Louisiana Books

I can't tell you how touched I am by Cholene Espinoza's inspirational story about rebuilding what Katrina washed away. Her clarity, honesty, and sincerity are compelling, humbling and vivid. While I was reading this amazing story, I felt I was on the site myself and that I personally got to know the people she writes about; I could feel their suffering and their hope. Ms. Espinoza gives the readers a wonderful gift by opening our eyes, our hearts, our pocketbooks, and our tool chests to get in there and give whatever help we can, wherever the need exists. I admire her strength to spread this necessary message; it will help so many people. Thank you, Cholene, for your courage to share your experience with us.

In the days immediately following the destruction wrought by Hurricane Katrina two women decide they cannot sit by and wait for others to help those devastated by the storm. A few days later they left their home in New York for Memphis where they rented a van, loaded it with supplies and took off for Mississippi where they planned to distribute their desperately needed cargo.

This could be an ordinary story about two women (or men) who deliver a truck load of supplies to those left after any disaster. But these are not two ordinary women, and this is not an ordinary story. The author, Cholene Espinosa, a former U-2 spy plane pilot now a United Airlines pilot, had been scheduled to fly on September 11, 2001 on United flight 93 from Newark to San Francisco for her next assignment. United 93 we will recall is the flight that crashed in Pennsylvania as passengers fought its hijackers. Fortunately, Cholene's assignment and flight had been rescheduled. Ellen Ratner, Cholene's partner, is a regular commentator on Fox News and a White House correspondent.

The reader will be held captive while learning why Cholene and Ellen chose DeLisle, Mississippi as their destination, reading about the remarkable people in this small Mississippi town and the difficulties to be encountered in what one would think would be a simple and easy mission. This is a story of courage not only of the people in DeLisle but also of Cholene and Ellen in meeting the challenges they faced. The author bravely shares intimate events in her and Ellen's lives that prepared, and indeed, compelled them to undertake this mission. The reader will be drawn into the lives of the people in DeLisle and the future they are struggling to make for themselves and their children.

This is a gripping story that will bring the reader into the lives of hurricane survivors and those giving of their lives to help the victims recover. This is a book that will unite you with the people of DeLisle and the two exceptional women who could not sit by and let others do the job they felt compelled to undertake.

I read the "Storm" in one sitting. Everyone needs to read this book to remember what one person can do and the incredible human spirit that rebuilds a town and oneself. If you need inspiration that one can rebuild oneself, meet challenges, find a better life, question one's preconceptions - this is the book for you! If you have given up all hope, this book will give hope back to you - for yourself, for the world. I can't recommend it more.

We all have seen the news - we saw the unbelievable destruction that Mother Nature bestowed upon the Gulf. We saw the raw emotion - and sometimes lack of - on the the faces of the hundreds of thousands of men, women and children who called the Gulf home. Many of us jumped in to help - mostly by writing a check, or sending donations. And, some of us did nothing. For those of us who stood back not knowing what to do, here's our chance.

Cholene Espinoza - Pilot, Air Force Academy graduate, Reporter, and ultimately, Humanitarian - chronicles her unbelievable mission to the Gulf Coast in the book "Through the Eye of the Storm". Cholene was able to round up supplies and manpower to head ultimately to Delisle, Mississippi to see what could be done. The mission that Cholene was on may have started out to help others, but she comes to realize that she is ultimately the one being helped. Cholene discusses in her book the inward battles that she faces regarding her faith and her country. Ultimately, Cholene's spirit and soul are renewed by the strength in the people that she meets along the way.

So, now you must be wondering where we come in - after such an amazing mission, how in the world can we help? You may be saying to yourself "I don't have the strength that Cholene demonstrated" or "I have nothing to give". Well, it is so simple. Buy the book. Save the money you would have spent on a couple Latte's this week. Pack your lunch for 2 days. ALL, and I mean ALL proceeds are going to help build and support a community center that is going to be built in Harrison County, Mississippi. There are 5 acres of land that will be developed to help the children in the area get their GED, job training, and other skills that they so desperately need to help get them through not only the rebuilding of their community, but real life skills that they may otherwise not get. The community needs this center. The children need a safe place to go that gives them the room to grow and be nurtured.

