Circus Days in Sarasota & Venice [Paperback]

Kim Cool (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 2004

For 65 years, The Greatest Show on Earth wintered in Sarasota and Venice, Florida, leaving those two cities forever different. What those gulf coast cities are today can be traced directly back to the King of the Circus himself, John Ringling — Renaissance man, real estate magnate, showman and visionary. The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus departed Venice in 1992 but more than the memories live on. This book preserves those special years.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

For 65 years The Greatest Show on Eartth wintered in Sarasota and Venice, FL, leaving those two cities forever different from other cities. What those gulf coast cities are today can be traced directly back to the "King of the Circus" himself, John Ringling. The late circus owner was a a Renaissance man, part real estate tycoon, part showman — a visionary who traveled the world to bring the best circus acts to America whlie also woooing Americans to Florida. Ringling did this at a time when Florida’s land boom was ending and the Great Depression was about to cast its own dark shadow across the land. To this day, the area is a magnet for people interested in the arts. Both cities boast top-notch community theaters, art centers, symphonies, concert bands and opera guilds. Both cities continue to be home to circus folks, both active and retired. They are involved with the communities in which they dwell, adding their own special spice to clubs, organizations and businesses. Meetings these showfolk has been a joy as well as an adventure. There was no way to meet them all even though it is surprisingly easy to stumble upon a circus person no matter where one is in either city. The cities' legacy and the memories of those years when The Greatest Show on Earth was there are what this book is all about.

About the Author

Kim Cool has written business, needlecraft, travel and ghost story books. In the works are Ghost Stories of Clearwater/St. Petersburg and Ghost Stories of Tampa Bay. Also on the horizon is Circus Folks of Sarasota & Venice: Where Are They Now?, a sequel to Circus Days in Sarasota & Venice. By day, the Sweet Briar College graduate writes about Venice, entertainment, homes and travel as the Features Editor of the Venice Gondolier Sun. She is a member of several historical societies, serves on the Advisory Board of the Salvation Army of Venice, as a national synchronized, senior competition and gold test judge for the United States Figure Skaring Association, is a former competitive curler at the national level and a charter member of the Florida Curling Club. The writer has won awards from the Florida Press Association, is listed in Who's Who of American Women, Who’s Who in the South and Southwest and other reference works.

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Historic Venice Press (April 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0972165533
• ISBN-13: 978-0972165532
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,650,287 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

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0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Learned Alot, October 22, 2009

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C. Eaton "ChaplainCBE" (Chicago Area, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Circus Days in Sarasota & Venice (Paperback)

This book was very informative about the history of the circus & it's history in the Sarasota & Venice communities. I didn't want to put it down. A great read.