New Book on Katrina to be released

[Pearl River]

There will be a new book on Hurricane Katrina that will be released on May 9th. The title The Great Deluge : Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans, and the Mississippi Gulf Coast . This book was written by noted historian Prof. Douglas Brinkley of Tulane University. Some excerpts from his book really rip Ray Nagin, plus a few others, a new one. It's over 700 pages and I can't wait for it to come out.

For us old timers, his father was David Brinkley, the newsman.

[MiamiensisWx]

Not be political or mean, but is it balanced in information? Does it cover New Orleans and Mississippi equally? It sounds good, but I'm just curious.

[Pearl River]

It is balanced information and does cover both LA and MS. He has done a lot of research and talked to several key people, as a true historian should. He also contributes to Vanity Fair and there is an article in the most recent magazine with excerpts from the book.

[MiamiensisWx]

That sounds great! I'll look out for it!

[Audrey2Katrina]

Brinkley? That name rings a bell... was he that "presidential historian" I've seen betimes on TV? If so, I thought he was at UNO, but perhaps it's been Tulane, or perhaps he's moved. But that sounds like him.

A2K

[TSmith274]

Yeah A2K, that's the guy. He used to be at UNO, now at Tulane. I honestly don't really trust the guy because while I was evacuated, I saw him on MSNBC several times spreading misinformation on Joe Scarborough's show. He certainly hates Nagin though. I expect this book to be HIGHLY critical of Nagin.

One claim that the book will make is that Nagin left the city during the height of the aftermath and dissapeared for 5 days. This has already been contradicted by several councilmembers and many more NOPD officers in his security detail.

Just try to remember that this is Louisiana, and there is an election in a few weeks.

[Pearl River]

TSmith, do you remember what that misinformation he was spreading? What it was about?

[MiamiensisWx]

He spread misinformation? Please tell me what it was if you can remember it, TSmith274.

[Pearl River]

The publisher is the one who sets the release date, not the author. I think this is just a coincidence that it's release is around election time. Beside's, there were several who did not think Nagin would be in the runnoff and I can remember looking at books about Katrina at Amazon.com and this was early January before a date was even chosen for the election and the book was scheduled for release on May 9th at that time. No cospiracy here.

[Pearl River]

Here's an excerpt from the book at Vanity Fair.

http://www.vanityfair.com/magazine/pressroom4/

[Lindaloo]

I love New Orleans, but after reading that, I can just about bet that Mississippi is not in there much. PLUS it is going to be mainly political. WHO CARES about that. I want to read about people's experiences.

[TSmith274]

Brinkley went on MSNBC claiming that Nagin was a corrupt mayor, among other things. I think that the only positive thing about Nagin is that he isn't corrupt. He obviously hates the man... even before Katrina, and I'm not sure why. He went on to say that New Orleans was done as we knew it, and it would turn into a Disneyland type city with no real future. He was just being negative, not taking the time to educate himself about solutions... just running with negativity.

[Pearl River]

He said he does talk about MS in his book, which is over 700 pages. I know there is at least one book written by someone about their experience, but the title escapes me right now.

Basically New Orleans was a Disneyland type city before. The city relied on tourism as it's main tax base. The city was mainly a welfare city with a majority of the population living off the government. There was no major corporations in New Orleans other than Entergy and the reason was the public school system was abhorrent. I want to see N.O. come back more than anyone. My mother's family was some of the first to settle the city. The New Orleans we knew, may not return.

[Javlin]

Disneyland type city with no real future................Well in listening to Garland this afternoon that could happen.Disney,Catapiller and others are looking at the area for future investment.

[Audrey2Katrina]

I, too, would love to see New Orleans make that comeback, and equally wish to see any tome dedicated to the full Katrina story cover all areas that have been devastated by this catastrophe. About Brinkley, well, I'll avoid any political statements here; but suffice it to say that Vanity Fair is not exactly what I'd call an "unbiased" source of information as their "slant" is easily detected. I agree with TS inasmuch as Nagin has had a lot of negatives but outright "corruption" (certainly as compared to the previous administration) has not been one of them. I find Brinkley injects his own biases into almost everything he reports--he certainly did when consulted about previous presidents.

A2K

[Pearl River]

I'll read the book and make my up my own mind. I heard him and Garland crying on the radio. Then they said that's why Bush showed up. B.S...Bush was scheduled to be there the day after that show anyway. I'm also sure the Vanity Fair article was a teaser to sell the book.

[Audrey2Katrina]

I'll read the book and make my up my own mind. I heard him and Garland crying on the radio. Then they said that's why Bush showed up. B.S...Bush was scheduled to be there the day after that show anyway. I'm also sure the Vanity Fair article was a teaser to sell the book.

Valid point! Let me know if it was a good read; right now I'm catching up on getting back into graduate school to finish work on my Ph.D.

A2K

[TSmith274]

Basically New Orleans was a Disneyland type city before. The city relied on tourism as it's main tax base. The city was mainly a welfare city with a majority of the population living off the government. There was no major corporations in New Orleans other than Entergy and the reason was the public school system was abhorrent. I want to see N.O. come back more than anyone. My mother's family was some of the first to settle the city. The New Orleans we knew, may not return.

Pearl River... you are right on target about the schools and the welfare state that existed here. It made me sick. And no matter how many times I voted for "the other guy"... they always lost. It was frustrating to say the least. I know everybody hates Nagin, and that's fine. I'm not voting for him. But I'd submit to you that to see New Orleans as just a tourist mecca is a little off base. New Orleans, today, is home to only two Fortune 500 companies. But many oil companies and shipping companies have a large presence here. N.O. also has a huge legal community, mostly due to it's international trade. Also, a little known fact before Katrina was that New Orleans had one of the highest per capita number of small businesses of any city its size, and we led the nation in per capita income growth in the year leading up to Katrina. New Orleans' medical community was huge, with two teaching institutions. Not to mention the port and all the activity and support that surrounds that. Sure, we had a huge tourist draw... and perhaps that overshadowed everything else in the minds of most. But New Orleans is a highly industrialized city with more to offer than just tourism. We had HORRIBLE problems in our public school system. That's why we have such a huge private school community here. But, I admit, many things must change. The question is... can we, and will we do it? If we don't change, I'll understand people writing us off. But to do it now just isn't fair. And for Brinkley to write us off in the week following the storm was just wrong.

[Audrey2Katrina]

I know everybody hates Nagin, and that's fine. I'm not voting for him.

Well I can't speak for "everybody" but while I loathe his handling of things Post-Katrina, I certainly don't "hate" Nagin. I only wish there were a better choice provided, as for whatever it's worth, and to each his own--I don't think much of his opposition either. Personally, for New Orleans this saddens me greatly as I see a lose-lose scenario... JMHO

A2K

[TSmith274]

A2K, I feel the same way about our political situation. It's going to be a tough decision for me. I supported Nagin since the day he announced to run for mayor back in 2001. I truly believe that he was doing a great job pre-K. He's honest and trustworthy... and his heart's in the right place. And, I really don't think he is racist. He just slipped up. He was a true departure from the norm in N.O. Then Katrina... he certainly got a raw deal there.