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Charles D. Chamberlain

Home Featured Authors & Panelists Featured Participant Lineup 2025 Charles D. Chamberlain

Charles D. Chamberlain is a historian, tour guide, museum professional, and musician. He specializes in the histories, music, and cultures of Louisiana, the United States, Latin America, and the Mediterranean Basin. Chamberlain is the author of Victory at Home: Manpower and Race in the American South During World War II, as well as numerous articles on the history of New Orleans music. He currently teaches the history of New Orleans and its music at the University of New Orleans.

Schedule

10:00 am to 10:45 am
State Library, Fourth Floor
Let the Music Speak: Tracking the Sounds That Changed Everything
Hank Ewert with moderator Charles D. Chamberlain

2:00 pm to 2:45 pm 
State Library, Third Floor
Exceptional City, Dangerous Frontier: Unpacking New Orleans History
Charles D. Chamberlain, New Orleans: A Concise History of an Exceptional City
David Michael Schneider, Crime in Colonial New Orleans: Terror on the Frontier

3:00 pm to 3:45 pm
Cavalier House Books Tent
Book Signing

New Orleans: A Concise History of an Exceptional City

Intended for general readers, Charles D. Chamberlain’s New Orleans: A Concise History of an Exceptional City offers a broad, reliable overview of the city’s history. Although many excellent books are available that focus on specific eras in the Crescent City, this book is the first fully inclusive scholarly history that is engaging and easy to follow.

In addition to a general historical narrative, each chapter provides a list of relevant historical sites and a carefully selected recipe to make the city’s history come to life through site visits and culinary pursuits. Chamberlain encourages readers to experience the spirit of New Orleans first-hand by exploring its landscape and interacting with its cuisine.

New Orleans: A Concise History of an Exceptional City is a trusty reference for tour guides and a valuable, interactive resource for general readers interested in the fascinating history of one of America’s most unique cities.