A fun read.

The research that Joe Nickell did for this book is exhaustive and impressive, and the images within the book are fantastic - and there are lots of them.

That said: I was really disappointed by the book's lack of depth. Maybe it's because (ok, not maybe) I have somewhat academic inclinations, but I felt really frustrated by the lack of analysis in this book. It was basically a prose-y list of sideshow acts over the years, and the years are often all tangled together, with mentions of acts that happened in the late nineteenth century and mid-twentieth century right next to each to each other. There's no analysis of how these acts mean and how that meaning may have changed over the last 150 years or so. There's no analysis of the dynamics of race, gender, class, ability, and otherness - analysis which I would've really loved to see because there's such an incredible cast of characters that quickly parade through the book, and Nickell obviously knows a whole hell of a lot about sideshows.

Instead of Secrets of the Sideshow, I recommend
[b:Freak Show: Presenting Human Oddities for Amusement and Profit|8974|Freak Show Presenting Human Oddities for Amusement and Profit|Robert Bogdan|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1165847255s/8974.jpg|11869] if you're looking for cultural history and [b:Geek Love|13872|Geek Love A Novel|Katherine Dunn|http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41ZCMK1PTVL._SL75_.jpg|1474375] if you're looking for great fiction. Both are well-written and have much more depth to them.

I would have rated this book higher, but I think that its strength is also a bit a of a weakness. The book is extremely comprehensive. Nickell, an experienced performer himself, packs a lot of stories, biographies and details into this book. He looks at every angle and every type of sideshow. He provides history from ancient times to the present. That is good. However, it is a lot, an awful lot for the casual reader. If you are expecting a nice, easy historical narrative, this is not it. On the other hand, if you want a book that be described as encyclopedic in nature, then this may be the book for you. I do no think it is a book to read from cover to cover. Read the introduction, and like in any carnival or midway, pick out the items that interest you. Do remember to make your way to the egress as well. I tried to read it cover to cover, and I did find it a bit overwhelming. This is more of a book to browse and explore. Also, the book is written in a very academic tone. It feels more like I am reading a series of academic papers, including in-text citations (which as a reader I found annoying. Those should have been end-notes).

Having said that, it does cover a very interesting topic, and it looks at a craft that is almost extinct. It does so with respect, dignity, good research, and thoroughness. There are also some very good photos and illustrations featured in the book.

So overall, a book that may be a bit more for academics than lay readers. It is still worth reading, or at least skimming and finding the types of shows that interest you and learning about those. Also, I think it may encourage folks to want to read more on specific topics. And that is always a good thing.

This comprehensive and entertaining overview of the sideshow is as intriguing as its subject matter. The author is a amusement industry insider so not only are getting the fruits of his research but the benefit of his experience. The book reveals Sideshow secrets without losing any of its mystery. You learn history, jargon and even see perhaps a glimpse of the sideshow's future. The tone is matter of fact but occasionally tongue in cheek. The author lets the material and its rich characters speak for themselves. Lots of pictures. Lots of fun. I was researching a project when I found this book and I don't want to part with it (it's a library book).

I still want to learn fire eating.

A nice overview with a variety of entertaining photographs