By turns hilarious, moving and shocking, Charles Wilkins' story of traveling with the famous Great Wallenda Circus eloquently and vividly describes both the seductive freedoms and the horrific risks of the traditional circus -- a place where, solely for the sake of entertainment, performers daily put their lives in jeopardy.A compelling weave of true-life narrative and sparkling portraiture, this book will stand the test of time as a literary as well as a documentary achievement.