Spangle (novel)

After surrendering at Appomattox Court House in Virginia at the end of the American Civil War, two Confederate soldiers wander off and join Florian’s Flourishing Florilegium of Wonders, a traveling circus that has managed to continue performing throughout the war. 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.

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 during the Franco-Prussian War. 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.

• 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 #1 (ISBN 0812564715)
• 1999, USA, Forge Books The Center Ring: Spangle #2 (ISBN 0812564723)
• 1999, USA, Forge Books The Grand Promenade: Spangle #3 (ISBN 0812564731)

• historical fiction
• List of historical novelists
• List of historical novels