Description:
Step back into the vibrant, controversial world of early 20th-century New Orleans with Al Rose's Storyville, New Orleans. This richly illustrated account brings to life America's only legally established red-light district, revealing its colorful characters, lively music, and cultural impact on jazz history. Frank, authentic, and meticulously researched, Rose's work offers an unforgettable glimpse into a chapter of urban life that shaped the soul of a city.
Review Quotes:
"Al Rose is the first to research fully and set down, no holds barred, the entire story of the legendary New Orleans red-light district from beginning to end . . . . Frank but never salacious, Rose's book is shocking only in the closing seven taped 'reminiscences' of surviving madams, whores, and others." --Publishers Weekly
"A convincing and lively picture of Storyville as it really was." --The Book Exchange (London) "The book is well-written and has a fast, joyfully loose, innovative pace--like one of Jelly Roll Morton's ragtime performances. . . . You can almost get the feeling that if you went down to Canal and Basin streets and walked a block or two downtown, you might just find the district still there, and the tinkle of beer glasses and piano keys coming out of the open doors of the nearest saloon."--Louisiana History