Louisiana Books

The Bermuda Hundred campaign -- a May 1864 attempt to seize Richmond by 33,000 Federal troops under Maj. Gen. Benjamin Butler -- has always tended to be caricatured by the Civil War historians who cover it. The usual narrative is that Butler had a great chance to grab the Confederate capital, blew it through world-class incompetence, and wound up retreating into the neck of the Bermuda Hundred peninsula between the James and Appomattox Rivers, where supposedly it was as neutralized as if it had been "in a bottle strongly corked."

Robertson could have followed the old bash-Butler interpretation, but instead set aside the conventional story and looked at the campaign with the eye of a superb operational-level military historian. (He's on the permanent faculty of the Combat Studies Institute at the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College.) While avoiding the opposite error of turning Butler into some kind of misunderstood genius shafted by his superiors and subordinates, Robertson patiently delineates the flaws in U.S. Grant's instructions to Butler, the frictions created by an awkward command relationship with Butler's two corps commanders -- neither of whom he'd met, much less worked with, until the eve of the campaign -- and the modest but genuine achievements of Butler's offensive. He also does a nice job of handling the Confederate side of the hill as well.

This was a wonderful resource for me when I was writing And Keep Moving On: The Virginia Campaign, May-June 1864, and I heartily recommend it.

This is such an outstanding account of a Civil War campaign that I try to reread it every year or two. Aside from
being a great account of the Bermuda Hundred Campaign,
it is such a welcome change from so mant of the books currently being sold under the description of Civil War history, when they are in reality just junk. This is basically
a "how to" book on how to write and bring to life a Civil War
campaign, especially welcome in that it deals with a relatively obscure campaign in 1864 Virginia. Buy this book!

Wonderful description of the Union successes in almost capturing the little protected Petersburg and the incredulous defense by Confederate forces against huge odds. This book has details on the campaign that actually starts from the Suffolk area where Union cavalry penetrate the lightly defended no man's land southeast of Petersburg outside of Suffolk that even today is lightly populated. The Union cavalry penetrate through small towns like Ivor on route 460 and Windsor heading all the way to the Weldon railroad south of Petersburg. This raid rivals the Grierson raid made during that was made during the Vicksburg campaign. The audaciousness of the Union cavalry
led by Kautz in a series of raids below and above Petersburg rivals Stuarts trip around McClellan in 1862. This is excellent writing as Robertson writes in efficient prose about the early aspects of the Petersburg campaign that has not gotten enough print. The book follows Pickett's stressed out attempts to protect Petersburg with just a few thousand troops and his physically collapsing as soon as Beuraguard arrives to take command. The book also describes the fluttered attempt by Butler's surprise move on Petersburg that fails only because Generals like William Smith stop their attack impressed by Confederate forces that establish a bold front with small numbers, numbers so small that Smith could have steam rolled them and entered Petersburg. The book also describes Beauregard's attempts to get Lee's attention to get more troops and the description of the strained relationship between the two. Very well written description of the Confederate defense of Drewery's Bluff on the James (a wonderful tour stop today) and the counter attack along the Bermuda 100 that seals Butler's forces on the Peninsula as a "cork in a bottle" as Grant was alleged to have said. The author makes a good point that Grant's continued attack of Lee at the Wilderness and Spotsylvania may also have been to divert Confederate pressure and attention north away from Butler to protect Butler's forces allowing an opportunity for victory. The defense of Petersburg is very exciting as the Confederates thin defenses and response forces barely held on for modest reinforces defeating the Union attack. It's truly a miracle that the Confederates held on. This compact book tells the story rapidly but is well written with an easy to read style.

when i was a kid larry gilbert was mr. baseball in new orleans. everyone was really surprised when he left for nashville. the pelicans are featured in this book but also a lot of baseball history that i didn't remember, like shoeless joe jackson and the yankees in new orleans for spring training. but this for yourself, but get another one for your grandpa. he'll appreciate it.

Mr. Gisclair's romance with New Orleans baseball is clearly expressed in this book, with glimpses of amateur, intercollegiate, and professional outings to the city.

For my preference, I would have preferred Mr. Gisclair to have expanded the scope of the book to include all of Louisiana, rather than limiting to New Orleans. There is virtually no information on the old Sugarcane League, for example, a semi-pro league designed and sponsored mainly by oil companies, which competed throughout rural Louisiana and Texas from the 1920s to the 1950s.

In addition, a heavy emphasis lies on Tulane. While Tulane has understandably been a power in the last 20 years, there is less about the careers of UNO players, Loyola University's love-hate relationship with athletics, and other college traditions.

