Dazzling; clamorous and exotic; the circus is a theatre of the improbable and impossible. From the days of travelling troupes of acrobats and jugglers to the grand spectacle of the Cirque du Soleil; the circus has exerted an indelible fascination. Of all our myths of reinvention; rebirth; second acts and new identities; running away to join the circus has a special allure. In this book Linda Simon asks why we long to soar on the flying trapeze; to ride bareback on a spangled horse; to parade through city streets in costumes of glitter and gold. Why have artists and writers repeatedly or obsessively taken the circus as their subject? What does the circus offer us that we think we so desperately need? The Greatest Shows on Earth takes us from eighteenth-century hippodromes in Britain to intimate one-ring circuses in nineteenth-century Paris; where Toulouse-Lautrec and Picasso became enchanted by aerialists and clowns. We meet P. T. Barnum; James Bailey and the enterprising Ringling Brothers; who created the golden age of American circuses. We explore contemporary transformations of the circus; from the whimsical Circus Oz in Australia to New York Cityrsquo;s Big Apple Circus. Circus people are central to the story: trick riders and tightrope walkers; sword swallowers and animal trainers; contortionists and clowns ndash; these are the men and women who create the sensational; raucous; titillating and incomparable world of the circus.Beautifully illustrated; rich in historical detail and full of colourful anecdotes; Linda Simonrsquo;s vibrant history is as enchanting as a night at the big-top itself.
#1321411 in eBooks 2014-06-01 2014-06-01File Name: B00Y7V0AX0
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Worth the buyBy nicole egelandGreat coffee table book; exceeded my expectations0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Borderlines: Drawing Border Lives ReviewBy Esteban RodriguezBorderlines: Drawing Border Lives (Fronteras: dibujando las vidas fronterizas) is not your typical poetry book; but a true hybrid of art and language that captures the landscape of two worlds; whether a celebration of its people; culture; or the tragic socioeconomic aspects of life along the U.S. / Mexico border. As a lifelong resident of the Rio Grande Valley (located in deep south Texas); I was impressed by how these poems and portraits reflect what has so often been neglected on a larger national scale; and seek to shine a spotlight on an area of the country that offers a lot more than what outsiders might prematurely conceive. Each page is not only filled with a story but a visual window that gives the reader an opportunity to see into the lives of people who live and work along the border.For example; the poem ldquo;Beggar and Daughterrdquo; places the reader on a sidewalk next to a mother and daughter who have hit the absolute bottom; the consequences of global economic forces beyond their control. We get a chance to experience their poverty and understand what they must face on a daily basis. This book though; is also a celebration of life; and in poems such as ldquo;Alegriacute;ardquo; and ldquo;La Bachata;rdquo; you can feel the rhythm of these musical scenes come alive through the page. The Spanish translations of the poems in this bilingual text are excellent. The new paperback edition of Borderlines / Fronteras will make an excellent addition to classrooms and libraries. The bilingual text; high resolution artwork; and outstanding design make this book an absolute must-read.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Classrooms and School LibrariesBy Bill BrozReview of _Borderlines: Drawing Border Lives_ by Steven P. and Reefka Schneider:I highly recommend _Borderlines: Drawing Border Lives / Fronteras: Dibujando las vidas fronterizas_ for use in school classrooms and library settings especially; but not only; along the U.S./Mexico borderlands. _Borderlines_ consists of twenty-five poems in English and Spanish; written in response to twenty-five portraits by artist Reefka Schneider. Among the poems and portraits the husband and wife collaborators present; borderland readers will find mirrors of contemporary and traditional border life. School children who recognize their home culture and language in the pictures and text will experience the benefits and advantages of using their "Funds of Knowledge" to support reading and interpretation. The same powerful interpretive resource is available to all Spanish/English bilingual readers. For non-borderland readers; _Borderlines_ offers windows into increasingly important and often overlooked segments of American life. What a great resource for a high school Spanish class in Iowa or a public library in Illinois; especially if the locale is experiencing an increased migration of borderland peoples.Bill BrozAssistant Professor of Childrens and Young Adult Literature; University of Texas-Pan American
