A review by njmatt04
Rising Tide: The Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 and How It Changed America, by John M. Barry

5.0

Fantastic book on many accounts. For one, it explains much about the evolution of how flooding has been managed on the Mississippi River. Second, it explains much about the political and socioeconomic history of both New Orleans and the Delta Region. The story of the intentional flooding of St. Bernard and Plaquemines Parishes to "save" New Orleans I had never heard about before, and it was infuriating and eye-popping. Third, it obviously does a good job explaining the 1927 flood event itself. Fourth, it does a very good job explaining the context around the re-rise of Hoover as a result of his work during the flood and his ascension to the presidency as a result. And last, it discusses race, both from the standpoint of society in Mississippi and Louisiana at the time and on a national level. The stories about how Hoover essentially used his relationships with African American leaders to his advantage and gave back so little in return were also infuriating and fascinating.

Whatever the case, if you have interest in the post-Reconstruction and early 20th century American South or the Mississippi River, this book is very much worth your time.