140 years separated the catastrophic events that nearly destroyed the University of Alabama (1865) and Tulane University (2005). While Tulane University's buildings were inundated as a result of flooding from a cataclysmic category five hurricane, the University of Alabama's ruination was due to bombardment from Union forces as the Civil War was nearing its end. The University of Alabama had been the alma mater of many Confederate officers, and its targeting was viewed as strategic. Tulane University was located in the heart of New Orleans, a city prone to hurricanes and inundated with floodwaters after the levees failed. Both institutions were faced with the Herculean task of rebuilding the schools and reopening them for enrollment. However, the two schools would take different paths toward reconstruction.

Kushner has crafted a fascinating story of two legendary Southern colleges restoring their battered schools after unimaginable calamities. His insightful narrative offers a stark contrast in human behavior. For example, administrators intent on renovating the University of Alabama were hampered by a lack of funds and a stubborn board of regents with whom the university frequently clashed. The rehabilitation of the school, as the author deftly highlights, progressed slowly, primarily due to outdated thinking. Meanwhile, Kushner reveals how Tulane's renaissance came about because of the quick thinking and resourcefulness of the president, whose clever maneuvering kept students and teachers safe and helped guide the university through the turbulent days and months after Hurricane Katrina. Both stories are about resilience and adaptation and offer important historical anecdotes on leadership in a crisis. This is a pithy and worthwhile reading experience.

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