Louisiana Books

This is a great book for anyone who is interested in plantation homes. It has over 80 wonderful photographs, and tells the story of each home shown. There are even two or three victorian style homes, built in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Very interesting and informative. I would recommend this book to anyone, wether your buying it for the information or the photographs!

This book is hands-down one of the most beautiful picture books on Louisiana's remaining plantation homes. While most are in exquisite condition, there are a very few which aren't. The short story of each plantation home is interesting and the photographs are gorgeous! It makes one want to go out, find a plantation home, buy it and restore it! The reader will be amazed at the wealth these planters accumulated, manifested in these awesome homes. Not all of the homes are huge antebelllum mansions, though. I personally found the Creole plantations wonderful examples of a simple albeit beautiful home. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves old homes, Southern architecture or photography in general.

the book has lovely photos and briefly tells about each home. It would have been nice if there were more photos of the interior of homes. But the book has beautiful photography and is overall: GREAT!

A well done book on Louisiana's spectacular plantations. The state is blessed with the best of these old homes and this book captures the essense of these structures quite well. All of the famous plantations are given several images and the text though not indepth is revealing. This is not quite as good as Gleasons book on the same subject, but it is close and makes a great companion book to it. If you have any interest in these singular buildings then i highly recommend this book along with Gleasons.

If I had to bring just one guidebook on a visit to New Orleans this would be the one I would choose (out of the ones I have read).

The guidebook included several helpful maps and some nice historical/background detail.

It has a great section about visiting plantations along River Road to the west of the city. We rented a car and took a daytrip out along the River Road and found the info that was provided to be accurate and insightful.

The book's introduction to the Garden District, how to get there, what to see, etc. was excellent.

We followed several of the book's restaurant recommendations and were quite pleased - the book recommended both Mother's Cafe and The Acme Oyster House, both of which were gems.

Contains what all (good) travel guides do -- historical background, hotels, eating, nightlife, shopping.

Pluses: good coverage of French Quarter attractions; lists plenty of moderate and inexpensive restautants and hotels; helpful tips on navigating the city; easy-to-use maps; compact format

Minuses: index is not comprehensive (if you're looking for a particular restauant, hotel, or attraction, you have to browse the appropriate section); lodging and restaurant guides are selective, not comprehensive (doesn't mention Antoine's!)

Other: focuses heavily on the French Quarter, but also contains information for the rest of the city and surrounding area; contains information for gay travelers (clubs, gay-friendly hotels, etc.)

We (physically) looked at a variety of guides, and this is the one we chose. If it doesn't live up to expectations, expect a follow-up review after our vacation!

The more I read this book the more I like it. There are parts of this book that stood out in my head because they practically took me back to New Orleans. I have a great deal of respect for Samantha Cook, she is a great writer!

I was very glad to see the section listing books and, in particular, movies set in or about New Orleans. Whenever I am going through New Orleans withdrawl I check this guide for movies I haven't seen.

Besides the content, which on a whole is very useful and right up there with the best guide books, I like it's small size. It is easy to carry around with you.

This little guide is chock full of expert advice that makes your stay in this fun but grimy city much more enjoyable. Information about the one reliable cab company (and there are a lot of cab companies there), the St Charles streetcar line, and the best restaurants will keep you from looking like so many other tourists that we encountered--lost and frustrated. The writing is realistic, a little opinionated, but never snotty or incorrect. For instance, it has a small commentary on crime, but doesn't dwell on it, like other guides do. The bottom line is: use this guide and your own common sense, and you'll have a great time!

I was uncertain about the merit of this title before I purchased, but I need not have been. Author Bruce Allardice has created a worthy supplement to Ezra Warner's "Generals in Gray."

The presentation format of "More Generals in Gray" is very close to that of Warner's classic reference works, but in single column vs. two columns for Warner's books. For most of the 137 entries a photograph, sketch, painting of the person is provided, except where ones were not available. The author provides background information including birthdate, state, parents, education as well as prewar occupation. Following this is a description or relevant military career, ranks achieved, commands, postwar life and death. Allardice closes each biography with a description of what sources led to the inclusion of the particular figure as a general. Notes and sources are provided after each entry as well.

