A fascinating volume, Old Louisiana chronicles much of the state's history. Vignettes depict the early French settlers, the later Spanish rulers, and the rise and collapse of the great plantation era. Bringing to light old diaries, letters, and other rare sources, Saxon creates a sensitive and realistic portrait of this charming, colorful state and its people. The reader meets daring pioneers, hot-tempered duellists, aristocratic planters, rough-hewn river men, and Creole beauties.-Print ed. Lyle Saxon (1891-1946) ranks among Louisiana's most outstanding writers. During the 1920s and 1930s he was the central figure in the region's literary community, and was widely known as a raconteur and bon vivant. In addition to Father Mississippi, Lafitte the Pirate, and Children of Strangers, he also wrote Fabulous New Orleans, Old Louisiana, The Friends of Joe Gilmore, and was a co-author of Gumbo Ya-Ya, with Edward Dreyer and Robert Tallant. During the Depression, he directed the state WPA Writers Project, which produced the WPA Guide to Louisiana and the WPA Guide to New Orleans.