Any mom out there who was watching the coverage of Katrina on tv, wishing they could do more, here is your chance. Not all of us have the guts that Cholene and Ellen did to rent a truck, fill it with goods and drive down to the middle of a disaster zone. But we can all thank God they did. And we can all open our wallets and buy this book. Besides the fact that it is a great read, all the profits go to build a community center for the children hit the hardest in the gulf. Surely, you all can swing less than $15 for this. This is a call to action! Order it now and do your part to rebuild hope for these kids. Even though it still is not enough. It is the least we can do. You will read just how horrific it was for the people in the gulf. And how quickly we have forgotten. So tonight when you cozy up in your bed with your laptop think of all the children still living in shelters, homeless, and they will be that way for a very long time coming. Together we can at least give them a place they can go visit to play some ball, use the computer, and socialize in a clean, decent environment. Have a heart. Hit that order button.

I am amazed by her power. In her hands, words spring to life and life springs to words. Her mind plants the living experience in a kiss on the hand and flings it to her audience like affectionate royalty waving to an attentive crowd.

She was born in Hamburg, Germany and the "Curriculum Vitae" poem in this volume beautifully articulates her immigration to the United States and her life here. Mueller was recently awarded one of the largest prizes in literature, the 2002 Ruth Lilly Prize -- $100,000.00. Her poetry is worth that, and more.

Her Mother's death "hurt" her into poetry, she writes here, and yet the observations she gives through these poems are pure redemption. What she experiences is what we all know, and she offers it to us with reverence and respect in sparkling language of pure gold.

When she stumbles on the fact of aging: "One day," she writes, "on a crowded elevator, everyone's face was younger than mine. . . .The brilliant days and nights are breathless in their hurry."

I love everything she's written and eagerly wait for more.
One short poem just to treat you to an example of what poetry can be:

"EX MACHINA
"My word processor does not know Shakespeare.
It balks at ripeness, stops me at Othello
and Desdemona. They are not
in its vocabulary. On the other hand
it does not question arrogance and power,
accepts betrayal, jealousy and grief,
uncomprehending. They are on the list.

"I am reminded of the face
of the young killer on the screen
the other night. He knew the words
gun and crime and prison.
He even knew the word guilty,
but when he said it, his eyes were blank."

Buy this book -- and all her books if you can find them. Keep them nearby so you can reach into a poem when you need to be reminded what living is for.

This book of poetry won the Pulitzer Prize. She writes about a variety of topics, which makes her writing so easily accessible depending on whatever mood you're in or what you want to read.

Her poetry about birds is particularly detailed and lovely. As is the poetry about her mother, about death, abuse, about relationships...I can't imagine you'd be disappointed. Support POETS, support your own imagination and dreams - buy this book -- add this to your collection or give it as a gift. The title poem, Alive Together, is superb. Some other favorites: The Blind Leading the Blind, Why I need the Birds, When I am Asked, Things, Mirrors, Missing the Dead, and JOY.

here's a bit of When I am Asked:

when I am asked/how I began writing poems, I talk about the indifference of nature.

It was soon after my mother died, a brilliant June day, everything blooming.

I sat on a gray stone bench/ringed with the ingenue faces/of pink and white impatiens/and placed my grief/in the mouth of language,
the only thing that would grieve with me.

RECOMMENDED!

I treasure this book. It is beautiful, clear, and profound. Mueller's words and perspective awaken me with each reading. Robyn Johnson

If you are looking for one poem about relationships, "Alive Together" is the one. And with the rest of the poems in this amazing collection you'll find more truth, beauty and life. Get this book. Read this book. Send "Alive Together" to your significant other.

Lisel Mueller is hands down one of the contemporary masters of the free verse form. In her second language she writes of exile, reclamation, home, beauty. She excels at the persona poem, writing devastating sequences on (among others) Hellen Keller, Patty Hearst, Monet, Schumann, Bach, Brendel, and Mary Shelly. This New and Selected will lead your straight to Mueller's individual collections, worth every penny.