One caveat is that the reader should not expect to find a large list of generals overlooked by Warner, that is not the direction of this work. Instead, Mr. Allardice has cast a wider net to include those who would be legitimately rejected by the earlier criteria. He carefully provides detailed criteria and explanation for his additions. Most names here are men who were either never really promoted/confirmed or who were generals in state service or appointed in the Trans-Mississippi by E. Kirby Smith.

This brings us to the strength of the study: the inclusion of men acting as generals who were either appointed by Kirby Smith or who led state forces as generals in actual campaigns. Both of these are indeed generals in the true sense of the word. Those studying the Trans-Mississippi will definitely find the backgrounds provided here beneficial.

The less exciting entries for the reader are those appointed very late in the war (e.g. March 1865 or later) but never confirmed and really never served in the capacity of general. In addition, there were those referred to as generals in various Confederate post-war histories, but whom the author demonstrates did not really achieve the rank. Though it is perhaps a thankless task, the author is to be commended for setting the record straight with regards to these men.

As a bonus, in an appendix Mr. Allardice lists another ~135 individuals sometimes referred to as generals by less authoritative sources. In one or two sentences for each he explains the reasons for excluding them.

"More Generals in Gray" is a well-written and organized supplement to Warner's work. This volume will appeal the most to a narrower group of civil war enthusiasts and particularly those studying more obscure engagements. Note that now is a good time to obtain inexpensive remaindered copies.

A tome devoted to biographical sketches of 137 men united only by their arguable status as Confederate generals sounds like one of the ultimate Civil War "buff books". It is a pleasant surprise to open its pages and discover no dreary catalogue of minutiae. Instead, the author has condensed years of research into a series of sparkling capsule lives that reflect the wide range of characters and events in America's bitterest conflict.

Each of the subjects has some claim to having held the rank of general in the Confederate military but not enough of one to have earned listing in Ezra J. Warner's authoritative "Generals in Gray". However solid or dubious their entitlement to the highest rank, however, they form a cross-section of important and interesting Southern officers and citizens. They came from a variety of backgrounds. Ten were born in the North, nine in Border States, nine abroad (including one veteran of Napoleon's Grande Armee, whose unit's performance in the defense of New Orleans fell short of Napoleonic standards). Not all had embraced independence eagerly. Michael Jefferson Bulger, for instance, voted "no" in the Alabama secession convention but nonetheless enlisted in the 47th Alabama Regiment. At Cedar Mountain, he suffered wounds to his arm and leg, binding the latter with corncobs and suspenders. At Gettysburg, he was captured after being left for dead. Following such mishaps, he ended up living to age 94, enjoying a placid post-war career as a farmer and occasional politician.

In contrast to the indestructible Bulger, Edward Gantt was a fire-eating secessionist who resigned his seat in the first Confederate Congress to raise a regiment in Arkansas. After being captured with the garrison of Island No. 10, he returned home on parole but then experienced an astonishing change of heart. In late 1863, the formerly rabid states-righter slipped across the Yankee lines and spent the rest of the war urging his former countrymen to lay down their arms.

Many more such tales are told here. The author has a keen eye for incisive facts and quotations, and his writing wastes few words. For the serious student of the Civil War, this work is a valuable reference. For everyone else, it offers hours of fascinating browsing.

Ezra Warner's classic 1959 volume tells us the stories of the 425 Confederate General Officers about whom we can't argue as to whether they were, in fact, a General; this volume tells the stories of several about whom we CAN argue. Warner gives the criteria, and this book does, too; a man had to be nominated to General Officer rank by President Davis, AND confirmed by Congress.

The reasons to be here, not in Warner's book, are several; most commonly, a man could be a General of state militia, nominated by the Governor, confirmed by the legislature, not a General of the Confederacy. [President Jefferson Davis makes this book that way]. These militia officers can be seen as the equivalent of modern National Guard Officers. In some cases, there was a disconnect between the President and Congress, in others, there is doubt as to who appointed the man, and when. Thus we have the first Hispanic General, Santos Benavides--some records have him as a Colonel, others as a late appointment to Brigadier General. [The first American Indian General is in Warner's book--no doubts about Stand Watie].

