The Great Southern Babylon: Sex, Race, and Respectability in New Orleans, 1865–1920

Long uncovers a connection between the geographical segregation of prostitution and the rising tide of racial segregation. She offers a compelling explanation of how New Orleans's lucrative sex trade drew tourists from the Bible Belt and beyond even as a nationwide trend toward the commercialization of sex emerged. And she dispels the romanticized smoke and perfume surrounding Storyville to reveal in the reasons for its rise and fall a fascinating corner of southern history. The Great Southern Babylon portrays the complex mosaic of race, gender, sexuality, social class, and commerce in turn-of-the-twentieth-century New Orleans.

"Long brilliantly charts the historical roots and evolution of the culture of commercial sexuality in New Orleans. . . . The result is a landmark book all should read."€"Darlene Clark Hine, coauthor of A Shining Thread of Hope: The History of Black Women in America.