Customer Reviews

The Advance Man: A Journey into the World of the Circus

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Jamie MacVicar joined the Greatest Show on Earth in 1974, a year before I was hired for the same position. From the perspective of personal experience, the advance man nails it! Jamie MacVicar's depiction of a circus promoter's lifestyle, work ethic, tension, stress and glory are insightful and to the point. Many young and enthusiastic men and women have passed thru the Ringing promoter crucible to lead the live event industry in venue, sports and entertainment management. Accuracies aside, The Advance Man is recommended because the arc of the character is rich and you cannot help but connect with the hero on his journey of rise, fall and redemption. This book is destined to make a great movie as the writing is superb and the subject matter is as good as it gets. In reading it I felt my life pass before me as MacVicar describes a young man's journey into a strange and captivating world.

Bill Powell
VP of Marketing and Sales
Feld Entertainment

This is a great book. MacVicar is a born story-teller. He's got three stories woven together in this book. First is the circus -- everything from his bizarre job interview with the 'rubber man' to how Michu, the world's smallest man, confronted Mohammed Ali. Then there's lessons from how to market The Greatest Show on Earth -- from what TV time slots are the best to how elephant dung sold thousands of tickets. And finally there's the story of a young man stumbling in the incredibly demanding job of advancing the circus, and how he finally found redemption. You won't forget this book.

The words "big book" and "memoir" in a review are often the kiss of death. Not so with Advance Man, although its 660 pages deal with the author's memories of his early years as a promoter with the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus. The story is as well-organized, character-driven, and tightly plotted as any adventure novel. In short, it is a good read, as captivating as a fine work of fiction, but with the added authenticity of a true story.

You don't have to love the circus to enjoy reading this book. It's really about a young man on a journey of self-discovery, overcoming a host of obstacles, both external (the job) and internal (personal history). And, yes, there's a whole lot of circus going on in the background. But mostly Jamie MacVicar takes us out there with him, alone in a strange town, three months before the circus arrives. He walks us through the week-by-week countdown of trying to drum up so much excitement that all everyone wants to do when the circus comes to town is buy a ticket and see the show. It's a process that can take its toll on the promoters--the advance men--who are often overworked and underpaid. Some can't take it and quit, some are fired, and some can't imagine doing anything else.

I loved this book. The Advance Man gives you an insider's view of what it was like to step through the looking glass into Irvin Feld's Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus. Jamie MacVicar takes us from his graduation from college in 1974 through his becoming a full fledged promoter for the circus. Along the way we get to know the intimated details of his personal life and how they shape his reaction to the fascinating world of the circus. He introduces us to figures as diverse as Michu, the world's smallest man, and Cary Grant painting a deliciously detailed picture of the highs and lows of being the advance man. You can almost smell the popcorn.

Jamie McVicar has written one hell of a story and he wrote it very well. I read the almost 600 pages in two nights! As an alum of the Feld Machine myself I flew to Los Angeles in August, 1971, just after my 22nd birthday to work for Ringling as an 'Engagement Director' -- the title the Feld Organization preferred and was mandated. The whole idea of 'promoter,' 'advance man,' etc., at least in title, was discouraged. I vividly recognized the places,scenes, general madness and various individuals McVicar depicts. I was hired by H. Woolcott ('Cotten') Fenner (an extraordinary and thorough gentleman in every respect whom it doesn't appear McVicar even knew. Mr. Fenner when I knew him was in failing health). I can remember only meeting Alan Bloom a couple of times and Irvin Feld a half dozen or so.

I take McVicar at his word for the events that swirled around him and don't question is own personal demons and the mental collapse that nearly destroyed him. That is a compelling, sad few chapters. Again, it a hell of a story! But, I must say I wish it had been that exciting when I was there! I kept remembering Cotten Fenner as I read McVicar's book and can't help but think his whole experience with the circus would have been different had he known Mr. Fenner and 'came up' under his knowledge, guidance, and kindness. One of the first things I learned was that there was still room for decent qualities amidst all that greed, glitzy trash with flash, and copious amounts of elephant dung.