Judy Jordan, Carolina Ghost Woods (Louisiana State University Press, 2000)

Judy Jordan writes dense, exquisite poems that both shock and satisfy, while making you feel vaguely like taking a shower afterwards.

"...it informs the toads,
crouches them in crooked caves of alder roots,
pulses the pale skin under their slack mouths,
keeps them in the pond's tight waves clutching anything:
a pine's resinous knot, a fist of chair foam,
even a drowned and legless female."
("Long Drop to Black Water")

I loved this book; very easy to see why it won the National Book Critics' Circle Awards, though I have to admit I'm somewhat surprised that they received such heavy subject matter with such aplomb. This one's definitely a keeper. ****

I pulled Judy Jordan's "Carolina Ghost Woods" off my bookshelf again tonight. It's a cold and clear here in the deep south and Jordan's poetry called to me in the wind. "Carolina Ghost Woods" was first published in 1996 by Louisiana State University Press, and Jordan writes that she submitted this book for three years as a "first book" before it was awarded the Walt Whitman Award in 1999. The first poem, "Sharecropper's Grave" sets the tone:

The night is hoot owls, wind-whistled flue, babies bundled in burlap.
Breath of another child, mid-gasp.

The alliteration causes the reader to shiver in the cold and continues throughout this poem:

Small holes, secret graves,
children scattered around the iron fence.
Not even a scratched stone. . .
The night full of cries they will never make.
To read the title poem,"Carolina Ghost Woods" is to travel into the mythos of the south, to hear what the dead whisper,
When the leaves shudder to the muddy ground
and snow under the gutters puddles red,
when the bird lifts, the rabbit shivers in clumped grass
and the fox shrinks into the bramble,
when the shadow crosses the pitchfork's broken handle
and the hinges of the shed door rust,
let me believe someone is there.

Each poem in the book reveals another story from Judy Jordan's life. They are woven together to bring the reader through the death of her mother and the violence of being on the streets, homeless. Ms. Jordan joins the reader in this journey with her breath and voice and we walk the ghost woods together.

Buy the book and settle down with a fire in the fireplace and the lights dim, read "Caroline Ghost Woods" from start to finish . . . you won't regret it.

As a creative writing student at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale I was immediately fascinated with the program's newest addition. Already the school boasted the great Rodney Jones. And I began reading SIUC's newest professor/poet Judy Jordan. After several readings, I am still amazed. Whether it be the remarkable, pain-staking craft or the soul-drenching childhood and early adulthood that she narrates with such originality and heart-thrashing grief, Jordan simply takes your breath away.

This collection, unbelievably a debut, doesn't just grip the reader with it's wrenching family tragedies. The music, sounds, carefully sought words (both for sound, connotation and meaning) and an ambition leaning towards the transcendent makes for a potent statement.

Currently, I am enrolled in a poetry course with Ms. Jordan. Let this not be a bias in my review. I admit am unabashedly biased towards male poets. For whatever reason, I can see through the eyes of a Rodney Jones or a James Wright easier. However, Jordan's book truly strikes a chord with me. It doesn't beg for pity. It doesn't make the predictable turns. It endeavors for something more. In addition to pain, guilt and embarassment, it finds joy, hope and transcendence in this person's impoverished, tragic past. It bears minor resemblances to the work of her former teacher, Charles Wright, as well as carrying influences of poets she's worked around in the past: namely James Kimbrell and Donald Platt. But as their style is of their own, so is hers'. And Jordan's ability at true poetic craft, rhapsodic forms and ear for human dilemma is more than original, it is ground-breaking.

During a time when poetry's popularity is at an all-time low, fresh work from the likes of Jordan and Kimbrell are keeping the medium alive. There is something very spiritual in this movement. I only hope, that when my time comes, I can be a part of it.

By happenstance we were introduced to this wonderful volume on an airplane, sitting next to author, Judy Jordan. She allowed me to leaf through her worn copy. While reading I asked her questions that were possibly painful, so moved was I by such honest and harsh and beautiful reflection and observation. Her words wrestled me into my own honesty/my own memoirs of observing violence/ of the solace of winter and of the woods and geese. The writing does justice to itself. This book is a gift of insight. No superlatives can I use other than to say, this is one of my all time keepers.

