflow-wrap: break-word; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; font-family: ‘Segoe UI Historic’, ‘Segoe UI’, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; color: #050505; font-size: 15px;’></div>
<div class=’o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql’ style=’overflow-wrap: break-word; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; font-family: ‘Segoe UI Historic’, ‘Segoe UI’, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; color: #050505; font-size: 15px;’>Les Standiford is the author of several critically acclaimed books, including Last Train to<br />Paradise, Meet You in Hell, and Bringing Adam Home. His book, The Man Who Invented<br />Christmas, was a New York Times ‘Editors’ Choice’ and was made into a feature film<br />starring Christopher Plummer and Dan Stevens in 2018. He is a Professor of English and<br />Founding Director of the Creative Writing Program at Florida International University and<br />holds a MA and PhD in literature and creative writing from the University of Utah. He<br />attended the US Air Force Academy and Columbia School of Law and is a former<br />screenwriting fellow and graduate of the American Film Institute in Los Angeles. He lives in<br />St. Petersburg, Florida.</div>