Arthur Hardy

This book is a brief history of Mardi Gras through numerious illustration and photos. The author is trying to condense over 200 years history into this book. It is not a detailed reference book. It is filled with countless artwork and photos to provide the sense of the history that happen each year. It tries to touch upon many topics, ranging from the birth of carnival all the way to post-katrina new orleans. Their are some topics that are not covered very well. Some topics, such as gay carnival clubs, only get two small captions as well as a listing of clubs in the back index. That being said, the author does try to give the different Krewes recognition where he can. The reference section in the back of the book is detailed with the numerous Krewes over the years, including the years they marched, as well as their themes. It also gives a list of book to futher your reading on carnival, as well as websites for many of the current Krewes. A good way to get your students interested in the local culture of New Orleans, showing how much of a backstory their is to what we have taken for granted, from king cakes to Mardi Gras Indians.… (mehr)