Customer Reviews

The French Quarter: An Informal History of the New Orleans Underworld

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book stops at 1917 with the closing of Storyville, and was first published in 1938. If at all possible, buy a good original printing. The trade paperback now out has poor, small reproductions of the original illustrations. This is a wonderful, engaging, laugh-out-loud book to be read time and time again. However, it has some factual errors. Asbury implies that Storyville was in the French Quarter-it was not. He also repeats verbatim some "legends" that were invented long after the fact. If you want a correct history of Storyville, see Al Rose's book.

I am so happy this book is being reprinted! I had a copy some years back and howled with laughter at the antics of some the the Quarter's historic gangs, crooks, and ne'er-do-wells. If you are planning your first trip to New Orlean's, this book is a must read, or if you just want to sit back and have a good time and be tickled by some truly amazing characters (like Bricktop) and their pecadillos, buy this book.

Herbert Asbury must have been the daring writer of his day, daring to approach topics such as the red light district of New Orleans and the flesh trade in books that have retained a cult following to this day. In somewhat florrid prose, he manages to present a fairly accurate history of the French Quarter, its denizens, and chatacters, includong voodoo queens and madams and the social climates that shaped it. It portrays the politics and characters, the scoundrals and the thiefs. The book is as much a part of the era in which it was written, although New Orleans is a bit removed from the social climes of the rest of the country. It is a facinating portrait of a n era and a place that is a delight to visit for a time.

THE FRENCH QUARTER is a history of crime, vice, and general rascality in New Orleans from its founding in 1718 by the French to the abolition of the Storyville red-light district in 1917.

In fifteen chapters, author Herbert Asbury describes the disruptive roles played by keelboat ruffians, revolutionists, gamblers, duelists, prostitutes, corrupt cops and politicians, pirates, filibusters (soldiers of fortune), vigilantes, pickpockets, muggers, thugs, the Mafia, and voodoo practitioners in the lives of the otherwise law-abiding citizenry. Anyone reading Asbury's narrative might be led to believe that good folks were a miniscule minority.

THE FRENCH QUARTER suffers from being published almost seventy years ago. Aside from a number of old sketch reproductions, and several badly reproduced B&W photographs of bordello interiors and exteriors during the Storyville era, THE FRENCH QUARTER is sadly lacking in illustration. There's not even a map of the city from which to get one's bearings.

This work is wonderfully informative as far as it goes, perhaps occasionally more so than is needed to make the point that the city, especially in the mid-1800s, could be a noxious place. The narrative is sober and straightforward, only occasionally displaying dry humor. A couple examples from the text will suffice to give one a sense of the book's tone and the city's iniquity.

Regarding barrel-houses,the lowest form of drinking place: "The owner of one such establishment not only doped all of his liquor, but maintained his own staff of sneak thieves ... (who) worked on a percentage basis and took turns robbing the sodden wretches who were dragged from the barrel-house."

Regarding the streetwalkers of the Dauphine and Burgundy Street vice area after the Civil War:
" ... the perambulating bawds flung a piece of old carpet on the sidewalk and entertained their customers in full view of passers-by and the prostitutes in the houses ... (who) kept pails of hot water handy to discourage use of the doorsteps." Hmm, I would have thought ice water more effective at shrinking amorous ardor.

Decades after THE FRENCH QUARTER appeared, N'awlins is a model of purity. Why, would you believe me if I said you can't even spit on the street?

Considering when this book was published, the fact that it held my interest in 2007 is nothing short of good, honest observation and recording by the author. I thought this was a wonderful book.

This is an amazing book, a reprint of a 1935 collection of New Orleans history, written when some of the 19th century characters were still alive, or alive in someone's memory. Probably the most accurate accounts of the real Voodoo Queens and Doctors. The unknown story of race relations in America's most integrated society. (Some surprises - overly brutal slavemasters incurring the wrath of white society and being hanged or run out of town). However, the book ranges far beyond the grounds of its title, relating the history of river traffic on the Mississippi, the unbridled lawlessness that we rarely read in school history. The stories of the American flibustiers (proper French term) who attempted to conquer Mexico, Cuba, Nicaragua and Panama, long before the canal. The true story of Jean Lafitte and the Battle of New Orleans. The long period when unbridled criminality ruled the fast-growing swamp city - including the history of the first Sicilian mafia incursion on American soil (1840s). The methods by which prostitutes robbed their sometimes unwilling clients. The social experiment with legal prostitution that was Storyville. All in all a very entertaining read for anyone interested in the history of one of our most distinctive communities.

"Times are not good here. The city is crumbling into ashes. It has been buried under a lava flood of taxes and frauds and maladministrations so that it has become only a study for archaeologists. Its condition is so bad that when I write about it, as I intend to do soon, nobody will believe I am telling the truth. But it is better to live here in sackcloth and ashes, than to own the whole state of Ohio."-Lafcadio Hearn, 1879.

Readers of Herbert Asbury's book will understand what prompted the sentiment of the comments by Hearn about New Orleans. Asbury makes the story of New Orleans a very involving one. I loved the descriptions of New Orleans in the 18th and 19th centuries. In Asbury's book many historical characters walk through such as Jean Lafitte and Andrew Jackson. You will read about the administration of Ben Butler during the Civil War and also the practice of dueling. Asbury is also not afraid to explore the seamy underside of this incredible city. A reader will not believe how colorful of a place New Orleans was. All of it is here: Voodoo, the slaves, filibustering soldiers, and Storyville. There are incredible stories from the 1850s of opposing political forces squaring off as heavily armed forces. You will read about the incredible hardships that the city suffered when hit by Yellow fever various times and how the death toll from that dwarfed even the awful death toll of Hurricane Katrina. A reader will understand that this city has seen hardship before and still will continue on. That Hurricanes, the British, Crime, Corrupt politicians or Yellow Fever will never stop it.

I recommend this book highly and think that it is definitely in the league of the author's 'The Gangs of New York'.

A+

This was an excellent book. I have almost finished it, and I have trouble putting it down. It gives a very clear picture of how the Louisiana Territory developed. Herbert Asbury gives the reader many interesting personal facts about the region, its development, and the causes for the reputation of "The Big Easy." Since I live in the Mississippi Gulf Coast area, I have always been fascinated with the tales told about pirates, brothels, French and Spanish culture, Creoles, and the development of Mardi Gras in New Orleans.

This book is very informative and enjoyable. No holds barred, either. Being from New Orleans, enjoyed reading about my favorite city!

Historically based light narrative-style book. An entertaining read before, during, or after your visit to the Big Easy! This book can be read in parts, but the intriguing bits will make you want to hunt down the haunts of the historical smarmy side of New Orleans.