Perhaps the largest criticism is that the AAABA teams, which were long coached by the late Rags Scheuermann, are given only scant attention. Likewise, the city's contributions to the Negro Leagues are also covered only sporadically.

These are, however, piffling criticisms in what is clearly a well-researched labor of love, and any enthusiast should be interested in the book if only for the pictures and the bibliography.

Seeing all of the old New Orleans Pelicans brought back a lot of fond memories from my childhood! Larry Gilbert, Eddie Rose, Lou Berger, Al Milnar -- they're all there. I'm an old baseball fan, but I didn't know a lot of what was in the book. It packs a lot of history into a small space, but it's really more of a photo book. The captions are like little stories and are very interesting. Anyone who loves baseball will like this book.

C.C. Lockwood has done a remarkable presentation of the Grand Canyon and the Colorado River.It is obvious from the pictures and text presented that he is extremely knowledgable of one of the seven natural wonders of the world. There are views of the inner Canyon that have never before been published and his intimate portrayal of river running on some of the largest white water in North America exemplifies his professionalism as a photographer. For Canyon lovers and river runners alike, both past and future, I highly recommend Mr. Lockwood's achievement.

A beautiful glimpse into the heart of the Grand Canyon and the Colorado River. The photographs in this book have captured some of the magic that can only be found in the depths of the canyon. I have done two dory trips through the Grand Canyon and I can say that this book is the next best thing to actually being there.

I have been guiding river trips through the Grand Canyon for over thirty years and this is one of the best photo journalist volumes I have seen. There are thousands of books, concerning the Grand Canyon, I have collected over the years..."Beneath The Rim" has a special way of describing the intimate details of the life and spaces beneath the rim. One can tell by the unique photographs and inspiring text that C.C. Lockwood has a special relationship with the Grand Canyon. It is a must have for any Grand Canyon aficionado.

About 70,000 Italians entered the Port of New Orleans in the first thirty years of the 20th century, most of them in response to widespread poverty in Sicily and the demand for labor among Louisiana planters. Land ownership was rare in Sicily and conditions were crowded and unpleasant in the northeastern urban slums of the U.S., but in Louisiana the immigrants settled mostly in rural areas and quickly became the principal food producers for the state. They often were not welcomed, however, by those who came before, as in the infamous lynching of a dozen Italians who had been arrested but not charged following the murder of New Orleans Police Chief David Hennessey in October, 1890. Margavio and Salomone, both professors of sociology, have done an excellent job in depicting the gradual assimilation of Italians and their culture, from muffalettas and Roman Candy in New Orleans to Nick La Rocca's Original Dixieland Jazz Band and the activities of the Societa Italiana di Mutua Beneficenza Cefautana. There are today hundreds of thousands of Italian-Americans living in Louisiana and this book should be of interest to most of them.

I was looking for a gift for my Dad's birthday in July, and I saw this title recommended on OSIA's website. I ordered a copy for my Dad and myself. After I finished my copy I left it with my Uncle to read. My Dad an my Uncle have been telling all our family about THE BOOK. I was actually in LA & my Dad introduced me to his cousins by saying SHE'S THE ONE THAT FOUND THE BOOK. Dad and all his relatives can't stop talking about it. I grew up in Maryland and it was interesting to me from a historical and cultural perspective about my roots. I remember hearing my parents and grandparents talk about the people and places. It was interesting listening to my Dad & his family who grew up in New Orleans talk about the book, because they not only knew the people but it seems like they were related to them or had a relative who was; they had been to the places described; and they or their parents had been involved in many of the events. It provides a wonderful family history for me to pass down to my daughter.

Margavio and Salomone's enlightening masterpiece chronicles the history of Italian-Americans who immigrated to Southeastern Louisiana during the late 1800's, where they were not welcomed warmly. The title "Bread and Respect" refers to the two main goals of this group of immigrants, whose plight has been ignored in popular and educational literature in favor of examinations of the Italian immigrants who established homes in New York and Boston. Unfortunately, such examinations of Italian immigrants to the Northeastern U.S. are often disseminated to the masses as works of fiction that are woven from some realistic elements (ie: the Godfather). This book, on the other hand, is an objective examination of a group of immigrants who endured the predjudices of an entire state and managed to carve their culture into the heart of New Orleans.

For entertainment value alone, this book should be turned into a filmed documentary. Margarvio and Salomone take us through several vignettes that are, in and of themselves, indicative of real life sucess stories. These case studies, if you will, illustrate the pains and triumphs of an immigrant group that fell prey to mass lynchings and false accusations in the 1890's. There is a little known fact that the treatment of Italian immigrants in Lousiana almost led to the brink of war with Italy, prompting King Umberto to recall his diplomats to the U.S..

