Off to the circus

Linda Simon, professor emerita of English, is the author of A History of the Circus:  The Greatest Shows on Earth, published in November by Reaktion Books Ltd.

According to the publisher, 鈥淚n 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鈥�. Why does the circus offer us that we think we so desperately need?鈥�

In a review published in The Spectator, critic Nell Gifford writes, 鈥淟inda Simon鈥檚 compact and colourful circus history is, in many ways, a jewel of a publication.鈥�

Rich with historical detail, numerous anecdotes and colorful illustrations, the book 鈥渆vokes the greatest show on earth in all its history and wonder,鈥� writes Wavy Gravy, clown and activist. Read more at the publisher鈥檚 web site.