Unlike Mr. McVicar, I also learned very quickly that traveling light was essential and no extra personal 'baggage' was allowed. In realative quick order I also learned a hell of a lot about mass promotion, audience control, negotiations, advertising, PR, and the range of human interaction and psychology. I did not stay with Ringling very long even though since a child I had always dreamed of running away to join the circus! Fortunately, I had 'set the alarm' to wake me up from the dream and move on...

Sorry for droaning on here... guess maybe I should write my own book! Jamie McVicar's is truly a fine one. Get it. Read it. Learn from it.

Jamie MacVicar's - "The Advance Man" is honest insight into a obscure, behind-the-curtain business culture very few have the authority or the ability to craft. The Advance Man is a voyage into the previously not well-known, exotic world of circus promotion and marketing. Jamie shares his story on a backdrop of keen human observations and always with humanity. The volume is exquisite in writer's tradecraft. The Advance Man adopts an experiential narrative of an authentically real world reminiscent of the great writings of John McPhee, with a zesty seasoning of Studs Terkel. Jamie explains many hard-won, behind the scenes circus business promotional experiences accented with meaningful history, humanity, and unpredictable turns. There are two distinct Hero's Journey stories here. The first his own classical, personal Hero's Journey, and his heroism for filling the seats, town, after town. Authentic insights into such exotic domains of circus Americana are rare, if they exist at all. Jamie MacVicar skillfully blends his story lines without maudlin circus romanticism. Here he is the "wheeler-dealer" promotional circus man on his inner journey. It becomes readily apparent that Jamie's skills are required to be as expert, exacting and polished as that of any circus performer. A circus performers job seems routine and safe compared to the demands placed on him of filling the seats with no excuses - none. Jamie becomes the critical economic carburetor of the circus enterprise, fueling revenues into a complex operation trusting in, and dependent on him to "make the nut," time and time again, as the show rolls on from landscape to landscape. There are many wise, direct, practical business lessons embedded in this story well worth pause and reflection. Perhaps Mr. MacVicar's hands-on, "Do what works!" business experience could set the stage for "The Advance Man II", a "what they don't teach at Harvard" treatment. That would be a very good read too!

I normally don't read (or like) long books and I started this 672 page behemoth with trepidation. At the end, I was surprised at my reaction. GIVE ME MORE JAMIE! While not a novel, it reads as one, a real page turner that was amazingly easy to visualize. This book overall was a great treatise on how important psyche is to successful salesmanship.From his powder blue suit to the bars he visited to the people he met, Jamie painted an amazing landscape with his prose. As a bonus to me, I knew several of the people in which he interacted with in the book and found his descriptions of them to be right on, which makes me believe the rest of this well-researched tome is as accurate.The way he weaved the industry's history into the read was wonderful Thank You Jamie.

They don't call it The Greatest Show On Earth for nothing. Jamie MacVicar gives us a behind the scenes look at this national treasure and along the way, we get a primer on marketing and promotion and lessons from life's experiences. Mr. MacVicar connects all these dots in creating a very memorable book. I couldn't put it down. You won't either! May all your days be circus days.

I love this book! It is a multi-dimensional experience from start to finish. The artful crafting of stories within stories is so compelling it keeps the reader reading. From the history of the circus and the people who were the circus, to the tours of some of America's greatest cities to the extremely touching hero's journey - the personal story of a young man's coming of age - this book, like a great movie, keeps the reader fully engaged and wanting to know more. I heartily recommend it to you! The beautiful, hard bound publishing, cover art and photos make it a wonderful gift for others too!

This was a difficult book to write but Jamie MacVicker has done a remarkable job with it. Part adventure story, part memoir and part lesson-book, MacVicker proves himself to be a master story teller with a gift for great organization, patient but steady tension building and an explosive climax. He opens the door to what makes a great circus work; a bright and determined young man tick and how the lonely existence of life on the road that can sometimes turn it all upside down. I don't think any reader will soon forget this tale