ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0H2N6G4J9
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Larone Family Press
Publication date ‏ : ‎ May 20, 2026
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Print length ‏ : ‎ 291 pages
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8996168903
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 15.7 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 0.66 x 8.5 inches

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William Henry Lane and John Diamond were hailed as the best jig and breakdown dancers of the mid-nineteenth century. Lane, called Master Juba, was an African American. Diamond, known as The King of Diamonds, was an Irish immigrant. They competed with each other to determine who could claim the title of the “The World’s Greatest Dancer.”

Their story begins with Juba’s childhood during the race riots in Providence, Rhode Island and with Diamond’s during the Catholic uprising in Carrickshock, Ireland. When both end up in the slums of Five Points in New York, they struggle to survive, until they come to the public’s attention when P.T. Barnum discovers Diamond dancing on the docks, and Charles Dickens writes about Juba in his American Notes. The novel interweaves the dancers’ storied careers against the backdrop of the turbulent events of the period, including the New York City race riots of 1834, Juba’s performance for Queen Victoria in 1850, and the creation of the minstrel show.

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