Download or read book Big Top Boss written by David Hammarstrom and published by University of Illinois Press. This book was released on 1994-01-15 with total page 414 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This first balanced picture of circus king John Ringling North explored the remarkable career of the man who ran Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Baily for thirty years. David Lewis Hammarstrom details how North guided the circus through adversities ranging from depressions and wars to crippling labor strikes and rapidly changing trends in American entertainment. Hammarstrom interviewed a host of circus figures including North himself; his formers, directors, and department heads who were involved with the circus when North owned and operated it.