1
of
1
The Circus
A Visual History
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still
learning, it may not be perfect - your
feedback is welcome!
Summary
Read More
Format: Hardback
$11000
Unit price
/
Unavailable
AVAILABLE WITH SUPPLIER
Ships from our Auckland warehouse within 4-6 weeks
Found a better price? Request a price match
The Circus
$11000
Unit price
/
Unavailable
Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?
This book is ideal for scholars, students, and aficionados of the circus, as well as readers seeking a richly illustrated and authoritative introduction to the art and history of circus performance worldwide.
Latest News
The Hunger Games: Why it is one of the greatest YA series of all time
I absolutely LOVE ‘The Hunger Games’, and with ‘Sunrise on the Reaping’ arriving in New...
New Hero Alert! Meet Renee, Our New Warehouse Sidekick!
Meet Renee, one of the newest members of our Book Hero warehouse team! A keen...
The Story to Screen Report - 6/11/2026
It's another exciting week in the world of book-to-screen adaptations! From major casting announcements and...
The Lord of the Rings at Book Hero: There and Back Again… And Again
Our very first sale was an illustrated copy of The Hobbit, and our Tolkien collection...
A Little Bit of Magic: Building the Rolife Magic Fantasy Corner
There's nothing quite like spending an evening building a little bit of magic! Last weekend,...
See moreA beautiful, highly illustrated and authoritative history of the circus around the world, which charts the evolution of travelling entertainment from antiquity to the present day.
A beautiful, highly illustrated and authoritative history of the circus around the world, which charts the evolution of travelling entertainment from antiquity to the present day.
Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and
still learning, it may not be perfect - your
feedback is welcome!
Description
Winner of 2019 British Book Design & Production Award for Scholarly, Academic & Reference Books
This beautiful book charts the development of the circus as an art form around the world, from antiquity to the present day.
Using over 200 circus related artworks from the French National Library’s private collections, celebrated cultural historian Pascal Jacob tells the story of travelling entertainers and their art and trade. From nomadic animal tamers of the Dark Ages to European jugglers and acrobats of the 1800s, from the use of the circus as Soviet propaganda to the 20th-century Chinese performance art renaissance, this is an exhaustive history with a uniquely international scope.
Jacob draws on both rare and famous artworks, including prints dating from the 13th century, and paintings by Picasso and Doré. In doing so he demonstrates the circus to be a visual and physical masterpiece, constantly moving and evolving, and just as exciting an experience for audiences now as it was 1,000 years ago.
Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?
The book has been praised for its vivid presentation and scholarly depth, offering a vibrant and engaging introduction that appeals to both academics and circus enthusiasts. Reviews highlight its rich array of photographs, posters, and previously unpublished images, complemented by an accessible overview of circus history. The translation from French adds poetic qualities, making this volume a brilliant and highly recommended read for all backgrounds. It won the 2019 British Book Design & Production Award for Scholarly, Academic & Reference Books.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9781350043107
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Format: Hardback
Date Published: 09 August 2018
Country: United Kingdom
Imprint: Bloomsbury Visual Arts
Illustration: 160 colour and 40 bw illus
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Spine width: 22.0mm
Width: 218.0mm
Height: 290.0mm
Weight: 1253g
Pages: 240
About the Author
Pascal Jacob is a prominent circus arts historian and lecturer at the Sorbonne, France. He has published over thirty popular and scholarly books on the circus, and is the artistic director of both the Cirques Phénix and the Festival Mondial du Cirque de Demain.
