In the attic

So, in direct contrast to last week's book selection, here is a very fascinating, if not directly historical, book. Confederates in the Attic by Tony Horwitz is one of those books that received a lot of attention, and naturally received a lot of both praise and criticism. The premise of the book is simple. Horwitz was a news correspondent who returned to the states and lived in Virginia. It was here that he met a group of Civil War reenactors. After questioning why they do what they do, he decided to begin an epic journey across the South. He went to cities, towns, and farms talking to white, black, mixed, rich, poor, educated, uneducated, everyone he could find, to ask what they thought of the Civil War. The result is an amazing study of the real heart of the South. Among these interviews are fascinating stories such as visiting Shiloh at dawn, the Union statue in South Carolina, actual battle reenactments, the center of the South Carolina Rebel Flag debates, the "last Confederate Martyr," and interviews with author Shelby Foote and the real life last living Confederate Widow. Altogether, the book provides fascinating insight both into why the Civil War is still so strongly on America's mind, and why history fans in general are so intrigued by the past. I highly reccomend this book for anyone with an interest in history, and especially in the Civil War. Also good for those significant others/family members/coworkers who always ask why you care so much about people and events from 100 years ago. It can be found on Amazon here.
Confederates in the Attic
Tony Horwitz
432 pages
1999 Vintage Publishing