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Rating: 
Summary: outstanding
Review: After reading T. Harry Williams outstanding bio of Long, I decided to buy this book, and I was not disappointed. Boulard's study of Long's "invasion" of New Orleans, while much shorter than Williams' book, is great in its own right, as well as tremendously researched and detailed. Coming away from the book I was delighted by the way Boulard brilliantly recreated the New Orleans of 1934-1935 and eras before then. His descriptions of the people and the life in the city were incredible. Similarly, his picture of Long takes on a life of its own. Boulard makes Huey larger than life, much as Williams does. However, his book is very balanced and discusses Huey's movement of troops into New Orleans as dictatorial, while at the same time spending time to praise Huey where it is necessary. I would recommend to anyone who decides to buy this great book to also take in Williams' monumental biography as well as Ken Burn's Long documentary.
Rating:
Summary: outstanding
Review: After reading T. Harry Williams outstanding bio of Long, I decided to buy this book, and I was not disappointed. Boulard's study of Long's "invasion" of New Orleans, while much shorter than Williams' book, is great in its own right, as well as tremendously researched and detailed. Coming away from the book I was delighted by the way Boulard brilliantly recreated the New Orleans of 1934-1935 and eras before then. His descriptions of the people and the life in the city were incredible. Similarly, his picture of Long takes on a life of its own. Boulard makes Huey larger than life, much as Williams does. However, his book is very balanced and discusses Huey's movement of troops into New Orleans as dictatorial, while at the same time spending time to praise Huey where it is necessary. I would recommend to anyone who decides to buy this great book to also take in Williams' monumental biography as well as Ken Burn's Long documentary.
Rating:
Summary: wonderful,enjoyable ride through history
Review: Huey Long in 1934 was one of the most popular, yet dangerous, men in the nation. He had a real chance to be president of the U.S. mostly because the ongoing Great Depression forced people to turn to leaders who were more dynamic and controversial than before.But the Kingfish had problems at home in Louisiana--the corrupt old city of New Orleans kept kicking at his ankles.Long wanted to get New Orleans out of his way before he headed for the White House--and he did so by sending in thousands of young militia men to help him take the city over! A fantastic chapter in American history.This book is at times very funny, other times it is sad. You never really know where the author stands as he seems to give all of the major players their due. The book also has an entertaining collection of photos and cartoons too.
Rating:
Summary: amazing triumph
Review: I am fascinated with Southern history. This is quite possibly the BEST book I have read on it. Huey Long was a remarkable leader who tried to pull the South into a modern era; but he was held back both by the same ancient forces that were responsible for the Civil War as well as his own dangerous impulses. The author brilliantly presents Huey in all of his costumed roles; similarly he gives to the reader a picture of New Orleans that is equal to Faulkner's Mississippi: compelling and vivid. A fantastic accomplishment!
Rating:
Summary: NOT A CONSERVATIVE OR LIBERAL BOOK--WELL BALANCED
Review: I read the remarks of the professor from Tulane who thought this book was too conservative and wondered what he was talking about as I read this book last summer and did not detect any political bias on the part of the author, Mr. Boulard. I have since reread the book, and still don't know what the guy from Tulane is talking about. Mr. Boulard says great things and bad things about Huey Long; he similarly goes after New Orleans Mayor Walmlsey and the Old Regular political machine. I have since given this book for Christmas to my uncle and another friend, and both of them said they thought it was great. Perhaps the reason the professor from Tulane thinks Mr. Boulard's well-balanced treatment is too conservative, is because he may be too liberal--it's possible. This book works particularly well against T. Harry Williams big biography of Huey Long. Williams gives us the life, Boulard gives us a year in the life. Together they are two great books!
Rating:
Summary: Well-written, well-balanced history
Review: Whatever else we might think of Huey Long, most Louisianans would agree that, as governor and then senator, he was a populist -- right? In the summer of 1934, many residents of New Orleans had reason to think otherwise. The senator and T. Semmes Walmsley, mayor of the city, had once been uneasy allies, but began feuding on many fronts. In January 1934, after Walmsley defeated the Long candidate, the senator denounced what he claimed was election fraud by the Democratic "Old Regulars." Then, never one to bother with courts and the law, he clinched his argument by bringing in the Louisiana National Guard (functioning as the senator's private army) to take over the Soule Building, which housed the voter registration office. The guardsmen quickly set up machine guns at the windows, aimed at the mayor's office across the street. Both sides finally agreed to a monitoring process for the September election, which was swept by the Long slate. The Old Regulars deserted the mayor the following summer and flocked to the senator's banner, thereby setting him up nicely for a run at the presidency in 1936. Long's march on Washington, however, was interrupted by an assassin's bullet in September 1935 (fortunately for all of us, probably). This is an exciting, well-documented, and very well-written account of one of the more unnerving episodes in this state's history.
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