The 1856 summer season was like so many that had come before- uneventful, idyllic. The South's newest and most popular watering spot was a microcosm of Louisiana's antebellum economic and social structure. More than four hundred vacationers- wealthy sugar planters, powerful politicians, their families, friends, and servants- had come to Last Island to escape the hot August sun. The waters of the Gulf were cool, its breezes fresh. Life was good.

On the horizon, however, a massive cloud formation was about to tell a much different story. On that fateful day, August 10, 1856, a devastating Category Four hurricane destroyed the island. After more than 150 years- and the devastation of Katrina- the story remains layered with myths.  Last Days of Last Island removes that shroud and presents the first comprehensive account of the hurricane of 1856.

Bill Dixon, a career federal manager, has spent 30 years in South Louisiana- Baton Rouge, New Orleans, and Lake Charles. A part-time freelancer, the author has melded his love of history and writing into his first book, The Last Days of Last Island. The author currently lives in Owings Mills, Maryland.

ISBN: 978-1-887366-88-5

6x9 Paperback

290 pages

Table of Contents, Index