Memoirs of a Sword Swallower [Paperback]

Daniel P. Mannix (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 8, 1996

Memoirs of a Sword Swallower is Daniel P. Mannix's autobiography as a sword-swallower with a traveling sideshow, illustrated with photos from the 30s and 40s taken by the author. An example of Classic Americana, this book offers a portrayal of a vanished world of working-class performance artists who earned a living by their unique bodies and imaginations. Stars include the Fat Lady, the human beanpole, the Ostrich man who ate broken glass, and many more. The "tricks" behind eating fire and swallowing swords are explicated with clarity and candor. This book will appeal to all who speculate about the outer limits of pain, pleasure, and revulsion. Mannix went on to become the supreme noir historian of the 20th century, penning Those About to Die (about the Roman games in the Colosseum), a biography of Aleister Crowley called The Beast, The Hellfire Club (about an upper-class British secret society), and many more. Mannix was sent a membership card from Anton LaVey's Church of Satan, although like Marcel Duchamp and Groucho Marx he was not a joiner, preferring to remain staunchly independent.

Editorial Reviews

Review

A grotesque gallery of portraits of amazing human beings and a fascinating behind-the-scenes revelation of carnival life. -- New York Times

About the Author

Daniel P. Mannix died in 1997, but not before he had written more than 20 books detailing little-known history, mostly of the dark side. He is an unacknowledged American master historian.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Re/Search Publications (May 8, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0965046958
• ISBN-13: 978-0965046954
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.2 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,480,393 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mannix's readers get the point!, June 2, 2001

By 

Christine Whittington (Winston-Salem, NC United States) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Memoirs of a Sword Swallower (Paperback)

Mannix, who came to carnival life via the U.S. Naval Academy ("I didn't want to be a naval officer; I wanted to be a witch doctor!") and the Ivy League, brings his sideshow cohorts to life with this lively, witty, and sharp (sorry!) account that exudes a warmth as only a book written by an insider can. Mannix has always wanted to be a magician, and "runs away to the carnival" as an adult, first learning fire-eating when stepping in for fire-eater Flamo the Great who "exploded that night in front of Krinko's Great Combined Carnival Side Shows." He goes on to learn sword swallowing, sharing some of his insider's techniques (don't let the sharp tip touch the pit of your stomach; make sure the hilt doesn't come off and let the blade slide down your gullet.) If you are interested in the body on display, go ahead and read all the excellent academic pomo books about freaks and the "body as discourse," but be sure to read this one, too. It's an absolute gem. You will enjoy it to the hilt!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars It's a good read., March 12, 2001

By 

Tony Wolf (Chicago, U.S.A.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Memoirs of a Sword Swallower (Paperback)

Memoirs of a Sword Swallower is something of an underground classic, providing an introduction to the U.S travelling carnival scene during the '40s and '50s. Interested readers might also want to track down "Bed of Nails" by Michael Blondini and Gordon Thomas, which was published in London a few years after "Memoirs" and seems to be heavily cribbed from it.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fascinating glimpse into an often-overlooked world, February 27, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Memoirs of a Sword Swallower (Paperback)

I have to say this is one of my very favorite books. My reading habits are all across the board, but for the honesty fascinating aspects of Mannix's tale, this book tops my list.

Mannix tells the story of how he became involved in the bizarre and long-gone world of the traditional ten-in-one sideshow. If you are a fan of the history of sideshows and the circus, this is a must-read.

If anyone else has read this book and would like to share some thoughts on it (or other books on sideshows), please e-mail me!