Dear Folks:

Not all of you may have been Forum subscribers when my review of _Rising
Tide: The Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 and How It Changed America_
appeared in August 1997. With events in the news sounding eerily familiar on
many levels, I would suggest to those so inclined that they (re-)read the
review, borrow the book through their local library, and/or buy the book at
http://www.yorku.ca/twainweb/bookstore/, a portion of which benefits the
Mark Twain Project. (Having made that commercial plug, let me add this
altruistic note: While one's wallet is open, one should also consider
donating to the emergency relief efforts via the charity of one's choice.)

The first of the Mississippi Delta levee breaks, in 1927, occurred on the
17th anniversary of Mark Twain's death, and it was all downhill from there.
The review describes the human maelstrom that ensued:

http://www.yorku.ca/twainweb/reviews/barry-01.html

This review was selected by Tulane University in 2002 as part of the
recommended reading for students in advance of a lecture that Fall by the
book's author, John M. Barry. Reported on the news today is the fact that
due to present conditions, Tulane is closed indefinitely....

Regards,

Mary Leah Christmas