A special case is that of nine officers appointed to Brigadier General by General Edmund Kirby Smith using his expanded powers as Commander of The Transmississippi Department. Communication between Richmond and the West was most difficult after the fall of Vicksburg in July, 1863; Smith was, thus, in a situation unique in American history. These nine men are but a small part of a most complicated story; Warner lists them in an appendix; here they get full honors.

In these reviews, I try to differentiate between books for the general reader, and those for "people like me". This book falls, I think, somewhere in between. It is superbly done, well written, well illustrated; a most respectful account of men deserving full respect, even if they aren't a "big name". For those poor folks who are like me, this book is, indeed, essential. You know who you are....

I have owned and used Mr. Warner's classics Generals in Blue and Generals in Gray for over 40 years. Mr Allardice shows us the men appointed General by the various Southern States. This book proves the point the Government of the Confederacy was still having growing pains; the point being the generals from the Trans-Mississippi not being confirmed by the CSA Senate, in Richmond, Va. This is a great book for the Civil War Buff. It is a must need in your War Between the States Library.

At the outset Lew Griffin's former lover, Laverne, has just passed away. But she leaves a message for Lew asking him to find her recently pregnant and drug addicted daughter who has disappeared. Lew feels that he has to fulfill this request and gets pulled back into the work that he used to do, like a moth to the flame. This is a New Orleans college professor, missing work to go intimidate thugs and break some faces in the process of finding Laverne's daughter. What really made this story so intriguing was Sallis' ability to pack a lot of meaning into just a few words. None of the words felt unnecessary, and Lew emits such an aura of understanding people that he creates a lot of powerful moments without saying much. I loved this book and have since been seeking out all of Sallis' other Lew Griffin novels. How this series could slip so far under the radar is beyond me.

I ordered Black Hornet and Moth after reading Cypress Grove and Drive. What I didn't realize at the time was that I would be reading bookends of the career of Lew Griffin, an accidental private eye fumbling foward into maturity without an immediate need to know why doing what seems right is improbably its own reward.

And the writing. This is the reward. There is the plot. There are the characters. And there are the sentences.

This book is about Lew Griffen taking stock and making sense of what took him from the Black Hornet to 50 as an adjunct professor in French literature who still finds himself the moth drawn to the flame.

The man understands how to break a jaw, remembers the difference between drinking and drinking, mixes in the difference between French and Amaerican fiction, and, finally accepts that being alone is neither noble nor romantic, although ineveitable, all while not resorting to a single cliche or allowing tedium to cause a page to be turned.

This is the second appearance of Lew Griffin,an Afro-Amrecan private detective in New Orleans. In Moth,Griffin searches for missing daughter of late LaVerne,his ex-lover. Griffin interviews and tracks daughter's trail,though,Mr.Sallis seems to be not interested in who done it nor why done it nor what is hiding behind the case. Instead,Mr.Sallis forcuses deep into Griffin. Mr.Sallis writes about despair and trauma of a person who chose to be a PI,a profession to inevitably touch and face the dark and evil side of the human soul. Mr.Sallis's previous novel,The Long- Legged Fly,was wrote on Lew Griffin's fall,how he fell into the dark pit of despair. And its sequel,Moth,is a story of recovery.In searching for a missing person, Griffin struggles to search and grab for the lost part of himself. Mr.Sallis's prose has cool lyricism,and with that,he draws Griffin's despair and the portrait of lonesome detective who tries to get over the despair. Not only the protagonist,but other characters are also well portraited,their life get resonant with Griffin's,and the sound of resonance must hit the emotion of readers. In the groomy rain of New Orleans,Mr.Sallis presents us a well-crafted story of a depressed man,a story of desperate hope. A private-eye novel played in blue note. Very original

Yes, James Sallis seems to have gotten it right. This detective story featuring private eye, Lew Griffin, presents more than your typical follow-the-trail-of-clues but rather it offers social commentary on the state of America (without being didactic), depth of character, as well as insights into how characters perceive themselves and the worlds in which they live.

