<< 1 >>
Rating: 
Summary: Painful Reading
Review: An amateurish effort, full of poor writing, exclamation marks and half-formed ideas. This is little more than a C+ college essay. Perez and Boggs are both worthy of serious treatment. Perez in particularly was a fascinating character, a powerful man who held great sway over his corner of the earth. He's worthy of a full-scale biography. Boggs, too, was riddled with contradictions. This book treats both as cartoonish, two-dimensional characters: Boggs good; Perez bad. This book does neither man justice. I was left wanting more, and angry I'd wasted my time and money.
Rating: 
Summary: OUTSTANDING HISTORY OF RED SCARE IN THE SOUTH
Review: Excellent political survey of the early l950, and the role McCarthyism played in the l951 Louisiana gubernatorial election. Good read, compelling profiles.
Rating:
Summary: A MUST READ FOR THOSE WHO LOVE SOUTHERN POLITICS
Review: Flawless account of the legendary l951 Louisiana governor's race with a cast of characters that includes the folk hero Earl Long, the liberal crusader Hale Boggs, (the father of Cokie Roberts of ABC), the segregationist Leander Perez and a couple dozen Communists. A sad, poignant, funny, classic tale of how they do things in Louisiana. Next to T. Harry William's classic bio of Huey Long, this is the best book I have read on Louisiana politics.
Rating:
Summary: Painful Reading
Review: Garry Boulard tells the fascinating story of the 1951 Louisiana governor's race, a largely forgotten episode in the state's colorful political history. Boulard's account of how the Red Scare hit Louisiana is masterfully written -- with great dramatic flair -- and is thoroughly researched. Fascinating Louisiana political figures play prominent roles in the story: Earl Long, Hale Boggs, Leander Perez, Lindy Boggs, and Lucille May Grace. Essential reading for any Louisiana history buff.
Rating:
Summary: WELL-WRITTEN, COMPLEX TALE OF SOUTHERN MCCARYTHISM
Review: The author, Garry Boulard, sets out to show that even in
fun-loving Louisiana, McCarthyism and Red-baiting in the early l950s played a dark and destructive role in both local culture and politics. This is a sad and tragic story of a brilliant woman, Lucille
May Grace, who stood on the verge of becoming the first
woman governor of Louisiana, and how she was used by the
infamous Leander Perez, the boss of Plaquemines parish, to
destroy another candidate, Hale Boggs--the father of ABC's
Cokie Roberts!--who was also running for governor. This is a book without any winners, unless you count Perez,
who just seemed to enjoy bullying his way through life and
destroying anyone who got in his way, and the legendary
Earl Long (remember Paul Newman in "Blaze"?)--Boulard's
portrait of "Uncle Earl" is wonderful and perfect comic relief
in a book that is, for the most part, something of a Greek
tragedy. As a history of both the South and the Red Scare, the BIG LIE
is a powerful read.
Rating:
Summary: Good insight into the era of McCarthyism
Review: The story of how McCarthyism in the early l950s was such a
destructive force, especially in the hands of people like
Richard Nixon, Joseph R. McCarthy--the inspiration behind
"McCarthism,"--and Leander Perez, a powerful political boss
and segregationist in southern Louisiana. Well-written and informative. The Big Lie is a great work of
history.
<< 1 >>
| 
