Spangle (novel)

infobox Book |
name = Spangle
title_orig =
translator =


image_caption = Hardback Cover
author = Gary Jennings
cover_artist =
country = United States
language = English
series =
genre = Historical novel
publisher = Atheneum Books
pub_date = 1987
media_type = Print (Hardback)
pages = 869 pp
isbn = ISBN 0-689-11723-X
preceded_by =
followed_by =

"Spangle" is a historical novel written by Gary Jennings and first published in 1987.

Plot introduction

After surrendering at Appomattox County Courthouse Virginia at the end of the American Civil War, two Confederate soldiers meet and join Florian’s Flourishing Florilegium Circus. Escaping from the coming reconstruction of the South, the circus embarks for Europe where they meet many adventures as they travel throughout Europe between 1865 and 1871.

Plot summary

Spangle is a historical novel written by Gary Jennings (1928-1999). Published in 1987, it follows a circus troupe known as "Florian's Flourishing Florilegium of Wonders" from the Confederate surrender at Appomattox to Europe, ending in France at the time of the overthrow of Napoleon III. The book chronicles the rise of the troupe from a small "mud show" with few acts to the glittering toast of Paris, while delving into the evolving personal lives of its performers. The book is also an examination of the social structures of both post-Civil War America and Europe during a period in which the ancient system of monarchy was toppling. The main protagonist, other than the circus itself, is Zachary Edge, a former Confederate colonel embittered by war who accepts a position as the Florilegium's equestrian director. Edge's trials, both professional and personal, form the core of the plot, which details Edge's rise in the ranks of the circus in parallel to the rise of the Florilegium.

Major Characters in "Spangle"

* Florian – Alsatian: Circus Owner/Governor
* Colonel Zackary Edge – American: Equestrian Director, trick rider and trick shooter
* Sergeant Obie Yount – American: strongman
* Magpie Maggie Hag – Spanish: fortune teller
* Clover Lee Coverly – American: rosinback trick rider
* Sarah ‘Madame Solitare’ Coverly – American: mother of Clover Lee and rosinback trick rider
* Jules Fontaine ‘Roulette’ Rouleau – Louisianan: acrobat ballooner
* Autumn Auburn – English tightrope walker and lover of Edge

Release details

* 1987, USA, Atheneum Books (ISBN 0-689-11723-X)Also released as a trilogy mass market paperback:
* 1999, USA, Forge Books The Road Show Spangle Volume 1 (ISBN 0812564715)
* 1999, USA, Forge Books The Center Ring Spangle Volume 2 (ISBN 0812564723)
* 1999, USA, Forge Books The Grand Promenade Spangle Volume 3 (ISBN 0812564731)

ee also

*historical fiction
*List of historical novelists
*List of historical novels