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4.08 AVERAGE
4.08 AVERAGE
funny
informative
lighthearted
medium-paced
Written in kind of a funny tone that screams the decade of its publication. Provides some really interesting insight into the neoconfederate world but falls into some of the traps that many war reporters do -- namely not interrogating the claims of some of these interlocutors with other investigative work (some prominent hate figures get described as "professor" or "historian"). This book almost holds up but just didn't quite make it all the way for me
I've read a few of his other books but somehow missed this one. Very entertaining trip through the south and the past!
adventurous
informative
reflective
medium-paced
A fascinating read about how people still view this war, and how some people are still fighting it today.
We discussed Confederates in the Attic at my book group. You know it's a good book for discussion when I only ever had to ask one of my questions I'd prepared. There was just so much to talk about. Some of us had Civil War stories to share, we talked about race and the war itself and how things could be better. There was a lot of foul language in it though, and while it was the impetus for lots of good discussion, I didn't feel like there was a real POINT to the book- sort of rambling. Good stories, but not a work of art.
informative
This is an interesting book about not only the historic battles but of the ways people remember them both large and small. I especially liked Horwitz's encounters with people such as Hodge and the various museum docents across the South.
I've read a few of Tony Horwitz's books. They never fail to amuse and educate. this book made me think of the place I now have called home for more than 15 years. I still do not understand the South but I do understand it better having absorbed the culture over the last several years. This book helped to put things into perspective. It would be interesting to see an update to this book especially the "I Had A Dream" chapter.
Very entertaining and eye-opening look at how the legacy of the South's defeat in the Civil War remains a major part of people's lives today.
Full disclosure: I've spent my entire life in the northeast U.S. so I fall into the Yankee category.
On to my biased review:
What I liked: Everything. Horwitz is a very talented writer. His style is fluid, thoughtful and engaging. I wouldn't say he's funny so much as amusing and I was amused quite often. He has a great eye for interesting details and presents his material very well. (I would say the same about Peter Hessler except that Hessler is very funny.) We meet a wide variety of people in Horwitz's travels through the southeast U.S. and all were worth knowing. I particularly liked chapter 5 (Kentucky: Dying for Dixie) and his treatment of the Michael Westerman murder. Westerman came to epitomize what fit the point of view of very different groups of people, good and bad. I could read that chapter again and again. Horwitz also did a great job delving into people's feelings about race and confronting inconsistencies in their beliefs. Chapter 14 (Alabama: I Had a Dream) was also excellent. (Horwitz's verbal battle with Rose Mary Sanders was excellent and worth revisiting.)
What I didn't love: Some sections were a tad long. Chapter 10 (Virginia and Beyond) could have been effectively shortened. It was never less than good so this is merely a quibble. The final chapter was below the higher standards of the earlier chapters but it was very short.
What I disliked: Nothing.
Parting thought: I held off reading this book because the cover photo was off putting. That was a mistake. I'm too easily influenced by cover art. There's probably a saying that fits this situation.
On to my biased review:
What I liked: Everything. Horwitz is a very talented writer. His style is fluid, thoughtful and engaging. I wouldn't say he's funny so much as amusing and I was amused quite often. He has a great eye for interesting details and presents his material very well. (I would say the same about Peter Hessler except that Hessler is very funny.) We meet a wide variety of people in Horwitz's travels through the southeast U.S. and all were worth knowing. I particularly liked chapter 5 (Kentucky: Dying for Dixie) and his treatment of the Michael Westerman murder. Westerman came to epitomize what fit the point of view of very different groups of people, good and bad. I could read that chapter again and again. Horwitz also did a great job delving into people's feelings about race and confronting inconsistencies in their beliefs. Chapter 14 (Alabama: I Had a Dream) was also excellent. (Horwitz's verbal battle with Rose Mary Sanders was excellent and worth revisiting.)
What I didn't love: Some sections were a tad long. Chapter 10 (Virginia and Beyond) could have been effectively shortened. It was never less than good so this is merely a quibble. The final chapter was below the higher standards of the earlier chapters but it was very short.
What I disliked: Nothing.
Parting thought: I held off reading this book because the cover photo was off putting. That was a mistake. I'm too easily influenced by cover art. There's probably a saying that fits this situation.