Ironically, Sallis is described as a white author, and his protagonist is African American. As an African American myself who has read Walter Mosely, I have to say that Sallis' writing is more meaty.

Kudos to Sallis! I've already started collecting the rest of the books in this series.

Within the span of two months, Theodore Roosevelt's "last chance to be a boy," as he dubbed his South American adventure, permanently broke his health, and transformed him from a person of vigorous middle age into an old man.

The 1914 journey of exploration that he and his companions made by paddling down what had been called "the River of Doubt" in dugout canoes quickly became an unrelenting exercise in exhaustion, pain, disease and near starvation. Roosevelt wrote of the experience, "Under such conditions whatever is evil in men's natures comes to the front." By journey's end, the river had been rechristened "The Rio Roosevelt" and the former president was no longer capable of seriously seeking another term as chief executive.

Joseph Ornig's "My Last Chance to be a Boy" describes this excruciating odyssey from origins to aftermath. It makes a fine companion piece to Theodore Roosevelt's own account of his journey, "Through the Brazilian Wilderness." Mr. Ornig's story is strengthened by adding the perspectives of other voyagers, including T.R.'s son Kermit Roosevelt. It also describes the trip preparations and T.R.'s South American city tour which preceded the jungle adventure.

Surprisingly, some of the comments T.R. made in speeches during that progression touched on what are today still hot-button issues. In Buenos Aires, for instance, he counseled against judges acting as lawmakers.

Mr. Ornig also gives us a look at the kinds of contributions T.R's second wife, Edith, made to the success of the enterprise. It was she, according to the author, who encouraged Kermit to accompany his father into the wilderness. It was fortunate that she did. Kermit's Portuguese fluency and wilderness savvy contributed materially to the party's survival. By inference, we also see just how useful to T.R. Edith must have been during her husband's political career.

The book is filled with facts, descriptions and quotes. Fortunately, the writing is conversational, without wasting words. The story lifts effortlessly from the page to the reader's mind. Mr. Ornig's research for the story at hand is scrupulous, but his work also gives the impression of his being a Roosevelt scholar in a broader context. He mentions, for example, T.R.'s use of the expression "black care" to describe what we would today probably call depression.

T.R's great grandson, Tweed Roosevelt's foreword and the comprehensive photo section both contribute to an already first rate account. This is a story which should jack up the adrenalin level of armchair adventurers and T.R. aficionados alike.

Ornig's book is the first full account of this amazing adventure since Theodore Roosevelt was alive to tell it himself. Thanks to the author's years of meticulous research, we get to see the ex-president up close as every ounce of courage and determination that can possibly be required of a human being is exacted by this perilous expedition. Why would a man, having already carved his name in history, literally risk his life in service to exploration? The book title is informative; it was the kind of thing he loved to do. Roosevelt's passion for for life was abundantly demonstrated on the River of Doubt as he and his party encountered one life-threatening obstacle after another. If it wasn't the hostile natives who tracked them, it was the piranhas. If it wasn't a lack of food and supplies, it was flesh-eating disease.... As if fighting just to survive the forces of nature weren't enough, there was also the recklessness of some, including his own son. And there were personal conflicts among the explorers--disagreements, arguments, theft--and a murder. This wilderness adventure had it all--and it wasn't reality TV. No camera crew, no global positioning system, no one to bail them out at any point. In this age of apathy and plasticized existence, this story is all the more striking.

Thus, out of this book emerges a fresh portrait of Theodore Roosevelt. We learn a great deal about him under conditions of maximum stress. We also get to know the group of explorers who accompanied him. And the generous 48 pages of maps and photographs are a real plus. Many thanks to the author for rediscovering this story and dusting it off for us with such literary finesse. For a non-fiction history work, it reads like a novel.

