Full of the wildly colorful characters Gary Jenning is famous for, the epic saga of Spangle takes us on a grand tour of two continents, from the Reconstruction South and a North which has remade our Union, across the ocean to an ancient union reestablished, and the glittering capitals of Europe. In The Center Ring we follow ex-confederate officer Zachary Edge and his uncommon crew, who have now traveled across the Atlantic. their first stop is the turbulent new kingdom of Italy, then it's on to Austria, where Zachary befriends the beautiful Austrian Empress Elisabeth. While encountering some of the most memorable faces in history, Edge finds himself faced with both unforeseen dangers and moments of extraordinary passion, as the tour takes us all across a Europe being remade.
Book Description
Editorial Reviews
Review
"Jennings has the essential knack of a historical novelist. He can breathe life into the dust of history."--The Washington Post
"Jennings is noted for his exhaustive research. What he does best is write enjoyable adventure stories."--The Tampa Tribune and Times
"Jennings's strength lies in his painstaking research and hi authentic detail."--The Seattle Times
"Jennings is noted for his exhaustive research. What he does best is write enjoyable adventure stories."--The Tampa Tribune and Times
"Jennings's strength lies in his painstaking research and hi authentic detail."--The Seattle Times
From the Publisher
"Jennings has the essential knack of a historical novelist. He can breathe life into the dust of history." --The Washington Post
"Jennings is noted for his exhaustive research. What he does best is write enjoyable adventure stories." --The Tampa Tribune & Times
"Jennings' strength lies in his painstaking research and his authentic detail." --The Seattle Times
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Another bawdy romp with Gary Jennings!,
By A Customer
This review is from: The Center Ring: Spangle #2 (Mass Market Paperback)
I was delighted to find that 'Spangle' has been serialized and published in paperback. I read the entire, hardbound book several months ago, being an ardent Gary Jennings fan, and enjoyed every page. "Center Ring" takes the reader from Italy to Russia, with stops in Austria, Germany and Hungary, providing never-before revealed vignettes of late 19th century circus life. It's written in Jenning's usual tongue-in-cheek, intellectually earthy style, with carefully researched cameo appearances of Europes "crowned heads" of the period. Even the language translations were authenic- being of mixed Hungarian and Italian extraction, it was an ethnic joy for me! "Roadshow" and "Center Ring" have brought Jennings back into availability for the reader looking for that unique, entertaining and riveting diversion. Characterizations are finely drawn and compelling; I found myself feeling like I knew Florian consummate showman and owner of the Flourishing Florilegium, slimy Sir John Fitzfarris, dipsomaniac Abner Mullenax, boyishly appealing yet brawny Obie Yount, striving Sunday Simms and her over-sexed sister Monday, hard-working and loyal Magpie Maggie Hag, and the love-lorn Zachary Edge, not to mention all the carefully drawn others. THANK YOU GARY!
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Center Ring: Spangle #2,
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This review is from: The Center Ring: Spangle #2 (Mass Market Paperback)
If you're looking for plot lines, Gary Jennings is not the author for you. However, if you like historical novels Jennings can't be beat. His well researched novels are the easiest way to learn world history. They are so detailed that after reading one of his books you feel as if you actually lived through those experiences and times. The Spangle series will educate you in what life was really like in not only the U.S. but most of Europe in the mid to late 19th century and you'll learn an awful lot about the inner life of the circus world. If you like Mary Renault or Wilbur Smith, you'll love Gary Jennings.
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Center Ring: Spangle #2,
By
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: The Center Ring: Spangle #2 (Mass Market Paperback)
If you're looking for plot lines, Gary Jennings is not the author for you. However, if you like historical novels Jennings can't be beat. His well researched novels are the easiest way to learn world history. They are so detailed that after reading one of his books you feel as if you lived those experiences and times. If you like Mary Renault or Wilbur Smith, you'll love Gary Jennings.
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Inside This Book
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First Sentence:
THEY ALL WAITED, WITH the wagons, animals and stacked luggage, on the vast, cobbled lungomare that stretched from the harborside to where the streets of Livorno city began. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
annex tent, starback seats, dressing wagon, lungia boom, equestrian director, other troupers, closing spec, midway joints, balloon wagon, cage wagon, menagerie tent, office wagon, circus women, dwarf horse, circus folk, circus train, circus company, mud show, own caravan, balloon ascension, balance pole, solo turn, conduct books, circus people, whole troupe Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Clover Lee, Magpie Maggie Hag, Sir John, Ali Baba, Colonel Ramrod, Barnacle Bill, Carl Beck, Franz Joseph, Monday Simms, Monsieur Roulette, Jules Rouleau, Miss Auburn, Willi Lothar, Autumn Auburn, Dai Goesle, Gran Duca, Major Minim, Pavlo Smodlaka, Herr Doktor, Herr Florian, Herr Gouverneur, Sunday Simms, Miss Eel, Aleksandr Banat, Obie Yount New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
THEY ALL WAITED, WITH the wagons, animals and stacked luggage, on the vast, cobbled lungomare that stretched from the harborside to where the streets of Livorno city began. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
annex tent, starback seats, dressing wagon, lungia boom, equestrian director, other troupers, closing spec, midway joints, balloon wagon, cage wagon, menagerie tent, office wagon, circus women, dwarf horse, circus folk, circus train, circus company, mud show, own caravan, balloon ascension, balance pole, solo turn, conduct books, circus people, whole troupe Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Clover Lee, Magpie Maggie Hag, Sir John, Ali Baba, Colonel Ramrod, Barnacle Bill, Carl Beck, Franz Joseph, Monday Simms, Monsieur Roulette, Jules Rouleau, Miss Auburn, Willi Lothar, Autumn Auburn, Dai Goesle, Gran Duca, Major Minim, Pavlo Smodlaka, Herr Doktor, Herr Florian, Herr Gouverneur, Sunday Simms, Miss Eel, Aleksandr Banat, Obie Yount New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 7
books:
See all 7 books this book cites
- Aztec Autumn by Gary Jennings in Front Matter
- Romeo and Juliet (Folger Shakespeare Library) by William Shakespeare on page 198
- The Magic Flute (The Black Dog Opera Library) by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart on page 110
- Romeo and Juliet (Penguin Readers, Level 3) by William Shakespeare on page 198
- Romeo And Juliet (Turtleback School & Library Binding Edition) (Saddleback Classics) by William Shakespeare on page 198
See all 7 books this book cites
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