More from History & Military
View all-
New ReleaseBehind Enemy Lines
Archie Gibson's initiation into desert warfare almost proved to be his last. Barrelling through the sand dunes at the wheel of his truck, Gibson spied a searing flash of light up ahead, the signature of a feared German 88mm gun firing ... right at him. He leapt from his speeding vehicle just before it was torn apart and turned into...Paperback$3299Elsewhere:$3999Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips Monday -
New ReleaseThe Cauldron
How did an elderly cleric overthrow the Shah of Iran and change the world?Why did Bin Laden attack the USA - and why did the USA destroy Saddam?How did Britain and France carve up the Middle East - and why did the Kurds never get their own state? THE ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO THE MAKING OF TODAY'S MIDDLE EAST: A SPELLBINDING...Hardback$4999Elsewhere:$6000Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips Monday -
Saving Elli
One child. Two years in hiding. Three lives in mortal danger. In Nazi-occupied Amsterdam, near Anne Frank's house, another Jewish girl is hidden. Her name is Elli. Her father has been executed at Mauthausen concentration camp. Her mother is fleeing for her life. Elli is next. To save her, resistance couple Frits and Jo Hakkens must risk everything, concealing her...Paperback$3299Elsewhere:$3799Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips Monday -
Suicidal Empathy
The bestselling author of The Parasitic Mind shows why empathy in politics leads to civilizational collapse. What happens when a society elevates victimhood to a virtue and decides that punishment is cruel? You get the disease Dr. Gad Saad calls suicidal empathy. And the West may be terminally infected. In his new book, Suicidal Empathy, Saad unleashes a blistering critique...Paperback$3099Elsewhere:$3799Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips Monday -
New ReleaseThe Race to the Top of the World
The epic true story of George Mallory and Edmund Hillary and the quest to be the first to conquer Everest. A captivating story of adventure, daring, despair and triumph from Australia's favourite storyteller. Last century, two men, thirty years apart, set out to become the first to conquer the highest point in the world. Their names are synonymous with adventure...Hardback$4699Elsewhere:$6000Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips Monday -
Man's Search For Meaning
Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl is a profound, thought-provoking memoir and psychological exploration that delves into the harrowing experiences of life in Nazi concentration camps, intertwined with the author’s groundbreaking theories on existential psychology. The book is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit, offering a beacon of hope and a roadmap for finding purpose...Paperback$1800Elsewhere:$2100Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips Monday -
SignedThe Chief and the Empire
The Chief and the Empire uncovers the extraordinary true tale of Te Tai Tokerau rangatira Te Pahi - the first influential Māori leader to cross the Tasman - whose curiosity about the Pākehā world forged alliances, saved lives, and ultimately cost him his own. On a visit to Sydney in 1805, Te Pahi was feted as a celebrity, building close...Paperback$3200Elsewhere:$3999Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips Monday -
The Wager
THE SUNDAY TIMES TOP TEN BESTSELLER LONGLISTED FOR THE 2023 BAILLIE GIFFORD PRIZE FOR NON-FICTION 'The beauty of The Wager unfurls like a great sail... one of the finest nonfiction books I've ever read' Guardian 'The greatest sea story ever told' Spectator 'I cannot think of anyone who would not love this book... It is an extraordinary true story, beautifully...Paperback$2399Elsewhere:$3999Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips Monday -
New Release
Plunder
The last weeks of World War II on the Western Front in Europe witnessed extraordinary scenes of heroism, horror, melodrama, and pathos. In Plunder, Max Hastings presents a cast of fascinating people—British, American, and German—in a series of great events in which some distinguished themselves through wonderful deeds, others through the basest crimes. The book takes its title from Montgomery’s...Paperback$3699Elsewhere:$4500Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips Monday -
Discipline
Silence is complicity, but how do we confront the cost of speaking up? Sydney, May 2021. Ashraf is an academic whose career and personal life are in freefall. Hannah is a young journalist struggling to honour the voices of her community. When a Year 12 Al-Bayinnah College student is arrested for protesting a university's ties to an Israeli weapons manufacturer,...Paperback$4000Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips Monday -
The Golden Menhir
Assurancetourix is entering the legendary Gallic bards' competition to win the golden menhir. But with the Romans keeping a close watch, Asterix and Obelix must protect him at all costs. Their mission? Keep him safe-no matter what... even if it means risking their own ears! First released as a book-disc in 1967, this adventure soon became a rare treasure, long...Hardback$2999Elsewhere:$3499Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips Monday -
Shattered Lands
'A sparkling debut by an outstanding young historian' – PETER FRANKOPAN 'This book is a revelation … both original and important' – MISHAL HUSAIN A history of modern South Asia told through five partitions that reshaped it. As recently as 1928, a vast swathe of Asia – India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Burma, Nepal, Bhutan, Yemen, Oman, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, and...Paperback$3699Elsewhere:$4500Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips Monday
Why buy from us?
Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!
Service & Delivery
Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 190,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.
Auckland Bookstore
We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.
Our Gifting Service
Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.
History & Military lists from the team
Explore our curated lists from our heroes to find your next read!