Ornig provides the first detailed account of one of the most exciting adventure stories of the 20th century -- Theodore Roosevelt's exploration of the River of Doubt in Brazil's Amazon. The story is more incredible when you think that Roosevelt was a 55-year old former President at the time of the expedition. As we approach the 100th anniversary of Roosevelt's presidency, and as we consider our relationship with the earth, it is worth taking another look at this great outdoorsman. Ornig weaves together the political and diplomatic origins of the expedition and how Roosevelt, his son Kermit, and the rest of the expedition got much more than they bargained for. There's murder, there's drowning (and a question of whether Kermit Roosevelt was accountable), there's frustration, and there's a former President on the brink of death. After you read it, you'll want to read Roosevelt's account, "Through the Brazilian Wilderness." You'll enjoy that one too

TR's 1913-1914 expedition down the River of Doubt (subsequently renamed Rio Teodoro in his honor, and later Rio Roosevelt) is an astonishing piece of history - one often refered to in passing by other TR biographers, but not often fully explored, as it here. Author Ornig tells an exciting tale well, from the multitudious details of planning and executing a massive exploring expedition in the early 20th century, to vivid portraits of the characters involved. This book would be a wonderful companion for any adventure traveller (or even armchair adventurers).

Best of all, Ornig is no run-of-the-mill TR hagiographer (and there are plenty of them out there), nor is he interested in taking unfair potshots at the great man (plenty of those folks out there, too). Ornig simply relates events as they occured, and doesn't care a whit whether they cast TR in a favorable or unfavorable light: TR was a poor shot (due to his poor eyesight) and became grumpy and embarassed when he missed easy targets. TR was delighted with the impact on his waistline when the expedition was forced to subsist on reduced rations -- and argued against the restoration of full rations even though others were suffering. Do these facts detract from the TR legend, or add to it? I have never been a fan of Marble Men, and found that I loved TR even more after glimpsing some of his human flaws in MY LAST CHANCE TO BE A BOY. No student of TR should be without this volume.

This is a well-researched book and an important addition to the literature. The reader will learn much about not only the title subject, but the world in which she lived. The author's careful scholarship is a welcome correction to the haze that tends to surround the subject of voodoo in New Orleans.

Dr. Fandrich did a great job in presenting a New Orleans legend in a manner that was both knowledgable and personal. I got to know Ms. Laveaux on a personal level and to understand her strength, character and power. Dr. Fandrich did a marvelous job in making the connection between the role of Africa in the worship of deities and the African diasporic religion of Voodoo as it was practiced in Haiti and then in New Orleans by Ms. Laveaux. I greatly enjoyed this book and it has inspired me in ways that words just cannot express. I would like to thank the ancestors for inspiring Dr. Fandrich to put the story of Marie Laveaux into context for others to utilize and enjoy.

This is by far the best book I have read on the subject of Marie Laveaux. Dr. Fandrich not only captures the historical context of New Orleans before and during Marie Laveux's lifetime she also captures and explains the spiritual basis for New Orleans Voodoo. I find the book to be refreshing and informative. This book is full of historical information but at the same time is very interesting and is a fast read. This book is bound to be seen as the most important book on the subject of Marie Laveaux. Finally a book that provided me with information about questions I have been searching for in regards to this mysterious woman. Thank you Dr. Fandrich!!!

Dr. Fandrich has produced the first truly valuable study of Marie Laveaux for students and scholars of religion. She skillfully analyzes the historical fiction and popular legends surrounding New Orleans Voodoo and its most (in)famous Queen while explaining the roots of these myths through an explanation of Voodoo's development and history. Fandrich's personal research in the archives of New Orleans certainly paid of for her. Her hard work uncovered Laveaux's birth certificate (long thought lost) and thus gives a new and definite historicity to her subject. Instead of reading like a popular New Orleans tour book, this serious analysis of Marie Laveaux's life and the society that gave rise to her legend has a solid methodology. Both interesting and carefully researched down to the smallest detail, this book is a must have for any serious student of New Orleans, Voodoo, and African-American/Afro-Caribbean religions.

This is a very good biography of a man that history had nearly forgotten. A historical review of the a lawman that "cleaned up the town" during the prohibition period, was feared by criminals throughout the region of Northern Louisiana and died in the line of duty...a murder which remains unsolved to this day!