Moreover, the educational value of such an anthropological study is priceless. I am not suprised by the reviewer who states her family's astonishment over the fact that there were massive groups of Italian immigrants in Louisiana. Recently, an associate of mine from North Boston, seemed to be in awe of this fact saying "I didn't know there were THAT many Italians in Louisiana...I thought they all went to Boston and New York". I was not suprised by these comments, having recently read George Takaki's "A Different Mirror", an acclaimed study of ethnic groups in America, which makes no mention of the plight of Italians in Louisiana.

There were not only Italians who immigrated to Louisiana, but their story is the story of a true hard-fought battle. That story is chronicled in "Bread and Respect". This book should be required reading for every upper-level Anthropology and Sociology student in the United States.

I first bought this book while living in Natchitoches, LA around 30 years ago. My copy is yellowed with heavy use and spotted with a few decades of southern cooking. My children are grown now and live in different states. After years of phone calls requesting recipes from this book, that they remembered from their childhoods, I purchased each of the four grown children a copy of this cookbook for Christmas this last year. They were all thrilled with their copies. Not only does it bring them all the recipes they cherished from when they were growing up, but the pages hold a ton of childhood memories for them, as many of their early cooking experiences came from the pages of this book. I was thrilled to find I could still find them copies. If you want southern cooking at it's best, you can't go wrong with this book. The recipes all come from tried and true southern cooks and from true regional cuisine...not from some test kitchen somewhere.

This is not my first time owning this book. I am actually replacing the edition my Grandmother gave me in 1988. I loaned it to someone about 3 years ago and she still hesitates to tell me when I will get it back. I don't like the fact that I haven't gotten it back but I understand why I haven't

"Cane River Cuisine" is a wonderful collection of time tested recipes by local Louisana cooks. The recipes are interesting, relatively easy to prepare and for the most part, appealing to a variety of tastes. In my opinion, it is a good cross section of Louisana cooking styles, ingredients and tastes. I say this because some of my family members come from Baton Rouge and New Orleans so I have some experience with Louisana cooking styles.

My favorite recipe in this book is the meat pies featured on the first page. The pies remind me of the ones my mother made when I was a kid. They are meaty, spicy and the crust is flaky and tender. I have served them as a main course and made smaller versions to serve as appetizers for parties. They have turned out wonderfully every time.

I have enjoyed cooking from this book. However, some people who shy away from "comfort foods" might be put off by the types of oils, cooking methods (frying) and high calorie ingredients in some of the recipes. Restraint is all though. Eating these foods (or any food) in moderation is the key maintaining one's health while enjoying some really good eats.

The book has everything you will need to cook a down home Southern meal from clever appetizers to rich, delicious deserts.

Enjoy it!

I cannot say enough about how functional and interesting this cookbook is. I have a closet full of cookbooks, but this is my personal "no fail" favorite. My first was worn out from many years of use, and I gladly purchased my second copy. The recipes are outstanding, and the arrangement of the list of ingredients as well as the cooking instructions are easy to follow. This book is a fascinating glimpse into the delicious world of southern cooking. If you are interested in purchasing a cookbook you will use over and over, not just thumb through and place on a shelf, this is it. Forks up to those who compiled and illustrated it!

This coffee table volume was produced to celebrate the bicentennial of the Louisiana Purchase. It contains 193 high-quality reproductions of important maps illustrating the development of Louisiana from the early sixteenth century to the present. Each map is accompanied by an historical essay placing the map in its cultural context. There is a detailed cartobibliography and list of selected readings.

The maps themselves are wonderfully reproduced. Here are a couple of examples of the essays:

"21. A Map of Louisiana And Of The River Mississippi by John Senex. London, [1718 or 1719]. The Historic New Orleans Collection

"A restless band of Carolina tranders--who crossed the Appalachian Mountains seeking closer economic relations with Native American nations to the west--galvanized English interest in Louisiana and the Mississippi River valley. In light of this development, English mapmaker John Senex responded to market demands with this map, copying liberally from Guillaume de L'Isle's ca.1718 Carte de la Louisiane et du Cours du Mississipi. This plagiarism did not, of course, include L'Isle's notation about French claims to Carolina. Interestingly, Senex dedicated his map to William Law, the father of financier John Law, whose scheme to develop French Louisiana eventually caused the ruin of many European investors."