While it's true that Jordan's technique seems a bit thick with "borrowings" from Charles Wright, her actual material (and her treatment of it) is wildly original. This book is shocking, heart-wrenching and, at times, almost unbearably beautiful. An urgent and necessary voice.

I loved both of Leah Chase's companion cook books, but particularly enjoyed the prints of her invaluable pieces of art work which adorn her spectacular restaurant. The receipes in the two books are mostly duplicative, but they are simple and excellent! She is a Queen in her own right and an outstanding mentor to so many in our country.

After watching Leah and Ron on the Discovery Channel, I had to own this book. The receipes are the same as I use in my kitchen, but with a little more finesse. Just love it.

It has some wonderful recipes that sound mouthwatering! I would really like a copy of this book! Most of the recipes are fairly easy. Even the vegetable loaf sounds good and I tend to stay away from foods that sound like meat replacement.

I just ordered this book and if it is anything like her restaurant, then this should be a great book. I visited her restaurant in May 2005 and I had the best catfish po'boy, red beans & rice, and jambalaya. Her husband "Dookie" was there and he asked me where I was from. I told him Chicago and he told me stories about Ramsey Lewis and when he use to tour with different bands. He was the most pleasant person to talk to and he walked me out to my car when the order was complete. I will not go back to New Orleans until they rebuild Dooky Chase. The food is worth the drive to New Orleans and the hospitality is among the best of any city that I have traveled.

As an official honorary citizen of New Orleans, I have enjoyed many a meal at Dooky Chase. Since I live in Los Angeles I was delighted to be able to get some of Mrs Chase's wonderful recipes. They are practical, easy to read, and absolutely delicious--though of course no one can duplicate her particular genius by themselves.
I also loved reading her anecdotes of the restaurant and the stories behind some of the recipes. I think the "culture" around a cuisine is a major part of the pleasure.

Leah Chase is major figure in our country's heritage. I mean it. The book is a delight.

The author, with local and family roots, covers Fort DeRussy from construction to destruction and current efforts to preserve and maintain the site. There is in-depth background on the fort, the area around it, and its role in the Red River campaign of Banks and Porter against the Confederacy. Excellent commentary on the role of cotton and its confiscation for the North's war effort, on the local black and white population's involvement with the Fort, on naval aspects of the Western theater - all increase knowledge of the scope of the Civil War.

This is must read for Louisiana Civil War History. Mayeux is an excellent story teller who makes the history of Fort DeRussy come to life

A unique book about a little known place that was extremely important in 1863 and 1864. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the Red River Campaign, the Civil War in Louisiana or the Trans Mississippi Theater. Fort DeRussy seldom merits mention is most accounts of the Civil War. This book was not a rehash of old material. The author is able to draw on a wealth of local information as well as primary and secondary sources. Steve Mayeux gives us the story of the fort which was supposed to defend the Red River Valley from Union gunboats from its beginning to the end of the War. It captured the Queen of the West, provided troops to man the boats that captured the Indianola and defeated another gunboat attack before falling to a Union army that captured the fort without naval assistance. Fort DeRussy then served as an important Union station during the disastrous Red River campaign. I liked the author's easy folksy style, including his personal feeling and experiences in the text and footnotes. I also appreciated the footnotes on the page for easy access. It is in the footnotes that we discover more and more about how his ancestors owned the land, his great grandmother was born there just before the union army arrived and how he and others worked to restore the fort and have it protected as a Louisiana State Park.

As a native of Avoyelles Parish, Steve Mayeux really has one leg up when it comes to the study of the Civil War in Central Louisiana. As such, he was able to provide details that another historian might well miss. Leaving no stones unturned he researched such obscure sources as articles appearing in the "Marksville Pelican", a local newspaper that was published contemporaneously with the events as they were occuring, as well as the observations of the Mother Superior of the Daughters of the Cross, whose letters, written in French back to her family, but translated and published by Avoyelles teacher Sister Dorothea McCants, shed great light on what it was like to have actually lived during the Civil War years in Avoyelles. Such first person accounts bring great life to the reconstruction of this moment in history. For those of you whose eyes glaze over at the thought of another book filled with complicated analyses of battle strategies and "dry as a bone" statistical studies, be advised that this book is NOT in that genre. Mayeux has truly captured the "soul" of this conflict. It is significant, no doubt, that the author, whose family has lived in the parish for generations, has a deep connection, both emotional and familial, to the events and people portrayed in this book. Mayeux spent years doing an incredible amount of research on both the Union and Confederate sides, as well as countless hours and dollars spearheading the effort to preserve the Fort DeRussy Historical Site. But what sets this book apart from so many others is that it was written from the heart by a man whose ancestors lived and died in the context of this very story.