If you like reading about tough, no non-sense lawmen of the west or historical accounts of Texas Rangers, you will really enjoy this book. This man had character, integrity, and a single-minded focus on upholding the law. He usually worked alone, most times outnumbered and rarely was outwitted by his adversaries.

This should be a required reading for students in Louisiana schools...they should revere and remember the heroes that help build their state.

I've read about many Old West-type lawmen, and John Sisemore is definitely one of the most interesting...his zeal for the job was unparalleled. Many of his arrests were recorded in local newspapers, so we know he spent a great deal of time chasing moonshiners...a typical assignment for U.S. marshals at that time. But few did it so doggedly and with such success. I particularly liked how the author weaved family members and townspeople into the story and showed how a community fought for law & order and how the results of that battle shaped the entire community for generations.

I had never heard of Deputy John Sisemore, having read everything available on U.S. Marshals. This account of his adventures beats anything John Wayne's "Rooster Cogburn" did. Sometimes the truth is wilder than fiction. The book is written with as a "non-fiction novel" to bring the story alive, with conversations and events carefully crafted from court transcripts and newspaper articles. Even though the book reads as a novel, the author gives extensive notes on his sources at the end of the book. If you love the Old West or enjoy classic stories of good versus evil, this book is a must read.

What a joy to read this book!!!! So much history and excitement. John Tom Sisemore is my great-grandfather. I remember reading newspaper clippings about the murder but was never provided this much information of the incident and the events leading up to it. Mr. Harris has done an outstanding job of honoring the life and death of a wonderful lawman. One of the best books I have read in a while.

These are wonderful books and very thorough. This book is full of beautiful old New Orleans mansions, the pictures are small, but every discription of a home has a requisite photo. The text is highly informative and the book is well researched. New Orleans is blessed with so many beautiful mansions and many reside in this section of the city. Reading this book, reminds me how special and unique this city is, as well as how beautiful the city can be. Highly recommended.

I have read several volumes in this set and this one (vol. VIII - 1997) is the best.

This is more than merely a coffee table ornament. It is meant to be a poweful tool for equipping people to actively work for the preservation of the South's most architecturally rich and complicated city.

It is difficult to imagine a finer work of this size and scope.

First, the publisher (Pelican of the suburb of Gretna, LA) has spared no expense. Cover to cover, all 215pp. are packed with the highest quality photographs, maps and illustrations. The paper is glossy, sturdy, 8.5 x 11.

Second, the writing is uniformly precise and compelling, and moves at a good pace. rarely dry.

Third, the scope is manageable and makes good sense. The University Section, as conceived here, consists of the area around Tulane and Loyola, and extending south to the river. Thus Audubon Park, Hurstville, Bloomingdale, Burtheville, Marlyville, Greeneville, Friburg, etc. are all included. This includes from Lowerline and several streets west of the Park to Joseph and Arabella in the east, and from the river up to Clairbourne.

Fourth, the archtecture history is woven into the general history of the neighborhood and of New Orleans. Someone with no interest at all in the architecture would still glean much about the lager developments of the city, and of Uptown in particular. Politics, environment and social history are included.

Fifth, the maps and photos (hundreds of them) are used well to illustrate and make sense of complicated trends in the neighborhood. They are arranged in a very helpful and easily understood manner.

Hundreds of the homes are displayed, from the humble to the opulent, arranged by street address. Further, a chart is provided with the dates, architects, etc. of dozens of these homes and buildings.

An index is accurate and fairly thorough.

I have to really strain to identify any criticisms.
1. Wish there was a simpel modern map at the beginning showing the precise boundaries of this University Section, and all other sections in this series.
2. P. 16 shows a detail of a map from an Atlas of the City of New Orleans, leaving teh reader to wonder about the date of that work.

I would recommend, as a companion and supplement, Lloyd Vogt, New Orleans Houses (1985). Vogt gives even more exacting architectural detail, but does not provide nearly as much on the broader historical context.

This volume in the N.O. Architecture series by the Friends of the Cabildo is, in my opinion, the best of the entire series. Perhaps it is because this is the section of the city in which I spend most of my time, a place to which I've become rather attached. Anyone who enjoys architecture will probably like this book, not just New Orleanians.

