The Year Before the Flood: A Story of New Orleans

Going to New Orleans for lovers of American music is like going to Greece for lovers of antiquity. If you're serious, someday ya just gotta make the trip.The difference is that a surprising number of the "ancient" things past legends like Louis Armstrong and Jelly Roll Morton recalled from the early part of the 20th century are still alive and well in NOLA today: social and pleasure clubs, Second Line parades. Indian tribes, jazz funerals, great musicians seemingly on every block .and what for my money is the best food on the planet.If you can't get to New Orleans right now, get this book. It's the next best thing to being shown around by a native.If you love New Orleans, this book will fill you with pride and joy and get you even deeper into the deepest city in America.

Ned Sublette's books are well written and very enlightening. In my opinion, every American needs to read them all (with an open mind & heart) in order to experience a needed paradigm shift to the truth that has been hidden from us all since the beginning of this country's history.

This book arrived quickly. I like this author and am reading several of his books. This is a very depressing-but clear-picture of New Orleans before the levee breaks. I would recommend it to anyone who is interested in New Orleans and history. He doesn't pull any punches.The seller was perfect. I would use it again.

The Year Before the Flood offers a different perspective on the city of New Orleans and its people tracing its musical history and that influence on the world and the author.Having read a number of books on the city, its history and the affects of Katrina, this book was a welcome addition to understanding why New Orleans is New Orleans. It offers insight into issues such as politics and race as well as charting the rich and varied musical influences that make New Orleans such a great city for music today as well as the the cradle of jazz and, as Mr. Sublette convincingly argues, rock n roll.This book also traces Mr. Sublette's personal journey from a child dazzled by the many musical styles he encountered living in the south, to adulthood as a sucessful musician with an ongoing interest in varied approaches to musicAt its heart, this is a love story for New Orleans, a story not without its ups and downs, but all in all, an impassioned account of how place, culture and art are intertwined. And how a city, like a good song, can stay in your head long after its stopped playing.

Sublette is sublime.

Mr. Sublette has a love of the N.O. area that is infectious. The book is educational in many disciplines.

Ned's got New Orleans 100% - I thought he wrote this book for me! I am about the same age as Ned, live (par time) and play music in New Orleans I'm Cuban and he mentions Cuba and Cuba's music a lot in this book. Ned's knowlege of the city, the people, the culture, and rituals (yes, we have rituals in New Orleans) is phenomially accurate and instructional. He also mentions a lot of musicians that Ive played with, he has a whole section about Kirk Joseph and his tuba (Souzaphone, and great picture) I've worked with Kirk and that Tuba! If you're a fan of New Orleans or live in it READ THIS BOOK it will make you smile. I bought all his other books and can't wait to get to them.

The best book I've ever read about New Orleans.

I’m a massive fan of the city of New Orleans. It’s history, it’s music, it’s football team ...love it.This book was fascinating but I do feel it could be a lot shorter if the author didn’t keep referring to Cuba. Yes, there is a link but do we need it mentioned in every chapter.? Similar to his other book, he spends a copious amount of time discussing the slave trade. Vital history to recognise but other issues got less of a feature. The battle of New Orleans was barely discussed in his previous book.I didn’t warm to the author but learned some interesting facts about this amazing city. A city of survivors. A city with spirit!

If you’re interested in New Orleans, it’s culture, history and music, this is essential reading. It’s not just about the year before the flood but puts the event in a broader social and historic context. Would give 6 stars if I could!

A compelling insight into New Orleans history and tradition and the city before Katrina. Sublette writes with clarity and passion for his subject. This is a personal story but lots more too. Lots here for music fans. A great companion to his history, The World That Made New Orleans.

Enjoyed reading this.