Acknowledgments / ix
Introduction -- Janet M. Davis / 1
Author's Note / 33
Prologue / 35
PART ONE
1. The Bend in the Road / 41
2. As Mrs. Private Citizen, Viewing the Parade / 57
3. A Flight on Gossamer Wings / 62
4. In Pursuit of a Mirage to Yesterday / 75
5. A Tour behind the Platforms of Those Strange People / 86
6. Destiny Smiles, but Not on Shmoontsie / 99
7. A New Leaf, a New Life / 105
8. Where Caste Is Observed, According to Rank and Rating / 117
9. Equestrian Director Par Excellence / 143
10. The Awe-Inspiring Mr. John / 147
11. Calibrating for a Career / 150
12. Bareback: The Aristocrat of Circus Acts / 155
13. A Backdoor Glimpse of Supermen and Superwomen / 161
14. Elephants Are Like People / 172
15. Engineering the White City / 177
16. Finding the Lot -- A Daily Headache / 187
17. On the Sunny Side / 189
18. Life under the Big Top: Private, Social, Competitive / 193
19. Finale of the Season / 196
20. Circus Experience Pays Off / 198
21. An Annual Season's Opening / 203
22. Leitzel, Queen of the Air -- Of the Ground as Well / 208
23. Progress, Trends, and Customs Typical of Circus Folks / 214
24. On a Magic Carpet to a Land Fantastic / 221
25. Back to the Material World / 229
26. An Act Is Born / 234
27. Circus History Is Made: Merging "The Greatest Show on Earth" and "The World's Greatest Show," Thereafter to Be Known as "Ringling Bros, and Barnum & Bailey Combined Shows" / 237
28. Pride versus Virtue / 246
29. Misery -- Like Death -- Knows No Class Distinction / 255
30. Fate Follows Her Course -- Strange, Mysterious, Terrifying / 258
PART TWO
31. Sarasota -- Last Stop / 271
32. An Elucidating Interlude / 288
PART THREE
33. The Circus, to Date (1948) / 293
Epilogue: The Show -- The Public -- Unto the End / 311
Appendix A: Superstitions / 313
Notes / 315
Index / 353
