Top Ten New Orleans Books - NonFiction

1.  Frenchman, Desire, Good Children, and Other Streets of New Orleans by John Churchill Chase

Buy. This. Book. First.

There's no better introduction to the history of New Orleans than Chase's classic.  John Chase was the editorial cartoonist for the Times Picayune, the States Item before that, and the Item before that.  He also plied his trade on WDSU-TV for years as well.  Additionally, he was extremely knowledgable about the city and wrote a number of books and essays.  Had I taught Louisiana History rather than American History, I would have assigned this book as the first thing the students would read.

2.  Lonely Planet - New Orleans

I don't own this one personally, but the LP guides for Singapore, Tokyo, London, and Amsterdam got me around those cities, so I'm sure the one for New Orleans would help a non-New Orleanian as much.

3.  The Joy of Y'at Catholicism by Earl Higgins

How locals see the Catholic Church.  This book is a fantastic overview of how New Orleanians think.

4.  Mardi Gras New Orleans by Henri Schindler

Mr. Schindler is a float designer and Carnival historian.  He's done the floats for several of the "old line" krewes for years, and is a treasure trove of Carnival and New Orleans knowledge.

5.  1 Dead in Attic:  After Katrina by Chris Rose

This is the only book about the storm I've listed, because too much of a bad thing is too much of a bad thing.  Rose captures the feel of the entire surreal experience.

6.  Huey Long by T. Harry Williams

Dr. Williams was the consummate expert on Governor Huey Pierce Long.  To understand New Orleans' relationship with the rest of the state, you have to understand Huey Long.

7.  Managing Ignatius: The Lunacy of Lucky Dogs and Life in New Orleans by Jerry Strahan

This is the real-life "Confederacy of Dunces," the stories of the Lucky Dog hot dog vendors of the Quarter.  One of the best tales of what life in the Quarter is all about.

8.  New Orleans - a Pictorial History by Leonard V. Huber

Mr. Huber's book is a great overview of the city's history post-Civil War.

9.  New Orleans Architecture Volume VI: Faubourg Treme and the Bayou Road : North Rampart Street to North Broad Street Canal Street to St. Benard Avenue (New Orleans Architecture)

and

10.  New Orleans Architecture Volume III: The Cemeteries

The two best of a multi-volume series.  Treme is a fascinating neighborhood to study, and the cemeteries have distinct architectural styles all their own.  

11.  The Streetcars of New Orleans by Louis C. Hennick and Harper Charton

A comprehensive history of street railways in New Orleans from their inception in the 1830s to 1965.

12.  Who's Your Mama, Are You Catholic, and Can You Make a Roux? by Marcelle Bienvenu

The only cookbook on this list, because it's where you should start.  The three questions that make up the title are the questions that a mother of a young man would ask his girlfriend when he brought her home.  This cookbook covers all the basics of New Orleans cooking.

now three "Images of America" books:

13.  New Orleans: The Canal Streetcar Line by Edward J. Branley

Did you really think I wouldn't pimp my own book?  :-)  Our streetcars and the main street of the city, Canal Street, are inseparable, and here are photos to show that synergy.

14.  Brothers of the Sacred Heart in New Orleans by Edward J. Branley.  What, you thought I wouldn't pimp my other book? :-)  A history of the schools in New Orleans operated by the Brothers of the Sacred Heart, since the Civil War.  Includes photos and illustrations of St. Stanislaus College in Bay St. Louis, MS, as well as three New Orleans schools:  St. Aloysius High School, Cor Jesu High School, and Brother Martin High School.

15.  Lake Pontchartrain by Catherine Campanella

The lakefront is an integral part of life in the city, and these photos really bring it to life.

This list is just my two cents.  Feel free to chime in with your favorites that I didn't list.  There are a lot of books on New Orleans, and I'm very picky about stuff I read about my home town.  I'm always looking for another good one, unless it's about the storm, then I'll pass, thanks.  :-)

I'll do fiction on Thursday or Friday, so let's keep comments limited to non-fiction today, por favor.

UPDATE I

16.  New Orleans: The Making of an Urban Landscape by Peirce Lewis.

Great work on historical geography.  I can't believe I forgot this, it's on my shelf, assigned by Prof. Logsdon at UNO all those years ago.