Louisiana Rambles

Exploring America's Cajun and Creole Heartland

By: Ian McNulty

Narrated by: Ben Collins

After Hurricane Katrina laid bare the fragility and environmental peril of South Louisiana, author Ian McNulty set out on a series of daytrips to delve into the area's diverse cultural landscapes. He explored communities staked up and down the Mississippi River, nestled into the teeming bayous, braced along the edge of the Gulf, and planted out on the golden prairie stretching to the west. Louisiana Rambles is his richly evocative guide to those journeys.

McNulty delivers an inimitable take on Cajun and Creole Louisiana-the siren call of zydeco dance halls pulsing in the country darkness; of crawfish "boiling points" and traditional country smokehouses; of Cajun jam sessions, where even wallflowers are compelled to dance; of equine gambits in the cradle of jockeys; and of fishing trips where anyone can land impressive catches. In South Louisiana, distilled European heritage, the African American experience, and modern southern exuberance mix with tumultuous history and fantastically fecund natural environments. The territories McNulty opens to the listener are arguably the nation's most exotic and culturally distinct destinations.

McNulty quests for the heart of these places and people. Much more than a travel guide or collection of travel narratives, Louisiana Rambles is a seasoned writer's witness to an epic locale that is very often joyous, sometimes heartbreaking, and always vital and stimulating.

The book is published by University Press of Mississippi. The audiobook is published by University Press Audiobooks.

©2011 University Press of Mississippi (P)2019 Redwood Audiobooks

Critic reviews

"Captures the spirit and haunting beauty of southern Louisiana, from the bayous to the plantations." (Walter Isaacson, president and CEO of The Aspen Institute in Denver and former president and CEO of CNN)

Louisiana memories

Since I lived in Louisiana for four years while attending Veterinary School at LSU in Baton Rouge, I am always interested in books about the region. This book brought back so many wonderful memories!

Ian McNulty has created a book full of the history of Louisiana, emphasizing the Cajun and Creole heritage. Full of great food, wonderful music and lots of drinking, you feel like you are a road trip with a friend. Mr. McNulty has written about places that only those familiar with the area usually find while driving among rice fields in search of the next great music festival or food.

I would love to go along as Ian tries to find his next great bowl of gumbo or plate of oysters! If you are interested in this area at all, I would recommend this book. The narrator did a great job and I admire anyone who can nail the pronunciations of this area like he did. The only thing that would have made this book better would have been musical interludes of the Zydeco and Cajun music that was mentioned. I was given the chance to listen to this audiobook through Audiobook Boom! and chose to review it.

Places to See in Cajun and Creole Country

This book features destinations around southern Louisiana. You will get a sense of the history and cultural uniqueness of the Creole and Cajun peoples. Ian McNulty divides his book into two parts, devoting half to each of the distinctly Louisianan cultures. He describes many of the places throughout southern Louisiana to learn about the the settlers of the area and where to experience their continued cultural traditions.

The book is further subdivided into approx. 30-minute chapters, making it easy to enjoy it over a few segmented listens. Each chapter covers a specific topic/destination of interest. I liked that style very much. The book features many places that, after you tour around the historic sites, you can find a nice eatery or bar and enjoy home-grown Cajun and Creole music and dance. This is the part of the book I found most interesting. I would love to attend the numerous festivals, trail rides and just plain ol' fun places described here. I found the book to be informative and inspiring. I want to visit Louisiana after reading it. Narrator Ben Collins' conversational reading style is well-suited to this book. It was enjoyable all the way around. Recommended.

I received a free review copy of the audiobook at my request and am now leaving a voluntary review.

Driving, Viewing, Eating Guide to South Louisiana

Get out your travel maps and lose yourself in South Louisiana Eats, Sites, Culture experiences. Don't always stay on the Freeways. Swamp Tours will open your eyes to another world. Follow on a map as you read.

Makes you want to travel there

Louisiana Rambles. .
Ian McNulty passion for Southern Louisiana is instantly obvious and is infectious. His descriptions of the area and the people makes me wanting to travel the area.
In this audiobook you'll learn many interesting facts about Louisiana and it's various peoples.
This is an amazing book I'm sure you'll enjoy.
Ben Collins narration is excellent and compliments the book.
I received a free copy of this audio book at my own request and voluntarily leave this honest review. .

A Loving Wander Thru Louisiana

This was a delightfully warm, homey travelogue through Southern Louisiana by an endlessly curious author who clearly loves the land and people he describes. New Orleans and the bayou country of Southern Louisiana is one of the truly unique corners of the world, peopled by interesting, often quirky locals and fascinating rituals and conventions that have stood the test of time. McNulty writes with a comfortable, amiable simplicity, letting the reader discover the many different aspects of bayou life and landscape as he discovered it. Born in the East and self-transplanted by choice to NOLA later in life, the author’s curiosity and love of new people and experiences is evident on every page. As a recent transplant to the New Orleans area in later life myself, I sought out books like this on my own, but was fortunate to have been provided a copy by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. And honestly, if you are even a little interested in travel writing, New Orleans, the Louisiana bayou life, or discovering new and interesting people and places without leaving your home, you should find “Louisiana Rambles” to be an affable and satisfying guide.

interesting perspective

Interesting perspective, great narration all around good read I would recommend as a Louisiana resident

Take a vacation here!

cultural-exploration, travelog, eco-awareness, historical-places-events, historical-research, historical-setting, history-and-culture

Of course I loved it and plan to give copies to others! We honeymooned there in 1969 and while middle son and wife lived in Metairie, I visited just before Katrina. This book reminds me of all of the things about NOLA and southern Louisiana that I love as both a travelog and a learning experience.
Ben Collins has just the right balance of enthusiasm and caution to be perfect as narrator.
I won this audiobook in a giveaway! Best prize ever!