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nobody999's review
informative
lighthearted
medium-paced
3.75
Reinforced my beliefs about the South, I suppose. Horwitz's John Brown book was probably better.
alidottie's review
5.0
My first Tony Horwitz book and it was love at first read! I love how he teached history while trying to relive it in some way.
tintinintibet's review against another edition
5.0
I chose to read a totally different book as a tie-in to “The Last of Us” HBO series (“Entangled Life” about fungi). But there are better commentaries on the evil subjugation and slaughter of humans and the horrors that reverberate.
theflamingopriss's review
fast-paced
0.5
This book is so absolutely fucking ignorant. He coddles Neo Confederates while admitting to condescending to Black people who display a very natural wariness of Southern whites. I got so pissed off that I chucked my copy of this out the window of a speeding car.
Fuck this book.
Fuck this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism
Ignorant white writer perpetuating the bullshit mythos of the South’s pathetic Lost Cause.sara_shocks's review
4.0
4.5 / 5 stars (rounded down)
I had to put this down several times to scream (inside my heart). It's an outstanding examination of how Americans create and recreate history, how history is embodied and what this devotion to the Civil War in particular means to those focused on it. I think he needed a little more development of the penultimate chapter on the Civil Rights movement and how that history is viewed & taught versus the Civil War, but that's also related to what I as a person in 2020 think versus how such topics were discussed in the mid-1990s.
I had to put this down several times to scream (inside my heart). It's an outstanding examination of how Americans create and recreate history, how history is embodied and what this devotion to the Civil War in particular means to those focused on it. I think he needed a little more development of the penultimate chapter on the Civil Rights movement and how that history is viewed & taught versus the Civil War, but that's also related to what I as a person in 2020 think versus how such topics were discussed in the mid-1990s.
duparker's review
4.0
Very interesting look at the idea that portions of the South can't let go of the Civil War. Of course this is evident through news reports and other outlets which focus on stress and malcontent. The book goes deeper and has a more striking look at the emotions and reactions to the outcome than a typical review.
I really enjoyed the storytelling and the clean writing style. It had a Bill Bryson feel to it.
I really enjoyed the storytelling and the clean writing style. It had a Bill Bryson feel to it.
swirsky's review
4.0
A fascinating and raw look into the world of Civil War reenacting and The South's complex history with racial tensions, politics, civil rights, and more. Equal parts entertaining, funny, shocking, maddening, sad, interesting, infuriating, etc. Although the occasional deep dive into Civil War facts / battles can become dull for a non-Civil War Buff like myself, it is still a great read and remains timely. Even though it was written in 1998, the complex perspectives and social conflicts that are discussed are still extremely relevant and troubling.