Bienville's Dilemma: A Historical Geography of New Orleans, (Paperback)

This is a must have for anyone that loves New Orleans or is a student of Louisiana history. Because it is written as a number of essays there is some repetition but the amount of information is beyond any other resource on the subject. It is clearly written by someone that has not just done literary research but by one that has lived in the area and knows it well. The author does a porfessional job of stating both sides of the many issues confronting New Orleans without being judgmental. New Orleans has grown beyond the confines of the small colony Bienville and his brother, Iberville, founded and over 300 years has moved into high risk areas they would never have settled. The siting of the original colony, however, was shown by Katrina to be a sound judgment. The subsequent growth has forced many difficult decisions on their successors with both good and bad results. In the end, the evolution of New Orleans is as interesting as any city in America, but the battle with water will never cease.