Description
A thrilling behind-the-scenes biography of the Ringling brothersâ chief henchman. Art Concello wasnât born into the circus. But he was in the right place at the right time, becoming one of the worldâs 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 Concelloâs 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 moneyâand exposes the human toll extracted for doing so. Maureen Brunsdale not only tells Artâs 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 husbandâs. 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.
