A hugely entertaining, informative history of the man who created the modern circus: Philip Astley. There have been many books about aspects of the circus but never the story of its inventor. Here, New York Times bestselling author Karl Shaw draws on a huge amount of research to tell the story of Britain's Barnum. He brilliantly evokes the time, the place, the drama, pitfalls, successes, characters and passion behind Astley's rise to fame and place in the history books. Born in Newcastle-under-Lyme, 'Mr Astley' is also a local hero for the author, who now lives there. Astley served as a sergeant major in the British Army where he learned his horse-riding skills, before becoming a brilliant innovator of equestrian tricks and spectacles. Astley's first displays of trick horse-riding were in the open air at Half Penny Hatch just south of Westminster Bridge in London. His wife Patty provided musical accompaniment on a drum and also performed on horseback.

Astley's Amphitheatre of Equestrian Arts - the world's first circus - opened 9 January, 1768. Astley's circus performers included a strongman called Signor Colpi and a clown called Mr Merryman. He established the still-standard diameter of the circus ring as 42-ft. He was invited to perform before King Louis XV of France in 1772, and built France's first purpose-built circus building, the Amphitheatre Anglais, in Paris. In fact, he established circuses in 20 European cities. At home, Astley's Amphitheatre was mentioned in books by Charles Dickens and Jane Austen, and his namje is commemorated in popular songs of the time. He died on 27 January 1814 and was buried in Pere Lachaise Cemetery, Paris. His life is a wonderful story of perseverance and flair on the way to achieving fame.