Space opera book search

[Ian Thomson]

Way back in the 1980's I read a series of space opera paperbacks which I would like to read again. They date from the classic era similar in vintage to the Doc Smith books and concern thr adventures of a secret governmental organization who travel the galaxy posing and performing as a circus. The central characters were acrobats I think and the lingua franca was an English / Russian hybred. I'm sure they atre fairly well known, but just cant think of the titles or author

 

[tinkerdan]

Imperial Stars - Wikipedia

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0425055922/?tag=id2100-20

EE Doc (however posthumus ) novel by Stephen Goldin who expanded the work.

 

[tinkerdan]

Quite a number of books in the series.
I did not know about these books.
Thanks for making me point myself that way.

Stephen Goldin - Wikipedia
ten more books on my to be read list.
The author's website offers book one free
https://parsinapress.wixsite.com/website-1/product-page/tsar-wars
However this book one isn't the same.
And the books offered have new titles so the only thing to go by is the order they are given.

Only the original first book had partial work of EE Doc Smith.

 

[Talos]

Not exactly sure if this what you're thinking of, but there is a Space Opera type series in which in "One" of the books, the team poses as a traveling circus group. Author: Allan Cole. Sten series. 8 books in total. The second book "The Wolf Worlds" is the one I believe had the Mantis team posing as performers.