Rising Tide

This is a comprehensive history of the Mississippi River in general and the Flood of 1927 in particular. Beautifully written and exhaustively researched, it was incredibly insightful and full of context, especially about the relations between the ruling-class planters and their African American workers. The influx of Italian, Lebanese, and Chinese immigrants is detailed and explains much of the Delta's cultural diversity.

The book also tells the story of the government’s response to the devastating flood, ultimately propelling Secretary of Commerce Herbert Hoover to the presidency in 1928.

I love books full of forgotten history, and Barry's Rising Tide is no exception.

It tells the story of the worst flood to ever hit the United States. However, it's also about so much more. It's a story about men with great hubris who tried to tame the river and failed—one of whom went on to become President.

The book also highlights the devastation brought by natural hazards to communities on the margins, showing how pre-existing racial and economic inequalities amplified the worst consequences of the flood. And though Rising Tide covers a disaster that occurred almost a century ago,… show more.

There is no New Orleans without the Mississippi River.  

Rising Tide tells the story of government and engineers’ flawed efforts to control this mighty river, and how they contributed to the disastrous 1927 flood that left over one million people homeless and destroyed scores of towns. 

It provides a rich picture of the enduring social and racial divides in early twentieth-century New Orleans.

Moreover, it reveals how the city’s wealthy white leaders chose to flood neighboring communities to protect the city while undermining efforts to compensate the victims—creating a precedent for injustice and corruption, and ensuring a long-standing distrust… show more.

In 1927, biblical rains caused the levees that line the banks of the Mississippi River to collapse. The floodwaters covered an area about the size of New England, killed more than one thousand people, and left three-quarters of a million residents without food, water, or work. The Great Mississippi Flood was one of the worst natural disasters in American history. It laid bare the deep inequities in American society, which left Black families stranded without drinking water or food while rescuers hauled white families to safety. The flood changed America’s relationship with water forever. Offering a gripping account of the… show more.

The story of the 1927 flooding of the Mississippi River was an inspiration for me in the way a natural disaster has such long-lasting effects on the people and the towns affected by it. It is much more than a story about the disaster; it shows the ways politics, culture, and society intersect with historical events.