Cajun Racing: From the Bush Tracks to the Triple Crown, longtime turf writer Ed McNamara tells the story of a remarkably resilient people with a passion for racing and an unmatched touch with quarter horses and Thoroughbreds. In Cajun country, there's a lot of character and a lot of characters, as superstar jockey Kent Desormeaux likes to say. You'll meet trainer Pierre LeBlanc, a wheeler-dealer who ran an illegal casino and won one of his best horses, Palomino Joe, in a card game. You'll meet his son Pete LeBlanc, who bought jockey Robby Albarado his first horse and saddle and taught him how to ride. You'll meet other great families of Cajun racing: the Romeros, the Desormeaux, the Borels, the Bernises, the Delahoussayes and the Delhommes.

From the accounts of 18th-century travelers to the interpretations of 21st-century historians, Jumonville lists more than 6,800 books, chapters, articles, theses, dissertations, and government documents that describe the rich history of America's 18th state. Here are references to sources on the Louisiana Purchase, the Battle of New Orleans, Carnival, and Cajuns. Less-explored topics such as the rebellion of 1768, the changing roles of women, and civic development are also covered. It is a sweeping guide to the publications that best illuminate the land, the people, and the multifaceted history of the Pelican State. Arranged according to discipline and time period, chapters cover such topics as the environment, the Civil War and Reconstruction, social and cultural history, the people of Louisiana, local, parish, and sectional histories, and New Orleans. It also lists major historical sites and repositories of primary materials. As the only comprehensive bibliography of the secondary sources about the state, ^ILouisiana History^R is an invaluable resource for scholars and researchers.