The World That Made New Orleans

From Spanish Silver to Congo Square

By: Ned Sublette

Narrated by: Sean Crisden

Offering a new perspective on the unique cultural influences of New Orleans, this entertaining history captures the soul of the city and reveals its impact on the rest of the nation. Focused on New Orleans' first century of existence, a comprehensive, chronological narrative of the political, cultural, and musical development of Louisiana's early years is presented. This innovative history tracks the important roots of American music back to the swamp town, making clear the effects of centuries-long struggles among France, Spain, and England on the city's unique culture, and the role of the Senegambia, Congo, and Haiti on the making of Afro-Louisiana. The origins of jazz and the city's eclectic musical influences, including the role of the slave trade, are also revealed.

Featuring little known facts about the cultural development of New Orleans - such as the real significance of gumbo, the origins of the tango, and the first appearance of the words vaudeville and voodoo - this rich historical narrative explains how New Orleans' colonial influences shape the city still today.

©2008 Ned Sublette (P)2017 Tantor

It was a great book preparing my trip to New Orleans.

I read this book in preparation to my trip to New Orleans to help me understand the rich history of an incredible place. I highly recommend it.

Love this book so much!

So much detailed history. Have listened to it at least 4 times. Highly recommend. great narrator and a great story to listen too. you really don’t realize that NOLA was literally a whole other country.

Wonderful!

A very rich and detailed history about a city that I love. Most of these details I did not know, and am wealthier now for knowing. The narration was just perfect, such a beautiful voice, and so wonderful a pace it really lent itself to the depth of the content. Strong recommendation for anyone who loves history, and especially on anyone who loves New Orleans!

Very interesting history, a bit biased but good nonetheless

The performance of the reader was outstanding. The reader was well understood and I had an a substantial amount of flair to the dialogue. The The author did make his comments about current political or recent history which were definitely one-sided in from time to time misconstrued. I’m not sure Republicans planned hurricane Katrina I think mother nature did that on her own. There was a good amount of back history of other countries that was explained very thoroughly. And it was interesting to see how the rest of the world did impact the growth of New Orleans. New Orleans is a very unique city and the author gave great examples of how the city was fashioned by world events During the centuries of colonization, slavery and early growth of the United States. It was very enjoyable

A real treat for this history nerd

A sweeping story that begins in the age Colonialism, rife with details of the trans-Atlantic and domestic slave trades that were left out of my public school education.
I picked up this book to feed my thirst for knowledge of New Orleans and my obsession with all things history; I was gifted with a new appreciation for the city and how it clearly developed on a different timeline, and through more diverse people, than the rest of the American South.
Spanish and French rule afforded the black community of New Orleans less brutality and a modicum of freedom not available in the rest of the slave holding South, and shaped the culture, music, and traditions of NOLA. The New Orleans of today feels palpably different than the rest of Louisiana, and showcases architecture, music, and art unique to itself. Mr. Sublette has done a brilliant job of explaining why.

Bonus: the narrator's smooth voice and (I assume) proper French and Spanish pronunciation made listening a pleasure.

*Not for small ears:
The debauchery and party atmosphere of New Orleans is a tradition carried over from 18th century French Colonialism... no stone is left unturned in the author's exploration.