***

"74. Louisiana from Mathew Carey's General Atlas Improved and Enlarged: Being A Collection of Maps of the World and Quarters...[Philadelphia, 1814]. The Historic New Orleans Collection

Mathew Carey became a pioneer American map publisher following his immigration to Philadelphia from Dublin in 1784. Carey set up a publishing firm financed by the marquis de Lafayette, with whom he had earlier become friends in Paris. His success in publishing Guthrie's Geography Improved led him to similar projects. Carey's American Atlas of 1795 was the earliest atlas of the United States. His American Pocket Atlas, in which the map of Louisiana appeared, was published in editions of 1796, 1801, 1809, 1813, and 1814. He had issued the earliest printed map of Louisiana as a state in 1813, which appears here in an enlarged version from his 1814 General Atlas. This map was probably compiled by Samuel Lewis, Carey's principal mapmaker."

This book makes for fascinating reading and study.

Robert C. Ross 2008

This beautifully produced volume deserves a prominant place on anyone's coffee table. Abstractors and professional landmen, especially if they live in Louisiana and its surrounding states, will fall in love with it.

I purchased this volume at the Louisiana Book Festival the year it came out. I even got the authors/editors to sign it. During a presentation and discussion of the book, it fell to the floor with a loud thud. The speaker quipped that it was "heavy reading". While it is a large book, I would hardly rate it a "coffee table book". This is an excellent well done book with a lot of color and information throughout. Maps from all the countries that had an interest (and some that didn't) in the Louisiana territory from the age of exploration until the last of the twentieth century. Excellent price too! I would've waited but I really wanted the signatures. I can't ever see selling this book. It is a great aid to re-enactors and living history personnel. No museum in the Louisiana Purchase should be without this book either. Kudos!

I find most contemporary poetic practice notable only for its miserly concern for the difficulties attendant upon the small, the domestic, the momentary--huge acreages felled only to tell us that someone built a fence in their backyard once, and their husband helped them and the bindweed grew up around it and that was symbolic of relationships enduring and such. I'm therefore ensanguined by Burt's new collection (definitive enough, I should think, to silence the shrieks of Robert Penn Warren harpies), which teaches us that bindweed can't "hold candle to chokeweed," that fences tend "to grow thick with unfencing menses," and that husbands are meaningful only inasmuch as they "lung persevering into the guts of Cromwell." As a result, this collection--under Burt's sprightly editorship --provides a needed corrective; Warren takes an uncompromising view of the suffering subject splayed upon the rack of history, and the results are cheerful and life-affirming. This book made me realize that there's a reason for everything; I will recommend it to my co-workers.

John Burt has provided an extraordinary service to students, teachers, scholars, and readers of Robert Penn Warren's poetry. Among the 554 poems included in this volume are previously uncollected poems and an unpublished poem, "With or Without Compass?" (in the textual notes)--all neatly organized chronologically in versions that are explained logically and thoroughly in the section on emendations and in the textual notes. The Explanatory Notes section adds glosses to words and references that might otherwise be obscure to a younger audience. Well formatted, well thoughtout, well articulated. "The" volume of Warren's poetry to own, to read, and to re-read.

I will leave it to others more qualified to sing the praises of Warren's poetry, and will merely add some vital information that is inexplicably left out of the books description above: this volume contains every poem published and unpublished that Warren ever wrote with the exception of his book-length poem "Brother to Dragons." It includes his earliest poems from the "Fugative" at Vanderbilt, the long and wonderful "Audubon: A Vision" and all subsequent books of poetry he published. Further, Warren was an constantly revising his poems, and the editor here includes Warren's final revised versions of the poems. Finally, Harold Bloom's introductory essay is a fabulous overview. In short, if you own this book and "Brother to Dragons" then you have ever word of Warren's poetry and you are set for a lifetime of enjoyment. Buy it.

I was wonderfully surprised by this book. Although I have read a lot of literature on the Civil War, I had little knowledge of the women charged with espionage. I found it a fascinating read, and very insightful as to a role women could take in a war that was, although tragic, passionately fought by both sides. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in history, and particularly to those Civil War afficionados.

From 1861 through 1865 Southern women in the Confederacy challenged Federal authority, aiding deserters, feeding Confederate bushwhackers, and cutting Federal telegraph wires. Lowry's investigation uses some 75,000 Federal court-martial records recently uncovered in Nation Archives files and largely unrevealed since the Civil War to provide a striking historical survey of the events and lives of these women, making this a major pick not only for military collections strong in Civil War history, but for general holdings strong on women's history.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

