Overview

As with dance, so with juggling--the moment that the performer finishes the routine, their act ceases to exist beyond the memory of the audience. There is no permanent record of what transpired, so studying the ancient roots of juggling is fraught with difficulty. Using the records that do exist, juggling appears to have emerged around the world in cultures independent of one another in the ancient past. Paintings in Egypt from 2000 BCE show jugglers engaged in performance. Stories from the island nation of Tonga place juggling's creation with their goddess of the underworld--a figure who has guarded a cave since time immemorial. Juggling games and rituals are pervasive in isolated Inuit cultures in northern Canada and Greenland. Though the earliest representation of juggling is 4,000 years old, the practice is surely much older--in the same way that humans were doubtlessly singing and dancing long before the first bone flute was created. This book is an attempt to catalogue this tangible history of juggling in human culture. It is the story of juggling, represented in art and writing from around the world, across time. Although much has been written about modern jugglers-specific performers, their props, and their routines-little has been said about those who first developed the craft. As juggling enters a golden age in the internet era, Juggling: From Antiquity to the Middle Ages offers a look into the past--to the origins of our art form.

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9780578410845

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Reviews

A friend once asked me, 'What's the point of juggling three or five balls?' None, really, besides that not everybody can do it. Yet, juggling is one of humanity's oldest performing arts; it seems that every civilization known to man has produced amazing people who have successfully tried to keep objects moving simultaneously in the air in defiance of all laws of gravity. So, where does juggling comes from? When did it begin? What is its history? These are the questions Thom Wall has endeavored to answer in his fascinating book, Juggling From Antiquity To The Middle Ages. Thoroughly researched, richly illustrated, Thom Wall's book is a must-read for anyone interested in juggling or the circus arts in general, anyone interested in performing arts, and anyone with a curious mind. - Dominique Jando, author, The Circus (1870-1950) A scholarly approach to [the history of juggling that] takes on a lively feel through embellishments and discussions that successfully relate juggling skills and approaches to wider examinations of social organization, skills development, and cultural evolution. Jugglers especially (but general-interest audiences, as well) will appreciate the surprising accessibility and depth in Juggling - From Antiquity to the Middle Ages: The Forgotten History of Catching and Throwing, a primer packed with unexpected insights and an exquisitely involving attention to detail. - D. Donovan, Senior Reviewer, Midwest Book Review Thom Wall has written a superb summary of almost everything known about ancient and medieval juggling. When I worked in this area a few decades ago, early juggling history was mostly poorly documented hearsay. Our knowledge has exploded since then, and Wall has done a masterful job of laying it all out in a readily accessible form. Anyone interested in either juggling or history will want to read this book. - Prof. Arthur Lewbel, Boston College Thom has made his mark with this book... a wonderfully written history - the first complete history of juggling through the Middle Ages. - Karl-Heinz Ziethen, author, Juggling - The Past and Future & 4,000 Years of Juggling Juggling: From Antiquity to the Middle Ages is an incredible resource to anyone interested in the history of juggling. Thom Wall has filled in many gaps to the documented history of the art.This is the juggling history book that I've been waiting for. - David Cain, Curator, Museum of Juggling History Thom Wall sets the standard for future work by circademics... I predict that [this] book will become the textbook on juggling history. - Richard Kennison, CircusTalk It's uncommon to read a work by an individual who is both a historical expert on a subject and a current leading practitioner of the same craft. Wall taps into both of these roles with a work that provides a thoroughly researched historical look at the subject of juggling... This book is a wonderful addition to the library of anyone interested in the history of this genre of circus arts as well as those looking to become jugglers themselves. - Nathan Wakefield, Chairman, International Jugglers' Association

