Customer Reviews

Mardi Gras: A Pictorial History of Carnival in New Orleans

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I was looking for a basic introduction to Mardi Gras to share with elementary French classes. This book is big on the past, but has little to do with present day Mardi Gras celebrations. The cover is wonderful, and it was images such as this that I was hoping for more of. If it is JUST history you are interested in, this will be a fine choice.

They say you can't judge a book by its cover; well that was never truer than here. The cover art looks enticing, and the actual book is full of great historical photographs--which would be wonderful if they were of even passable image quality. They're not. Each and every one looks like a low-res, amateur scan from an old newspaper--for all I know, that's what they are. Black and white, of course, not a single one is color--what a crime, documenting this most colorful of celebrations. Blurry, low-contrast, horrible resolution, and most are tiny to boot. This wouldn't even have been acceptable back in 1977, when the book was originally published. For this day and age, it's inexcusable--a waste of time and money. Save your pennies.

Good history of Mardi Gras! If you are planning on going to N'awlins for Mardi Gras this will "wet your appetite" for the tradition of the festivities. Enjoy!

Obviously, there is a need for a colorful, up to date, expository text on the Mardi Gras tradition. This is not it.

This book makes use of many pictures and historical references to past celebrations of Mardi Gras.