The Battle of the Longs Book Signing

By Kevin Shannahan

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A group of around 25 local history lovers came to The Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame and Northwest Louisiana History Museum to a book signing April 4. The book is titled “The Battle of the Longs” by Rev. Bill Nash, a lifelong history buff who pastors a church in Mangham when he isn’t writing about events in Louisiana’s history.

The book is a collection of stories about the Long family, one of the most storied families in Louisiana political history. The book’s title refers to the US Congressional race in 1964 between cousins Speedy and Gillis Long in which Speedy pulled off an upset victory that strained relations between the two cousins for years.

The signing is part of the museum’s continuing efforts to bring a variety of educational programming to tell the stories of our state to visitors and local residents.

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