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The First Showman - The Extraordinary Mr Astley, The Englishman Who Invented the Modern Circus (Paperback)
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The First Showman - The Extraordinary Mr Astley, The Englishman Who Invented the Modern Circus (Paperback)
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List price R349
Loot Price R286
Discovery Miles 2 860
You Save R63 (18%)
Expected to ship within 9 - 15 working days
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Before ‘the greatest showman’, P. T. Barnum, there was Philip
Astley, an Englishman who revolutionised popular entertainment.
This is his extraordinary story. The First Showman is a hugely
entertaining history of the man who created the modern circus:
Philip Astley. There have been many books about aspects of the
circus but little written about its inventor. Here, New York Times
bestselling author Karl Shaw draws on original research to tell the
story of Britain’s Barnum. He brilliantly evokes the time, the
place, the drama, pitfalls, successes, characters and passion
behind Astley’s rise to fame. Born in Newcastle-under-Lyme, ‘Mr
Astley’ is also a local hero for the author, who now lives there.
Astley served as a sergeant major in the British Army where he
learned his horse-riding skills, before becoming a brilliant
innovator of equestrian tricks and spectacles. In April 1768 Astley
staked out a ring at Halfpenny Hatch near Waterloo in London and he
and his wife Patty put on displays of trick horse-riding in the
open air. Two years later, he put a clown in the ring and gave
birth to the modern circus. His circus performers included a
strongman called Signor Colpi and a clown called Mr Merryman. He
established the still-standard diameter of the circus ring, 42
feet. He was invited to perform before European royalty and built
France’s first purpose-built circus building, the Amphitheatre
Anglais, in Paris. Almost incredibly, he built circuses in twenty
European cities. At home, Astley’s Amphitheatre was mentioned in
books by Charles Dickens and Jane Austen. He died on 20 October
1814 and was buried in Pere Lachaise Cemetery, Paris. His life is a
wonderful story of perseverance and flair on the way to achieving
everlasting renown.
General
Imprint: |
Amberley Publishing
|
Country of origin: |
United Kingdom |
Release date: |
2024 |
Authors: |
Karl Shaw
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Dimensions: |
198 x 129mm (L x W) |
Format: |
Paperback
|
Pages: |
288 |
ISBN-13: |
978-1-398-11952-9 |
Categories: |
Books >
Humanities >
History >
General
Books >
History >
General
|
LSN: |
1-398-11952-0 |
Barcode: |
9781398119529 |
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