This first balanced picture of circus
  king John Ringling North explored the remarkable career of the man who ran Ringling
  Bros. and Barnum & Baily for thirty years. David Lewis Hammarstrom details
  how North guided the circus through adversities ranging from depressions and
  wars to crippling labor strikes and rapidly changing trends in American entertainment.
  Hammarstrom interviewed a host of circus figures including North himself; his
  formers, directors, and department heads who were involved with the circus when
  North owned and operated it.