Much too often, so called historians/authors take the lazy way out of writing, particularly as it applies to the War for Southern Independence. They frequently cite the writings of other so called historians/authors for validation of their facts. The problem with this is that many of the other writings they cite are based on incorrect information or out right lies. The result is that incorrect history becomes accepted fact. Mayeux refreshingly starts from scratch in his book on Fort DeRussy. He does fresh leg work, getting to the real facts of what occurred there and the surrounding events as accounted for by both sides in the conflict. As a result, he uncovers many inaccuracies in other histories pertaining to the events surrounding the fort, and he clearly documents why these previous writings are incorrect. If one is interested in learning the no nonsense facts about Fort DeRussy and this period in our history, this book is highly recommended. It is lively and entertaining reading.

I read this book and it was one of the best books I have ever read. And I don't really read that much but I couldn't put this book down. I was born and raised in Chalmette and finally there is a book about my people and what they went through. My family and I did evacuate and later my Dad passed away in the hotel. I lost a home and a Dad. I did eventually move away after 6 months of trying to live there again. Every time I went to my house I got disgusted. But anyway, I think it was a fantastic book and recommend anyone who is interested in it to buy it immediately. I will cherish this book the same way I cherish the few items I saved from my home. Everyone who was involved with helping people that day will forever be Heroes to me.

A must read for anyone who lived or has lived in St. Bernard Parish. I read this book in one day. Could not put it down. Brings back memories like it happend yesterday.

Michelle Buuck did an unbelievable job captivating The St. Bernard Fire Departments heroic actions. I started to read the book and 2 days later I was finished. It was very hard to put down once I began to read about the men who were responsible for saving an entire Parish of people; especially without any State or Federal assistance. The personal day by day trials & tribulations of each St. Bernard Fireman is a must read by all. Hurricane Katrina, the World's largest natural disaster, made History along with the Fireman in this book. All are & always will be Heros that will never be forgottten.

MS Buuck has captured the events of this untold story in riveting detail through interviews with the men who were there. These stories of dedication, unselfish acts and heroism, while faced with the greatest natural disaster to hit our nation are a must read. While St Bernard, just minutes from downtown New Orleans, was basically ignored by the press, federal, and state government these men did what firefighters do - get the job done under the most adverse of conditions. Thank you SBFD for doing what you've done and Ms. Buuck for capturing and telling the story.

I read this book a while back and I still have images from it burned in my mind. I decided to reread it and it's still mind blowing. The story of what happened in St. Bernard Parish Louisiana is one that didn't get much coverage in the national news media. That's what makes this book so important - because it's the only one out there that tells the story every American should know.

If you think Katrina damage in Louisiana was limited only to the poor neighborhoods, you haven't heard about St. Bernard. The Parish - which is equivalent to an entire county in any other state - was a middle-class, predominantly white community. And it was completely flooded, worse than much of New Orleans was. Think about the damage you saw in the Lower 9th Ward and that's what happened in St. Bernard. The main difference - The Lower 9th Ward fills 2 square miles, St. Bernard Parish is over 500 square miles and all of it flooded. Another big difference - help went to the 9th Ward long before it went to St. Bernard Parish. And the firefighters and sheriff's department were left stranded to handle it on their own for days and days. Their entire community became a lake, so all rescues had to be conducted by boat. Not only were they the rescuers, they were also the survivors who lost their own homes and property and some even lost family members. They are the true heroes of Katrina.

As a volunteer, I've seen the Parish for myself. You may find the descriptions of the extent of the damage hard to believe. But this reader has seen with her own eyes that it's all true.

