Frenchmen, Desire, Good Children: . . . and Other Streets of New Orleans!

by John Churchill Chase

Book Overview

"John Chase has taken what in lesser hands would have been a dull recounting of fact and made a delightfully accurate yet breezy book." -New Orleans Times-Picayune

"History in its most painless form . . . lightened not only by cartoons but by narrative approach."
-New York Herald Tribune

The history of New Orleans is a street-level story, with names like Iberville, Terpsichore, Gravier, Tchoupitoulas, and, of course, Bourbon, presenting...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1565549317
• ISBN13: 9781565549319
• Release Date: October 2001
• Publisher: Pelican Publishing Company
• Length: 280 Pages
• Weight: 0.77 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 8.0" x 5.5"

Customer Reviews

Funny, clever, informative, crazy

This book reads like the city lives: Wild, smart, laidback, funny, quirky, non-p.c., liberal, random. You realize that New Orleans didn't get all its personality just recently. This place was full of stories from day one, and the streets are permanent monuments to this. Read this book, and each street sign points to a world of interest and humor. Definitely one of the top ten NOLA books you will want to read and share.

Buy it & Read it.

If you are interested in history and/or New Orleans (is there a difference?), read this book. A very entertaining look at the history of the city.

Great history book

I am reading this for a class, but after that, I'm giving it to my mom to read. If you are into history at all, this is very interesting and easy to read.

Indispensable, funny, and fascinating history

Although I am a New Orleans native, I had no idea there was so much fascinating history behind the names of the streets. Chase is legendary, and his stories have the same amusing light bite of his political cartoons. Great reading, and you don't have to be familiar with the city to enjoy it.

Must reading for those who love New Orleans!

There's no place like New Orleans! John Churchill Chase eloquently chronicles the origins and development of this most fascinating of American cities in his humorous masterpiece "Frenchmen, Desire, Good Children." Learn why the "French Quarter" isn't French (p. 58). Learn why "Craps Street" was renamed "Burgundy Street" to save the reputation of three New Orleans churches (p. 85). Learn why "Bourbon Street" wasn't named after "bourbon" whiskey (p. 19). Learn why New Orleans was the scene of the first "American Revolution" (p. 55). Learn the origins of the word "Creole" (p. 73), and why the Creoles considered the first American settlers in Louisiana "barbarians." (chapter 6). "Frenchmen, Desire, Good Children" is fun, fascinating, and illustrated. It's must reading for those who love New Orleans! Read it before your next New Orleans visit. It will greatly enhance your enjoyment and understanding of the "Big Easy." David (the Nac) Naccari, New Orleans Historian and Professional Speaker