This is a superb work for those interested in long-buried facets of our Civil War. Although the great number of publications dealing with the general subject might make one think that there are no new pastures to plow, Dr. Thomas Lowry has been pioneering one new field of research after another, from the "dark side" of Civil War medicine to the way courts-martial records illuminate--and round out--the moonshine-and-magnolias approach that still infects so much popular history-writing. I was bemused to read that one reviewer found this something of a "Lost Cause" book, since Lowry more often has written from the Union point of view; the point is that he's fair and serious--and easily the most creative, brilliant, innovative researcher at work today in the field of Civil War studies. The professoriat, buffs and lay readers alike owe Lowry a series of enormous debts. I believe I've read every one of his books and no author has taught me more about the period. This hard-facts volume about the roles played by Confederate women (including not a few eccentrics and dubious characters) in championing their cause deepens our understanding--whether our sympathies lie north or south of the Mason-Dixon line. You have to go straight to the Official Records to get information of this depth and quality. As for any academic criticism of Lowry--who was a career psychiatrist before devoting his life to this subject--it's pure jealousy. Lowry and his wife (who aids in his research) have done the tough, grinding archives-crunching that academics claim to respect but too-often shun in fact. This fine volume is the straightforward, unadorned truth about the American Civil War (think Joe Friday goes to Natchez). Very highly recommended for all serious students of the period, as well as for general readers who delight in seeing things from a fresh point of view.

I have eaten in all five of the restaurants (Bayona, Peristyle, Marisol, Herbsaint and Lilette) from which Carey has recipes in this book - and loved every meal. Many say (and I do not argue) these are the best restaurants in New Orleans. I bought the book based on a review I saw in the March issue of Restaurant Hospitality magazine - an industry trade magazine. Here is what got me: "There's plenty of culinary firepower in this group to be sure. But Carey's got some cooking chops of his own, plus an enviable attitude about why Creole food needed some contemporizing by his distinguished friends." And later: "All in all, it's quite a collection: And future cookbook authors take note: this book's all-star cast approach is one worth exploring on other topics."

It is a great concept and I am happy to have recipes all in one place from the best chefs in New Orleans.

I am so pleased to have finally found a Creole cook book that was written by a professional chef for serious amateurs or other professional chefs. Chef Carey's recipes are new and refreshing while still keeping in touch with classic Creole dishes. This book gave me a greater understanding of cooking Creole cuisine by using classic techniques that he emphasizes in each recipe. While reading and looking through the book I felt like I was in the kitchens of the French quarter restaurants that he highlights in the book. This is because of one of the unique features of the book, lagniappes, which are tidbits of information for each recipe. These lagniappes are great because they gave me a greater understanding of the recipe itself. I think that these are so important because many people, including myself don't know all that much of Creole cuisine.

This is a great book on Creole cooking. Carey's recipes are straightforward, and his directions are clear and easy to follow. The recipes he includes from the five New Orleans chefs and restaurants that he selected to be in the book with him are innovative approaches to Creole cuisine. I do a lot of oriental cooking, and I like the way he has chosen to include aspects of that cuisine. This isn't a book for the complete novice, but a moderately experienced cook will find a wealth of interesting dishes and historical information about this unique American style of cooking, all presented with a great sense of humor. This is an excellent addition to any cook's library.

Crescent City Collection is the latest cookbook by the Junior League of New Orleans. It contains some recipes for dishes fundamentally identified with New Orleans, but it also reflects the trend in restaurants and kitchens throughout New Orleans to experiment with new tastes and combinations of flavors. The recipes for traditional dishes like red beans and rice all seem to have a twist that successfully compliments and expands upon what is tried and true. All the recipes I've tried and tasted have been excellent, notably the Crawfish Cheescake, the Curried Chicken Salad, the Madras Salad, and the Chicken Parmisan with Apricot Sauce.

In addition to the excellent recipes, Crescent City Collection is so gorgeous it is worthy of being displayed on a coffee table. The photographs are of historic New Orleans residences. In addition, throughout the cookbook are vignettes on subjects related to New Orleans and cooking. When I don't want to cook out of it, sometimes I just enjoy reading it.

Crescent City Collection: A Taste Of New Orleans is a classy cookbook featuring over 250 recipes donated by members of the Junior League of New Orleans. Color photographs wonderfully enliven and showcase these elegant dishes with glimpses into beautiful and grandiose homes, and informative sidebars offer well-to-do cooking tips. Dishes such as Bayou Bean Salad; Turkey and Red Wine Lasagna; and Lemon Rice Pilaf fill the pages of this elegantly sumptuous and highly commended culinary guide.

This cookbook is beautiful to look at and the recipes are so easy, even for a novice. The Barefoot Boursin is a big hit at parties and doubles as an ingredient for Sinful Spinach. Also, the Dixie Beer Bread is very easy, I used it last year for Christmas gifts.