As an expatriate Quarterite of beau coup years duration, living there from 1964 through 1985, I found this delightful compilation to be a bit like taking a stroll through the old neighborhood. The characters spring to life fully formed in their unforgetable settings, recreating a palpable experience of all the yats and dawlins who make life in the Crescent City almost tolerable...

The array of writing styles, perspectives, insights, and entertainment make this book an absolute treasure. As an outsider looking into the ghostly history of the Crescent City, research for my book could take me only so far. Joshua Clark gathered up so much that is mystical, ethereal, and nearly transparent that would otherwise escape the notice of those of us who have limited time in New Orleans. In the aftermath of Katrina, this book becomes a greater treasure, enlivening the fadding echoes of the old neighborhoods, bars, back streets, and the lives of people we would otherwise never encounter.

Reading this book is like savoring a box of very expensive chocolates. Each story is its own wonderous delight. Much like a Whitman's Sampler, there is something here for everyone. Up and coming writers like John Verlenden and Joe Longo more than hold their own alongside the great ones...and, no doubt, will join them one day soon. A perfect bedside companion...timeless and compelling.

I've never even been to New Orleans and yet love this
anthology. These are astounding stories, plain and
simple. And will leave you with a better sense of that
famous neighborhood than if you'd spent every Mardi
Gras there for the last 20 years.

Tenessee Williams' previously unpublished piece, a thing of incomparable beauty, is the most harrowing autobiographical account I have ever read of him, providing unparalleled insight to his soul. Ellen Gilchrist's piece is joyful as an angel's whisper. This collection is one one to be savored time and again.

The drive down from Chicago to the French Quarter in the canteen left me feeling heavy hearted & speechless. The vast area that hurricane Katrina hit left behind a sea of wasteland like nothing I'd ever seen before. Some areas were completely wiped out where others were only battered, yet the people I met along the way while serving with the Salvation Army in the French Quarter were such a blessing. It was one afternoon in the French Quarter that I met Mr. Neff--I was on my way back from delivering supplies and checking on some of the neighbors. By this time the media was swarming the streets looking for new sensational stories for the headlines. I must say that I did meet a few that tried to report more uplifting personal stories of survival but the majority did not--they were insensitive and disrespectful to the residents. Mr. Neff had a sincere interest in the people he met & photographed, and you can see it in his subjects' eyes: their transparency and trust. Mr. Neff's body of work gives the reader a glimpse into his subjects' lives during this most difficult time. Thank you for recording what words cannot fully express.

Thomas Neff is a remarkable photographer and this book sharing the real impact of Katrina on people's lives is powerful, timeless, truthful in an inside and honest way that no casual viewer could comprehend. Neff's vision is sophisticated but pure, trained but revealing in its simplicity, visually poetic with the abhorrent facts of life that have been so cruel to so many. If that weren't enough, there are the essential, heroic and stunningly conveying essays which accompany each image. The photographs share so much comprehensive visual information that one needn't ask for more, but by conveying a much broader and richer context for each image through writing and story telling, a nearly complete cultural mosaic is spun, surrounding the milestone and epic event so unique in US History. This book will stand through time as a classic conveyance of important information about an event that we all know about, but certainly haven't had, until this book provided us with it, an insider's view of the real nitty-gritty that is life, both cruel and beautiful. Way to go, Thomas Neff. Such a brilliant work which we should all feel grateful to comprehend.

Armed with a thorough history of the medium and a flawless technique that has played out over a distinguished career, Mr. Neff has produced a timeless and distinct look into a photographic story untold by the weekend warriors of popular media. The photographs in Holding Out and Hanging On are an extended conversation, empathetic moments that live far beyond the click of the shutter and into a tragedy that has long been forgotten by it's neighbors and countrymen. The photographs are the eye and the heart of a man who is compassionate, realistic, courageous beyond belief and a model for who we should strive to be. As the portraits separate themselves from the time of exposure, the complex clarity and humanity of Neff's photographs are further revealed as a critically important document of the people who lived though Hurricane Katrina as well as an informative and poetic addition to the canon of concerned photography.

Mr. Neff has been my friend and mentor for over ten years now and I could not be more proud to own this necessary book of socially and historically necessary photography that is flawless in it's execution and communion with the spirit and people of New Orleans.