A scholarly approach to [the history of juggling that] takes on a lively feel through embellishments and discussions that successfully relate juggling skills and approaches to wider examinations of social organization, skills development, and cultural evolution. Jugglers especially (but general-interest audiences, as well) will appreciate the surprising accessibility and depth in Juggling - From Antiquity to the Middle Ages: The Forgotten History of Catching and Throwing, a primer packed with unexpected insights and an exquisitely involving attention to detail. - D. Donovan, Senior Reviewer, Midwest Book Review Thom Wall has written a superb summary of almost everything known about ancient and medieval juggling. When I worked in this area a few decades ago, early juggling history was mostly poorly documented hearsay. Our knowledge has exploded since then, and Wall has done a masterful job of laying it all out in a readily accessible form. Anyone interested in either juggling or history will want to read this book. - Prof. Arthur Lewbel, Boston College Juggling: From Antiquity to the Middle Ages is an incredible resource to anyone interested in the history of juggling. Thom Wall has filled in many gaps to the documented history of the art.This is the juggling history book that I've been waiting for. - David Cain, Curator, Museum of Juggling History Thom Wall sets the standard for future work by circademics... I predict that [this] book will become the textbook on juggling history. - Richard Kennison, CircusTalk It's uncommon to read a work by an individual who is both a historical expert on a subject and a current leading practitioner of the same craft. Wall taps into both of these roles with a work that provides a thoroughly researched historical look at the subject of juggling... This book is a wonderful addition to the library of anyone interested in the history of this genre of circus arts as well as those looking to become jugglers themselves. - Nathan Wakefield, Chairman, International Jugglers' Association

A friend once asked me, 'What's the point of juggling three or five balls?' None, really, besides that not everybody can do it. Yet, juggling is one of humanity's oldest performing arts; it seems that every civilization known to man has produced amazing people who have successfully tried to keep objects moving simultaneously in the air in defiance of all laws of gravity. So, where does juggling comes from? When did it begin? What is its history? These are the questions Thom Wall has endeavored to answer in his fascinating book, Juggling From Antiquity To The Middle Ages. Thoroughly researched, richly illustrated, Thom Wall's book is a must-read for anyone interested in juggling or the circus arts in general, anyone interested in performing arts, and anyone with a curious mind. - Dominique Jando, author, The Circus (1870-1950) A scholarly approach to [the history of juggling that] takes on a lively feel through embellishments and discussions that successfully relate juggling skills and approaches to wider examinations of social organization, skills development, and cultural evolution. Jugglers especially (but general-interest audiences, as well) will appreciate the surprising accessibility and depth in Juggling - From Antiquity to the Middle Ages: The Forgotten History of Catching and Throwing, a primer packed with unexpected insights and an exquisitely involving attention to detail. - D. Donovan, Senior Reviewer, Midwest Book Review Thom Wall has written a superb summary of almost everything known about ancient and medieval juggling. When I worked in this area a few decades ago, early juggling history was mostly poorly documented hearsay. Our knowledge has exploded since then, and Wall has done a masterful job of laying it all out in a readily accessible form. Anyone interested in either juggling or history will want to read this book. - Prof. Arthur Lewbel, Boston College Thom has made his mark with this book... a wonderfully written history - the first complete history of juggling through the Middle Ages. - Karl-Heinz Ziethen, author, Juggling - The Past and Future & 4,000 Years of Juggling Wall accomplishes his task of enlightening the reader on the origins of juggling, but has gone further. He has uncovered evidence of our innate curiosity with the world around us. Wall has found substantial evidence of the isolated development and evolution of skillful object manipulation throughour the cultural world. [This book] is surely one of the most important literature reviews to exist in the community of juggling. - The Circus Report Juggling: From Antiquity to the Middle Ages is an incredible resource to anyone interested in the history of juggling. Thom Wall has filled in many gaps to the documented history of the art.This is the juggling history book that I've been waiting for. - David Cain, Curator, Museum of Juggling History Thom Wall sets the standard for future work by circademics... I predict that [this] book will become the textbook on juggling history. - Richard Kennison, CircusTalk It's uncommon to read a work by an individual who is both a historical expert on a subject and a current leading practitioner of the same craft. Wall taps into both of these roles with a work that provides a thoroughly researched historical look at the subject of juggling... This book is a wonderful addition to the library of anyone interested in the history of this genre of circus arts as well as those looking to become jugglers themselves. - Nathan Wakefield, Chairman, International Jugglers' Association

Author Information

"Thom Wall is an American juggler who specializes in learning juggling tricks from the past. He has performed in 12 countries on four continents, including a run of his solo history show ""On the Topic of Juggling"" at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. Thom also performed as a solo act with Cirque du Soleil's touring big-top show ""Totem"" from 2014 through 2019."

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