Growing up in this section of New Orleans, I was pleasantly surprised to see several homes of my childhood friends. No other city in the U.S. has such distinct and diverse neighborhood architecture. Another great volume in a GREAT series.

The Campanella's did an incredible job of tracing the past of some of New Orlean's most well known, and sometimes notorious, landmarks. The way in which they try to exactly match the perspective of the new photography with that of the historic photo allows the reader to better visualize the changes. In some scenes, so much has changed it is like a game of Where's Waldo just find something that is recognizable from one era to the next. Great book!

Thanks to the Campanellas for their hard work. They have done a terrific job matching new photos to historical ones. Each photo has a detailed caption -- the Campanellas never leave the reader disoriented. A dry sense of humor comes through on occaision, making reading the book feel more like a friend telling you about a city he loves rather than reading a dull textbook. My only complaint is very little on mid-city and lakeview. Perhaps a post-Katrina edition will come out. Fantastic photos. This book will always be ready to read. I don't think it will ever find its way onto a bookshelf.

this is a tremendous book, far better than the other by the same name. However,the seven previous reviews were all highly positive but when they were added no stars were indicated for five of the reviews. The result:two five star ratings and five no star ratings. Oviously a glitch. Read the other reviews. If you like New Orleans buy this book

It's always a bit startling to revisit someplace you haven't seen in a few decades, especially if it was a neighborhood you remember from your childhood. Nothing stands still, but some alterations can be especially dramatic. Many parts of downtown New Orleans in the 1920s and '30s hadn?t changed significantly in several generations, except for the addition of overhead wires. This lavish volume will bring you up to date, displaying before-and-after shots of many fondly remembered locations -- such as the intersection of Madison Street and Decatur in what used to be "Little Italy." A 1906 photo shows a decaying Creole townhouse which then housed a clothing store, and Madame Begue's famous restaurant across the narrow street. On the facing page, the 1996 view from exactly the same perspective shows the townhouse changed almost beyond recognition, but the 1830 building across the street, now the home of Tujague's Restaurant, which has been cleaned up and renovated (and is one of my favorites!), retains nearly all of its original design features. Other sites remind us of the days of parking your car on Canal Street's neutral ground, of the 1840s Greek Revival hidden behind the Sanlin Building's aluminum facade, of the gradual but continual decay of the De La Ronde plantation house in Chalmette. Other structures have disappeared entirely: The Poydras Market, St. Paul's Episcopal Church, and the entire 300 block of South Rampart Street, among many others, most of them replaced by freeways and modern motels. This would be a terrific book to send to that New Orleans-born relative who moved to California years ago.

Yet another book that makes me long for the New Orleans of old. The Author fills in those lingering questions I've always had about the Canal Streetcar, amongst wonderful pictures.

This is an excellent pictorial and written history of the Canal Streetcar line and New Orleans also. I loved reading it, it's a quick read, and easy to understand and since I am a native New Orleanian, some of the pictures from days past were fascinating since Canal Street doesn't really look like it did 50 years ago. My father is 71 years old and a real history buff and LOVED it and gives it very high marks also!

Edward Branley's title is fascinating. It's a look at one of the oldest institutions here in the New Orleans area. Branley does the subject justice. Readers, this title is unique in that it has an overabundance of photographs. From 1861 to 2003. I say - wow to that!

The book is 128 pages packed with photos. There are pictures of all kinds of streetcars, buses and other things. There are scenes from New Orleans that only a native, or visitor, could appreciate.

I can't get over the pictures. So many favorites. So many memories. So many dreams....

Canal Street will never be the same. And, plus, the street cars are back. Bravo, Mr. Branley...

I'm fairly new to New Orleans, but have enjoyed the streetcars since my first visit 20 years ago. Not only is this an interesting history of streetcars, but of downtown New Orleans. Although I wasn't here to witness all the changes in the last 100 years, it is enjoyable to ride the newly opened Canal Streetcar line while looking through the pictures of different eras covered in the book. Mr. Branley makes history come alive!