Bradly Dever Treadaway
Faculty Member, The International Center of Photography
New York, NY

Neff has produced a magnificent book here of portraits of Katrina victims. These are the REAL people and stories from Katrina!

Of all the Katrina books, this is one of my favorites. I also have been photographing post Katrina New Orleans since October 2005 and this is one of the few books by other photographers that I have purchased. The book is done with sensitivity and insight into this once in a lifetime event. I strongly recommend.

Great regimental history and story of the 1st LA "Tiger" Bde. To learn more about the "orginal" Tigers, Wheat's 1st Louisiana Special Battalion, read: The First Louisiana Special Battalion: Wheat's Tigers in the Civil War.

This book is a fascinating and intriguing account of the 6th Louisiana. While Gannon named his book Irish Rebels and covered the majority Irish members, he does give due to the Louisianians and other immigrants who made up the regiment. I was grateful to see this as my ggggrandfather was one of those members in a company from outside of New Orleans, Company C, the St. Landry (Parish) Light Guards and to see the action his unit took part in on paper was a great experience. It gave a story to my grandfather's participation in the War I never knew!

I stumbled onto this book while researching my family history, and was absolutely taken with the story of these men. Gannon is a gifted writer with a reverence for his subject, respect for the facts and sources, and a warm narrative style. This book is a treat to read, and in doing so you will not only develop a personal interest in the lives of these brave Irish men, but you will understand how their lives impacted the nation we have become. Irish Rebels is a marvelous story, told by a master!

A very personal portrayal of a predominately Irish brigade from New Orleans fighting for the south. The enigma is that this regiment had the highest percentage of Irish in any brigade plus they were linked with the famed Wheat's Tigers plus they fought in Virginia during the entire Civil War. This is particularly impressive since New Orleans was captured so early in the war and the 6th Louisiana virtually became orphans in regards to State support. Much like the famed Kentucky Brigade. Gannon is a excellent writer that through intensive research provides flowing first hand accounts particularly from the brigade priest and Captain Ring. The high point of the book is the close up look at where the brigade participated in major campaigns and battles. They were a key part of the Valley Campaign, particularly Port Republic, the Seven days, Cedar Mountain, both Bull runs, Gettysburg, Early's Valley campaign including the threat to Washington and the disasters at Cedar Creek and Fort Steadman. The best gem in the book is the section on the capture of Rappahannock Station, which was an isolated bridgehead for Lee's army located on the north side of the river. This fascinating break down in strategy and command is very well focused and told in detail because the luckless 6th is one of the 3,000 troops that virtually get overwhelmed and captured in a sudden attack by large numbers. This little told event precedes Grant's arrival but seems to reveal problems in southern command caused by the lost of key officers and the strain of a long war on the Confederate supplies. The sadness of the brigade is captured as it is progressively whittled to only 50 odd survivors at Appomattox.

As the author of this book, it is not my place to review it. However, I thought Amazon customers would be interested in what some published reviews have said about my book. Here are some quotes from reviews of Irish Rebels, Confederate Tigers, with the publication noted: "Irish Rebels, Confederate Tigers ....is a full-blown regimental history of a Confederate regiment that stands second to none in the Confederate Army. Raised in New Orleans, this unit fought from First Manassas to Appomattox Court House....IRCT is a first-rate regimental history...There is no published history of the unit so the author had to dig hard and long to come up with many scraps of material to put this work together. He writes a smoothly flowing narrative....you can get to know the men and care about them....It is one of the best this reviewer has seen in a long time."--Mike Cavanaugh, in Civil War News, April 1999.

"James P. Gannon, a former Wall Street Journal editor fascinated with the role of Irish immigrants in the Confederacy, takes his place with other distinguished military historians by adopting, and even improving upon, this classic literary form....This is careful history, backed by more than 100 pages of notes, individual biographies and source material....meticulous research...." --Duncan Spencer, The Washington Times, Aug. 29, 1988.

"James Gannon makes this unit come alive. The book is that rare work which combines the prose of a good novel with the solid research of a piece of classic history. Gannon is a former editor of the Wall Street Journal and the Des Moines Register. His journalist background is evidence on every page." --Gary Joiner, The Shreveport (La.) Times.

"Gannon's book is one of the best I have ever seen on the history of a Civil War regiment. The listing of members is a great research aid for any family historian. This beautiful hardcover volume...contains 388 pages with photos and illustrations and maps." --Damon Veach, The New Orleans Times-Picayune.

I heard about Kate Cumming at a Celtic festival in Virginia where Irish singer and songwriter Jed Marum (SOUL OF A WANDERER) told her story, talked about her diary and sang two beautiful songs that her life inspired him to write. I knew I had to read the book, and I was NOT disappointed!

Kate's devotion to her adopted homeland and her deep faith are inspiring. Her thoughts and feelings about the war and her battle front experience evolve over the 3 years of the diary - and they are eloquently expressed in its pages. This book is a treasure!

Kate's is a remarkable story, and this journal in her own words unfolds over the difficult days of the US Civil War. Kate Cumming is a fine, educated, intelligent and articulate woman. She is a woman of deep faith and lasting patience. Her journal passes on to us the daily routine, the sufferings of war and the deepest reflections of this noteworthy woman. The text is riveting, moving, thought provoking. The book is history from a very personal perspective - one well worth reading.

Excellant Book covers areas of the war not gone over by others, I do Confederate Cemetery Research and she has in her Journal name of men who did and some unit information, that has help to lead to I.D.ing 5 Soldiers not listed in to N.Ga. cemeteries before

This book is the masterfully written journal of Kate Cumming. Miss Cumming was a confederate
nurse during the Civil War. Like Clara Barton in the north, Kate cares for hundreds of the suffering soldiers. Miss Cumming works at Corinth, Mississippi toward the start of the book. Here at Corinth men are brought in every day from the bloody battlefield of Shiloh. She works in Chattanooga for a few months. Also she did her duty as a nurse in Mobile, Alabama(her hometown) Kate relates in her flowing writing the many thoughts that ran through her mind during those long, hard, years. She tells of how much faith in God these men had. This really touched me. Kate said, while speaking of the men's faith, that she had not met one man in her hospital that did not know the Lord. This is quite a statement! To think of all that these men went through at Shiloh, Stone's River, and so many others! I would highly recommend this book because it reveals the true history from a woman who lived at the time and was a witness to these events in our country's history.

Kate's journal is amazingly well-written, and, as I said in my title, it is obvious from reading it that she is a true Southern lady.

When I consider how I write any old thing, any old way, in my own journals, I am impressed by the way Kate kept all the wartime news- both on the battlefield and in her private life- so nicely organized. Don't let the word "organized" fool you, though, into thinking it is boring. This journal is anything but dull. Kate's writing style is intelligent, personal, detailed, and extremely interesting; the amazing part is that most of it is written whenever she can snatch a moment to herself from her nursing duties.

From reading Kate's journal one quickly sees her devotion to the South and its "cause" for freedom. She was not a nurse before the war, but when the war began she volunteered to become one. As a nurse, she showed great compassion for the soldiers, doing everything in her power to alleviate their suffering and to make their stay in the hospital as pleasant as possible, under the terrible circumstances in which she worked. Sometimes her burden would seem too heavy, and she would almost make up her mind to quit, but her determination to be patriotic and her compassion for her patients would change her mind.

Kate Cumming was a true lady, and this fact also made her journal enjoyable. She is well-mannered; for instance, when she does dislike someone she exercises reserve in writing about them, even though she is writing in her private journal. She does greatly dislike "Yankees", but instead of simply raving bitterly about them, she relates the incidents that cause her to dislike them. Overall, Kate is quiet and observant, and likes to write about the better things that occur in her life (something as simple as meeting a friend on the train, or having something extra nice for dinner) rather than dwell negatively on the hardships that she was experiencing.

I highly recommend this wartime journal for anyone interested in a truly personal account of a nurse during the Civil War. The fact that Kate was a Southerner makes it even more interesting, because on the whole she went through more than her Northern counterparts did. She was a patriotic lady, and her attitude throughout the war makes her journal a pleasure to read.